Colour, pH and weight changes of PSE, normal and DFD breast fillets from British broilers treated with a phosphate-free, low salt marinade

Abstract

1. Colour (L*, a*, b*), pH and weight changes during tumbling, overnight holding and cooking were measured in pale, soft and exudative (PSE, L* > 58); normal; and dark, firm and dry (DFD, L* < 52) broiler breast fillets (n = 180) subject to tumbling in a low salt (4%), phosphate-free marinade at three target addition levels: 0, 10 and 20%.

2. The mean L* values for PSE, normal and DFD fillets were 60·1, 56·0 and 51·7 respectively, with corresponding mean pH values of 5·73, 5·85 and 6·07.

3. There were no significant differences in marinade uptake during tumbling for the three groups of fillets. Losses during overnight holding were highest for the PSE fillets, but losses for all three colour groups were relatively small (<2%).

4. Cooking losses for fillets of normal colour were 19·7, 24·1 and 26·2% at 0, 10 and 20% addition levels respectively, with corresponding yields of 80·3, 82·8 and 84·8%.

5. PSE fillets had higher cooking losses and lower yields than normal fillets (and DFD fillets had lower cooking losses and higher yields than normal fillets) but the differences were small and not always significant (P < 0·05).

6. There was a strong negative correlation between pH and L* (r = −0·82) in the raw fillets, but weaker correlations of yield with L* (r = −0·53) and pH (r = 0·38) in the cooked fillets.