Chemical Composition and pH of the Meat of Broilers Submitted to Pre-Slaughter Heat Stress

Abstract

In order to evaluate the chemical composition and pH of chicken meat subjected to heat stress during the preslaughter rest time, an experiment was conducted in a slaughterhouse. Twenty-five birds were randomly selected and housed in rooms without air conditioning for a 3-hour period, with an average temperature of 33°C and relative humidity of 83%. After slaughter, the carcasses were deboned and prime cuts were chilled (between 0 and 4 °C) for 24 hours for analysis of moisture levels, protein, fat, ash, and pH. The humidity values were 72.80, 71.47, and 70.30%, protein values were 16.81, 14.90, and 15.10%, lipid values were 0.78, 3.30, and 5.80%, ash values were 0.81, 0.88, and 0.89%, and pH values were 5.30, 6.10, and 6.54 for breast, thigh, and drumstick, respectively. Heat stress for 3 hours before slaughter led to changes in the chemical composition and pH of the chicken, which establishes an anomaly in the flesh of the PSE type (pale, soft, and exudative). It is evident that pre-slaughter management is important to ensure animal welfare and consequently high meat quality.

Carcass Yield and Meat Quality of Broiler Chicks Supplemented with Yeasts Bioproducts

“…In our study, pH was not influenced by the inactive yeasts dietary supplementation. The raw broiler meat pH mean values ranged for raw breast (5.97-6.02) and thigh (5.91-6.02) and fitted in the 24 h raw refrigerated broiler's meat normal range of values [31,32] without abnormality encounters such as pale soft exudative and wooden-like meat characteristics. Generally, the meat pH is an important quality indicator, firmly associated with slaughtering, meat processing, and storage management.…”

Potential Benefits of Plant-Derived Products on Broiler Meat Characteristics - A Short Review

“…For instance, Sukoco et al (2015) reported that dietary inclusion of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) leaves extract (at levels of 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20%) did not affect physical quality, including pH, WHC, cooking loss andtenderness, of broiler breast meats. Several factors influence the physical characteristics of broiler meats; some of them are stress conditions before slaughter and pre-slaughter management (Sukoco et al, 2015;Fernandes et al, 2016). These latter factors may influence feed intake, digestion, and nutrient utilization, determining the glycogen stored in the muscle.…”

Influence of feed additive on the biological value of broiler chickens’ white meat protein in technological stress conditions

“…Prior to slaughter, 3 hours of stress leads to changes in the chemical composition and pH of poultry meat, manifestation of PSE signs [11]. At the same time, the main problem is associated with the decrease in the sensor characteristics of meat, which lead to an increase in technological losses when processing for meat products [12].…”