EFFECTS OF PRE‐ AND POSTMORTEM GLYCOLYSIS ON POULTRY TENDERNESS

Abstract

SUMMARYTo study the effects of glycolysis on tenderness of poultry breast meat, premortem and postmortem glycolysis in muscle tissue was controlled either by epinephrine administration at suitable intervals of time before slaughtering or by allowing the birds to struggle freely just before and during slaughtering. Premortem glycolysis, occurring as a result of death struggle or epinephrine administration 1‐2 hr before slaughtering, lowered the pH of the meat at the time of death and caused toughness. Minimization of postmortem glycolysis by epinephrine administration more than 5 hr before slaughtering increased the ultimate pH of meat and the tenderness. The results indicate that a pH value above 6.2 just after slaughtering, and an ultimate pH near 5.7, are desirable for maintaining quality of poultry breast meat, and that these pH values are maintained by minimum premortem and maximum postmortem glycolysis.