Vol. 39, No. 1-2, 1995
Effect of stress on poultry meat quality
Severiny, M., Trevisani, M., Loschi, A. R.
Istituto di Ispezione degli alimenti di origine animale
Facolta di Medicina Veterinaria
+Istituto di Autopsie e Patologia aviare
Perugia
Italia
Summary
Poultry meat quality may be affected by several factors which are associated with production, slaughter and processing. Stress is of great concern because of the profound influence it exerts on the whole production chain, on the farm, during transportation and slaughter. Stress has been associated with carcass downgrading, but also with muscular myopathies in broilers and turkeys. The results of studies conducted by several authors on the effects of pre-slaughter stress on quality traits of poultry meat have been reported. Mainly, abnormal findings such as depletion of glycogen prior to slaughter, and the consequent higher ultimate pH in post mortem muscles have been described. These were related to heat stress, stress due to preslaughter handing, transportation, and struggling. Stressed muscles showed a darker colour, higher shear force values and higher WHC. The occurrence of PSE-like meat in stressed turkeys has also been reported and correlated with increased postmortem glycolytic rates in the mucles.
Key words: poultry meat quality; stress; transportation; slaughter
References
Folia Veterinaria / 1995