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THE EFFECTS OF ELECTROLYTE FEEDING, PRE-SLAUGHTER TEMPERATURE STRESS, AND POST-SLAUGHTER PROCESSING CONDITIONS ON THE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF TURKEY BREAST MUSCLES
Abstract
Hen and tom turkeys exposed to pre-slaughter electrolyte treatment, temperature stress, and post-slaughter tumbling, were studied in terms of their effects on carcass yield and certain meat quality attributes. In the electrolyte study, three levels of the electrolytes (Dawelyte) at 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15% of the drinking water were applied to 21 weeks' old hen turkeys for three days prior to slaughter. Results indicated that electrolyte level up to 0.10% seemed to improve weight gain and percent water uptake. Electrolytes did not significantly affect most meat quality characteristics. In the study with pre-slaughter temperature stress, it was observed that holding tom turkeys at 38(DEGREES)C for four hours pre-slaughter resulted in breast muscles with slightly lower pH, WHC, cooking yield, and a higher shear value. Meat color from heat stressed birds was more pale compared to the control or cold (5(DEGREES)C) pre-slaughter situation. Cool pre-slaughter holding seemed to produce meat with better carcass quality characteristics. Tumbling of whole turkey carcasses post-mortem seemed to result in improved cooking yield and lower shear values. Whole carcasses were tumbled in a custom-designed 50-gallon barrel tumbler at 20 rpm for 30 min at 7(DEGREES)C. This process of tumbling can be conveniently placed at the end of the processing line just prior to packaging for improvement of meat quality characteristics. This study concerned various factors that can be taken into consideration to help improve the yield and quality of turkey carcasses. It has implicated that one could wisely apply a level of electrolyte especially in the event of a heat stress situation to help reduce weight loss and shrinkage. Tumbling could be an additional process that could be incorporated to maintain a high meat quality.
Subject Area
Agriculture
Recommended Citation
BABJI, ABDUL SALAM, "THE EFFECTS OF ELECTROLYTE FEEDING, PRE-SLAUGHTER TEMPERATURE STRESS, AND POST-SLAUGHTER PROCESSING CONDITIONS ON THE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF TURKEY BREAST MUSCLES" (1980). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8111674.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8111674