Abstract
Simple SummaryThere is presently no method of predicting meat quality based on a single examination of birds before slaughter. That could potentially be accomplished with a computer-assisted analysis of ultrasonographic images. Hence, this experiment was designed to draw correlations between various physical and chemical properties of chicken pectoral muscles and pixel values (brightness elements) measured in corresponding ultrasonograms (a.k.a. echotexture). Our study revealed that echotextural characteristics of pectoral muscles in live birds were predictive of several important physical parameters (e.g., cutting force, hardness, and chewiness) as well as intramuscular fat and protein content. However, different dietary fats that caused changes in the chemical composition of chicken breast also affected the associations between muscle echotexture and its physicochemical properties. For example, no correlations with the chemical composition of the muscles could be found in birds fed with soybean oil. We concluded that ultrasonographic imaging combined with a computerized image analysis can offer significant benefits to the poultry industry and consumers. It can aid in livestock genetic selection and improvement programs as well as enhance the quality of poultry meat and meat products. However, more confirmatory studies are needed.This study examined the relationships among physicochemical properties and ultrasonographic image attributes of pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens. Forty male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to four equinumerous fat-supplementation groups (Group SO: soybean oil; Group FO: flax oil; Group SO + FO: soybean oil + flax oil; and Group BF: beef fat). Ultrasonograms of birds’ pectoral muscles were obtained just before slaughter at 6 weeks of age and were subjected to digital image analyses to determine the mean pixel intensity (MPI) and pixel heterogeneity values (standard deviation of numerical pixel values; MPH). A total of 2, 4, 2, and 6 significant correlations were recorded in Groups SO, FO, SO + FO, and BF, respectively; there were no correlations with the chemical composition of the muscles in Groups SO and SO + FO. The strongest correlations were found between muscle lightness (L*) and MPH in Group BF (physical characteristic; r = −0.82, p = 0.003), and between crude fat/protein content and MPI/MPH of pectoral the major muscles in Groups FO/BF (chemical characteristics; r = 0.72, p = 0.02). There exists a potential application of ultrasonographic imaging and computerized image analysis for predicting certain physicochemical properties of pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens.
Highlights
In order to provide high quality products to consumers, it is necessary for the food industry to obtain reliable information on factors influencing meat quality throughout the entire production cycle [1]
In the field of animal and veterinary sciences, significant correlations have been found between changes in the chemical composition of ram testes and their echotextural characteristics [8]. These findings suggest that ultrasonography could be used to assess histochemical changes in various internal organs and tissues, which leads to the concept that the quantitative ultrasonographic analyses could be useful indicators of the physicochemical characteristics of skeletal muscles
This result contrasts with the findings of a previous study by Cortinas et al [15], which demonstrated that increasing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in diet by 46 g/kg decreased crude fat in chicken thigh meat by ~17%
Summary
In order to provide high quality products to consumers, it is necessary for the food industry to obtain reliable information on factors influencing meat quality throughout the entire production cycle [1]. Both the quality control in commercial farms as well as the continued genetic selection in modern poultry operations requires a constant monitoring of meat productivity traits. Several growth characteristics are not monitored regularly or are not determined at all because their assessment is too cumbersome or costly Such parameters include an array of physicochemical properties of skeletal muscles and intramuscular fat (e.g., color, pH, compactness, and cutting force) that determine meat sensory characteristics [3,4]. One of the challenges facing the modern poultry industry is to develop accurate, non-invasive, and inexpensive methods of predicting meat quality from observations and testing of live birds
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