Estimating the endogenous water content of frozen eviscerated duck carcasses

Abstract

1. Statistical analysis of data from a small sample of duck carcasses, ranging in weight from 1.1 to 2.2 kg, which had been bled, wet‐plucked and eviscerated and from which the heads and feet had been removed, but which had not subsequently been through a spray, slush‐tank or spin‐chiller before being frozen, showed that the water content could be predicted from knowledge of the protein content alone.

2. The standard deviation of the difference between the predicted amount of water and the amount found by analysis of an independent sample of carcass homogenate was 1.8% of the mean carcass weight.

3. Accuracy of prediction was scarcely affected by taking account of the mineral content of the carcass and was unaffected by fat content.