Abstract
This study was performed to clarify the effects of postmortem deboning time on physical, chemical, morphological and organoleptic properties of chicken breast meat during postmortem aging. Sensory evaluation after post-deboning aging for 4 days at 0°C showed that chicken breast deboned at 4 h postmortem was the most tender and nondry among those deboned at 1, 2, 6 h postmortem. Chicken breast deboned at 6 h postmortem was more palatable than that deboned at 4 h postmortem. Cooling loss, cooking loss and shear force value of chicken breast deboned at 1 or 2 h postmortem was larger than those deboned at 6 and 24 h postmortem. These results were consistent with those of the sensory evaluation for nondryness and tenderness. From morphological observation, the distance between Z lines in myofibrils of chicken pectoral muscle deboned at 8 or 16 h postmortem was longer than that deboned at 1 h postmortem. The latter myofibrils were observed to be wounded partially, suggesting that the rigor mortis was accelerated after deboning. it was also shown that weakening of Z lines of chicken pectoral muscle deboned after 4 h postmortem was significantly increased and its tenderization was also accelerated. From these results, it was concluded that deboning of chicken breast after 4 h postmortem improved meat qualities such as tenderness and nondryness.
