Modern processing techniques for turkey involve rapid chilling to slow microbial growth and early deboning of the economically important breast meat. This paper shows that these 2 processes lead to significantly tougher meat with higher cooking losses. The toughening appears to be due to less extensive proteolysis and shortening of the sarcomeres. Calpains I and II and their inhibitor, calpasta...

Acid solutions have been used as antimicrobials on meat and poultry. FreshFx is a commerciallyavailable surface treatment for the reduction of pathogens and extension of shelf life of raw poultry. Two replicate trials were conducted to determine the effect of FreshFx on numbers of total aerobes and inoculated Salmonella on raw turkey breast meat during 14 d of refrigerated storage. In each tria...

The antioxidant effect of far infrared–treated rice hull (FRH) extracts in irradiated turkey breast meat was compared with that of sesamol and rosemary oleoresin. The FRH extracts significantly decreased thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances values and volatile aldehydes (hexanal, pentanal, and propanal) and was effective in reducing the production of dimethyl disulfide responsible for irradi...

1. Investigations were made into the breast and leg muscle energy metabolism, and the quality of breast meat of turkeys after controlled atmosphere stunning or stun-killing (CAS) with various gas mixtures. In addition, the effect on meat quality of an increase in the chilling rate of turkey breast meat after hypercapnic or anoxic stun-killing was studied. 2. A total of 35 turkey toms within t...

Turkey meat and processed products are very popular in Portugal. However, no studies have been made to assess turkey meat quality. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of turkey breast meat in a Portuguese slaughterhouse, differentiating it to obtain better industrial management, performance, and consumer contentment. Nine hundred and seventy-seven male turkeys (from 16 ...

The development of off-flavors from oxidation reactions in cooked turkey products is a common problem and results in a less desirable, rancid flavor. Various strategies have been evaluated to minimize this off-flavor development, including vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging, feeding antioxidants to animals, and use of antioxidants in the final product. A natural protein-sugar reaction cal...

Structural and functional properties of the skeletal muscle determine the meat quality in agriculturally used animals. Post-mortem changes of these properties vary among individual animals and can eventually lead to occurrence of poor meat quality depending on environmental conditions at slaughter. In pigs, as well as in poultry species, the PSE meat condition [pale, soft, exudative meat] predo...

Antioxidants had no effect on the production of sulfur compounds, color change, and off-odor intensity of irradiated turkey breast meat, but addition of sesamol tocopherol or gallate tocopherol was effective in reducing thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance values and aldehydes, especially under aerobic conditions. Consumers preferred the color of irradiated raw and cooked meat to nonirradiate...

The effects of double packaging on lipid oxidation, color, and volatile production were determined to establish a modified packaging method to improve quality changes in irradiated raw turkey meat. Sliced raw turkey breast and thigh meats were aerobically, vacuum- or double (vacuum and aerobic)-packaged, electron beam irradiated at 2.5 kGy, and then stored under refrigerated temperature. For th...

Lactobacillus sakei subsp. carnosus was predominant in the spoilage flora of sliced, vacuum-packed, smoked, oven-cooked turkey breast fillets which developed mild, sour spoilage flavors after 4 weeks storage at 4 degrees C. In contrast, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides predominated in the spoilage flora of sliced, vacuum-packed, unsmoked, boiled turkey breast fillets from the same...