Quality parameters of chicken breast meat affected by carcass scalding conditions

Objective The influence of broiler carcass scalding conditions on chicken breast meat quality parameters was investigated. Methods Two hundred and seventy Cobb broiler chickens from 42 to 48 days old were slaughtered according to the standard industry practice and scalded in five temperature/time combinations—T1, 54°C/210 s; T2, 55°C/180 s; T3, 56°C/150 s; T4, 57°C/120 s; T5, 58°C/90 s. Results Scalding temperature increase resulted in higher values of external and ventral lightness and in protein functionality reduction—determined by emulsification capacity and protein denaturation—in chicken breast fillets 24 h post-mortem. Protein secondary structures had conformational changes, with a decrease of the α-helix and an increase of the β-sheet and β-turn proportions, mainly in T1 and T5 samples, determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in an attenuated reflectance mode analysis. The chemical composition, pH, water holding capacity and Warner-Bratzler shear force did not differ among the treatments. In the fatty acid profile, the 18:1n-9 was lower in T5, which suggested that the high scalding-temperature could have caused the lipid oxidation. The values of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as 22:2, 20:4n-6, and 22:6n-3, were highest in the T5, thus being related to the phospholipid cellular membrane collapse in this experimental condition and subsequent release of these PUFA. Conclusion Intermediate scalding-parameters avoided the negative changes in the chicken meat quality.