Meat Quality and Cooking Characteristics in Broilers Influenced by Winter Transportation Distance and Crate Density

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the effect of transportation distance and crating density on meat quality traits during winter. ROSS-308 broilers aged 35 days were divided into 10 treatment groups based on three transportation distances (80, 160, and 240 km) with three crating densities (10, 12, and 15 birds per crate) along with birds slaughtered on farm without crating as a control group. Each treatment was replicated 10 times and placed at various locations in the truck. The birds were transported in plastic crates of 0.91 m×0.55 m×0.30 m at ambient temperature and relative humidity of 3.6-9.5℃ and 63.3-78.8%, respectively. The breast meat quality parameters including pH, color, drip loss, shear force, marinade uptake and retention, cooking losses, and yield were determined. The results showed significantly higher pH 15 min post-slaughter (PS), drip loss, lightness, marinade uptake, raw meat cooking yield, and shear force in birds slaughtered on farm without any transportation. The birds transported for 240 km had significantly higher pH at 2 hours (h) PS, marinade retention, and cooking yield. Whereas, pH at 24 h PS, meat redness, yellowness, chroma, and marinated meat cooking yield were significantly higher in all transported treatments compared to the control group. Among different crating densities, the birds transported with 10 birds per crate showed significantly higher meat redness, marinade retention, and cooking yield. The crating density of 15 birds per crate had significantly higher lightness, hue, cooking loss, and shear force. However, no effect of crating density was observed on meat pH, drip loss, and marinade uptake. It can be concluded that an increase in transportation distance and low crating density during winter can negatively affect physical quality of meat with significant improvement in marination and cooking characteristics.

Effect of crating density and weather conditions during transit on preslaughter losses, physiological characteristics, and meat quality in broilers

“…[13] carried out investigations involving various crating densities (10, 12, and 15 birds per crate) during the summer, but they found no statistically significant difference in pH associated with crating density. Likewise, [19] reported that no significant pH differences were…”

“…Previous studies have reported that broilers transported at higher crating densities exhibited severe body weight loss and a decline in both physical appearance and functional properties during the summer season (27.2-33.6 ℃, 52.7-62.9%). In contrast, low crating density adversely impacted meat quality by leading to increased weight loss and stress in winter (3.6-9.5 ℃, 63.3-78.8%) [18][19][20]. Another study by [21] examined the impact of various crating densities and seasonal variations [low air temperature (-9 ℃, 60%), high air temperature (27 ℃, 80%)] on preslaughter losses, meat quality, and physiological characteristics in broilers.…”

Analysis of Different Pre-Slaughter Management Systems of Broilers and Their Impact on Animal Welfare: Dead on Arrival, Injuries and Stress

“…Further studies should be conducted with the purpose of establishing standards of broiler welfare related to corticosterone levels, as they already exist for other parameters, such as for standardized DOA by Grandin [10]. Poultry processing plant managers must realise that animal welfare problems during the transportation of broilers not only cause direct losses such as DOA and injuries [52,53], but also regarding the overall loss of meat quality due to the deterioration of the physical appearance and its functional characteristics [54][55][56][57][58][59][60]. In addition, it could also contribute to raising the levels of pathogens in chicken carcasses, such as Campylobacter spp.…”