EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL STUNNING DURATION ON POSTMORTEM RIGOR DEVELOPMENT AND BROILER BREAST MEAT TENDERNESS

Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of electrical stunning duration on poultry breast meat postmortem biochemistry and texture. Broilers were stunned with 100 V AC for 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 s, killed by conventional neck cut, and bled for 180 s to determine percentage blood loss. Breast fillets were removed from the carcass immediately after picking or following 24 h of aging in an ice-water bath. R-values and pH were determined at both deboning times and Allo-Kramer shear values were recorded after holding the samples for 48 h at 2 C. Stunning durations of 10, 20 and 40 s resulted in lower (P < 0.05) blood losses than birds stunned for 0 or 5 s. Stunning inhibited postmortem glycolysis as indicated by higher (P < 0.05) pH values and lower R-values at 15 min postmortem, but not after 24 h. Stunning had no effect on Allo-Kramer shear values. Stunning durations from 5 to 40 s at 100 V AC had no significant effect on postmortem rigor development, or meat quality.