Determining the production and processing factors that influence poultry breast meat dimensions and quality

Breast filet is the major profit in poultry industry. Trimming breast filet to meet the consumer preferences such as certain weight, shape, and size is consider an economic losses such as lower yield and labor. Research indicates that light intensity, duration of light had an affect on broilers growth. Also, handling has an affect on meat quality attributes. In addition, deboning time has an affect on meat quality characteristics. Studies on the effect of lighting treatments (lighting intensity and lighting periods), handling treatments and deboning time on filet dimensions and meat quality characteristics were conducted. In the first experiment, lighting intensity showed an affect on broilers body weight. Broiler exposed to dim light were heavier than those exposed to bright light. Along with improved in body weight, the filet weight of broilers raised under dim light were heavier than those under bright light. The filet dimensions such as filet length and filet area of filet from the dim light broilers were longer and bigger compared to filet of bright light broilers. In contrast, handling treatments have no affect on filet dimensions and meat quality attributes. Filet deboned at early deboning time post-mortern (2 h) had a higher shear value than those deboned at 4 h post-mortem. Filet deboned at 2 h post-mortem from broilers exposed to dim light had a higher shear value compare to those filet from bright light broilers. In the second experiment, the lighting periods was not showing an affect on broiler body weight. However, filet weight and filet dimensions such as filet length, filet width, filet height, and filet area from broilers exposed to bright long light periods were significantly greater than those filet from broilers exposed to dim long light periods. Shear value of filet deboned at 2 h post-mortem was higher compare to filet deboned at 4 h post-mortem. Results from these experiments suggest that lighting treatment could improve the broilers body weight, and filet dimensions. However, deboning time has to be in consideration when dealing with meat quality characteristics such as meat tenderness.