Abstract
Black bone syndrome (BBS) affects poultry industry, and it is caused by the darkening of the tissue adjacent to the bone due to leak age of bone marrow contents during cooking. The objective of this experiment was to estimate BBS incidence in chicken thighs. A completely randomized experimental design, with two treatments (refrigerated or frozen) of 50 replicates each, was applied. The influence of BBS on meat quality was assessed according to bone lightness (*L), and meat appearance and sensorial characteristics. Lightness was measured using a colorimeter (Minolta® 410R) positioned on the proximal epiphyseal growth plate. Meat quality was evaluated after roasting by assigning scores for appearance (acceptable = no darkening, intermediate = little darkened, and unacceptable = severe darkening). Twelve refrigerated and 12 frozen thighs were used for sensorial analysis (adjacent muscle appearance, odor, tenderness, and flavor), assessed using a hedonic scale (1 = bad to 10 = very good) by trained panelists. Lightness was submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test (p<0.05), and the Wilcoxon test (p<0.05) was used to analyze other characteristics. Confidence intervals were established for BBS based on *L values (<37.5=BBS and >37.5=normal). The incidence of BBS was 35%,with a 16%increase thighs were frozen. Meat taste was not influenced by the treatments. Meat appearance, flavor, and tenderness were not affected by freezing or refrigeration, only by BBS degree. It was concluded that freezing increases the incidence of BBS and chicken thighs with bones presenting lower luminosity have worse meat quality.
Highlights
Brazilian poultry production presents outstanding results when compared to other meats produced in the country
Samples were submitted to the Laboratory of Meat Technology, School of Agrarian Sciences (FCA), Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), to estimate the prevalence of Black bone syndrome (BBS) using qualitative meat characteristics
Thighs affected by BBS were characterized as a function of lightness values, and those with values lower than 37.5 were considered as presenting BBS
Summary
Brazilian poultry production presents outstanding results when compared to other meats produced in the country. Consumers currently demand a wide range of poultry products, particular for convenient and value-added parts This trend is explained by changes in the eating habits of the population and by consumers’ concerns with convenience, nutritional quality, and food safety, as well as with affordable prices (Olivo, 2004). Black bone syndrome (BBS) is defined as a condition where the surface of the bone and adjacent muscle tissues become dark reddish brown or black after cooking (Smith & Northcutt, 2004) Measures to mitigate this problem have been sought since the early days of the meat processing industry, including the addition of D vitamin to broiler diets (Ellis & Woodroof, 1959), and different freezing regimens and cooking methods (Cunningham, 1974). This experiment aimed at evaluating the incidence of black bone syndrome in refrigerated and frozen broiler thighs
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