Temperature stress ( TS ) is a significant issue in poultry production, which has implications for animal health and welfare, productivity, and industry profitability. Temperature stress, including both hot (heat stress) and cold conditions (cold stress), is associated with increased incidence of meat quality defects such as pale, soft, and exudative ( PSE ) and dark, firm, and dry ( DFD ) meat costing poultry industries millions of dollars annually. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of ambient TS on meat quality parameters of poultry. Forty-eight publications which met specific criteria for inclusion were identified through a systematic literature review. Temperature stress was defined by extracting 2 descriptors for each treatment mean from the chosen studies: (1) temperature imposed for the experimental treatments (°C) and duration of temperature exposure. Treatment duration was categorized for analysis into acute (≤24 h) or chronic (>24 h) treatments. Meat quality parameters considered were color (L*-a*-b* scheme), pH (initial and ultimate), drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force. Linear mixed model analysis, including study as a random effect, was used to determine the effect of treatment temperature and duration on meat quality. Model evaluation was conducted by performing a k-fold cross-validation to estimate test error, and via assessment of the root mean square prediction error ( RMSPE ), and concordance correlation coefficient ( CCC ). Across both acute and chronic durations, treatment temperature was found to have a significant effect on all studied meat quality parameters. As treatment temperature increased, meat demonstrated characteristics of PSE meat and, as temperature decreased, meat demonstrated characteristics of DFD meat. The interaction between treatment temperature and duration was significant for most traits, however, the relative impact of treatment duration on the studied traits was inconsistent. Acute TS had a larger effect than chronic TS on ultimate pH, and chronic stress had a more considerable impact on color traits (L* and a*). This meta-analysis quantifies the effect of ambient TS on poultry meat quality. However, quantitative effects were generally small, and therefore may or may not be of practical significance from a processing perspective.
Wing flapping and body movement can occur during the slaughter of poultry. Wing movement and flapping are driven primarily by the breast muscles (Pectoralis major and minor), and this muscle activity may have implications for meat quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate turkey post mortem activity during slaughter at a commercial poultry processing plant. Post mortem activity (during bleeding) was scored on 5,441 male turkeys, from six different genetic lines, using a 1–4 scale from none to severe wing flapping. Meat quality was measured on these birds in terms of pH (initial, ultimate, delta or change), color (L*, a*, b*), and physiochemical traits (drip loss, cooking loss, shear force). Linear mixed models were used to analyze the effect of activity (score 1–4), genetic line (A–F), and season (summer vs. autumn) on the nine meat quality traits. Post mortem activity influenced a*, drip loss, and shear force although the magnitude of the effects was small. There was an effect (P < 0.05) of genetic line on all the meat quality traits except for L*, cooking loss, and shear force. In general, larger, faster-growing lines had higher pH, but the relationship between the lines for the other traits is not as clear. Season affected all the meat quality traits, except for pHdelta, with meat having a higher pH, L*, b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in the summer. This study provides an exploratory assessment of post mortem activity in turkeys and identifies meat quality traits which are most affected while also accounting for the effects of genetic line and season. Although identified effect sizes are small, the cumulative effect on turkey meat quality may be more substantial.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.