Meat Texture Research Articles

Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Conformational Structure and Gel Properties of Myofibrillar Protein and Meat Quality: A Review.

In meat processing, changes in the myofibrillar protein (MP) structure can affect the quality of meat products. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has been widely utilized to change the conformational structure (secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure) of MP so as to improve the quality of meat products. However, a systematic summary of the relationship between the conformational structure (secondary and tertiary structure) changes in MP, gel properties and product quality under HHP is lacking. Hence, this review provides a comprehensive summary of the changes in the conformational structure and gel properties of MP under HHP and discusses the mechanism based on previous studies and recent progress. The relationship between the spatial structure of MP and meat texture under HHP is also explored. Finally, we discuss considerations regarding ways to make HHP an effective strategy in future meat manufacturing.

Appraisal of Dietary Prebiotic Supplementation on Meat Properties and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens After Experimental Infection with Eimeria Species

BACKGROUND: Prebiotics are non-digestible feed ingredients that improve the immune system. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to assess the changes caused by the addition of prebiotics to the feed on carcass characteristics and also chemical composition, physical characteristics, color, texture, and fatty acid profile of chicken pectoral muscles containing Eimeria species. METHODS: Forty-one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to four treatments, including nega-tive control (NC), positive control (PC), positive medicated with coxidine (COX), and positive medicated with prebiotics (PRE). After 42 days, carcass characteristics of the chickens were recorded, and also physical character-istics, chemical composition, color, texture, and fatty acid analysis of breast meat were determined. RESULTS: Infection with Eimeria species diminished carcass characteristics. PRE had higher final body weight, hot carcass weight, and breast and thigh muscle weights. Drip loss, pH, cooking loss, fat, ash, dry matter, and texture properties of broilers’ breast meat did not show any significant differences among the experimental groups. Dietary supplementation with prebiotics increased the crude protein content of breast meat. Infection with Eimeria species decreased the a-value of breast meat. Dietary supplementation with prebiotics decreased the amount of fatty acids 16:1 and 18:1 and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) compared to NC. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary supplementation with prebiotics is a promising strategy with the potential to compensate for the negative effects of infection with Eimeria spp. on carcass characteristics, protein content, and color of breast meat of broiler chickens.

Antioxidant activity of Capsicum frutescens and its effect on sensory and carcass traits of local chickens

This study determined the antioxidant activity of Capsicum frutescens powder and its effect on sensory and carcass characteristics of local chickens fed with either cotton seed cake or sunflower seed diets for thirty seven days. The birds were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (0, 1.1, 2.2 and 4.4%) of C. frutescens powder. For cotton seed cake diets, 15 birds were replicated thrice per treatment whereas the replication was twice for sunflower seed cake diets. The antioxidant activity scores based on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH•) radical scavenging activity at concentrations 100, 200, 400, and 500 µg/ml were 17.1, 20.8, 29.8, and 33.3%, respectively. Further, sunflower diets with 2.2% inclusion level increased carcass yield with respect to heart weight (4 g, p=0.01), proventriculus weight (4.25 g, p=0.02) and intestine weight (82.5 g, p=0.01). In contrast, no improvement but negative effects were observed when C. frutescens was included in cotton seed cake diets. Furthermore, results showed that none of the inclusion levels of C. frutescens had an effect on texture, taste, juiciness and overall acceptability of chicken meat. This study suggests that the carcass yield of local chicken can be improved through including C. frutescens at a level of 2.2% in diets constituted with sunflower seed cake. Key words: Flavor, taste, texture, performance, sunflower.

Morphology Development and Flow Characteristics during High Moisture Extrusion of a Plant-Based Meat Analogue.

Plant-based meat analogues that mimic the characteristic structure and texture of meat are becoming increasingly popular. They can be produced by means of high moisture extrusion (HME), in which protein-rich raw materials are subjected to thermomechanical stresses in the extruder at high water content (>40%) and then forced through a cooling die. The cooling die, or generally the die section, is known to have a large influence on the products’ anisotropic structures, which are determined by the morphology of the underlying multi-phase system. However, the morphology development in the process and its relationship with the flow characteristics are not yet well understood and, therefore, investigated in this work. The results show that the underlying multi-phase system is already present in the screw section of the extruder. The morphology development mainly takes place in the tapered transition zone and the non-cooled zone, while the cooled zone only has a minor influence. The cross-sectional contraction and the cooling generate elongational flows and tensile stresses in the die section, whereas the highest tensile stresses are generated in the transition zone and are assumed to be the main factor for structure formation. Cooling also has an influence on the velocity gradients and, therefore, the shear stresses; the highest shear stresses are generated towards the die exit. The results further show that morphology development in the die section is mainly governed by deformation and orientation, while the breakup of phases appears to play a minor role. The size of the dispersed phase, i.e., size of individual particles, is presumably determined in the screw section and then stays the same over the die length. Overall, this study reveals that morphology development and flow characteristics need to be understood and controlled for a successful product design in HME, which, in turn, could be achieved by a targeted design of the extruders die section.

Poultry Response to Heat Stress: Its Physiological, Metabolic, and Genetic Implications on Meat Production and Quality Including Strategies to Improve Broiler Production in a Warming World.

The continuous increase in poultry production over the last decades to meet the high growing demand and provide food security has attracted much concern due to the recent negative impacts of the most challenging environmental stressor, heat stress (HS), on birds. The poultry industry has responded by adopting different environmental strategies such as the use of environmentally controlled sheds and modern ventilation systems. However, such strategies are not long-term solutions and it cost so much for farmers to practice. The detrimental effects of HS include the reduction in growth, deterioration of meat quality as it reduces water-holding capacity, pH and increases drip loss in meat consequently changing the normal color, taste and texture of chicken meat. HS causes poor meat quality by impairing protein synthesis and augmenting undesirable fat in meat. Studies previously conducted show that HS negatively affects the skeletal muscle growth and development by changing its effects on myogenic regulatory factors, insulin growth factor-1, and heat-shock proteins. The focus of this article is in 3-fold: (1) to identify the mechanism of heat stress that causes meat production and quality loss in chicken; (2) to discuss the physiological, metabolic and genetic changes triggered by HS causing setback to the world poultry industry; (3) to identify the research gaps to be addressed in future studies.

Relationship between instrumental and sensory texture profile of beef semitendinosus muscles with different textures.

Texture of meat is a critical factor in oral processing and bolus formation, especially for people suffering from dysphagia. The present study evaluated and compared the texture changes of beef semitendinosus muscles upon cooking, using sensory panelists and instrumental texture profile analysis. Cooking losses were also estimated. The correlation between instrumental and sensory parameters were established. Training with sensory texture profile enabled panelists to clearly identify and describe meat textural attributes except cohesiveness and springiness. Increased cooking temperature (65-85°C) and time (30-60 min) significantly (p< .05) increased hardness, chewiness, and cook loss of beef whereas adhesiveness and juiciness decreased significantly. The correlation data showed significant positive correlations between instrumental and sensory hardness, chewiness, and adhesiveness and poor correlations between cohesiveness and springiness. Results show that the texture profile analyzer has a possibility to replace sensory analysis for hardness, chewiness, and adhesiveness; however, future work is needed to address cohesiveness and springiness of meat.

The Nuances of 'Tag-Gag' Laws

This Essay addresses what I have elsewhere called “Tag-Gag” Laws—laws that regulate and restrict how companies can label and advertise plant-based meat products. Plant-based meat is food made entirely from plants that replicates the taste and texture of animal meat. As plant-based meat sales have grown exponentially in recent years, increasing numbers of states have passed Tag-Gag laws; companies selling plant-based meat, in turn, have challenged these laws in court. When covering these lawsuits, the media often (and understandably) lumps them altogether. If a plant-based company wins a preliminary injunction against a state law, it is viewed as a victory for plant-based foods in the labeling wars; if a state survives a preliminary injunction, the media reports the opposite. But not all Tag-Gag laws are created equal, and this Essay draws attention to their important differences. It identifies and categorizes three Tag-Gag variants and discusses how each variant has different legal ramifications. It also proposes specific approaches that companies can follow when challenging the different categories of Tag-Gag laws.

Frozen Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) Production Process with Contact Plate Freezing Method at PT. Karya Mina Putra, Rembang, Central Java

Cuttlefish is widely consumed by the public because it has a soft meat texture and high nutritional content. This makes the cuttlefish one of the mollusca that is a source of protein in addition to squid and octopus. The disadvantage of cuttlefish is that it is prone to deterioration in quality. One effort to prevent quality deterioration in cuttlefish is by freezing. The purpose of the implementation of this Field Work Practice is to decide the production process of frozen cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) using the Contact Plate Freezing (CPF) method and to know the obstacles that occur in the production process. Field Work Practice was held in PT. Karya Mina Putra, Rembang, Central Java. The stages of the frozen cuttlefish production process at PT. Mina Putra's work includes the reception of raw materials, weighing I and sorting, labeling I, weighing II, washing, pan preparation, freezing, glazing, packaging and labeling II, storing in cold storage, and loading. The freezing process is carried out by the Contact Plate Freezing (CPF) method for 6 hours until the temperature reaches -40 ° C. The obstacle in the production process of frozen cuttlefish is there was a Contact Plate Freezing (CPF) machine damage and there are some employees who do not apply the SOP applied to prevent cross-contamination of the product.

Effect of Cedrus deodara extract on the physiochemical and sensory properties of salted meat and its action mechanism

The effect of pine needle extract from Cedrus deodara (PNE) on the quality of salted meat was reported, and its action mechanism was further investigated. With the treatment of PNE, the physicochemical properties of salted meat were improved. The peroxide value decreased from 16.18 to 6.78mmol O2 /kg, while the thiobarbituric acid value decreased from 0.79 to 0.40mg MDA/kg. Moreover, the salted meat with PNE also had the better texture, color, and volatile compositions. The 0.2% PNE group showed the highest ΔE value (63.16± 0.56), hardness (813.5± 48.7g), and volatility (45.86± 0.39), while the control group showed the lowest ΔE value (43.92± 2.13), hardness (515.8± 17.3g) and volatility (29.97± 0.56). In addition, with the analysis of fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy, the spatial structures of myofibrillar protein (MP) in salted meat were obviously changed by PNE. Meanwhile, methylconiferin, 1-O-feruloyl-β-D-glucose, nortrachelogenin, secoxyloganin, 1-O-(4-coumaroyl)-β-D-glucose and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside were identified from PNE. Furthermore, according to the analysis of molecular docking, hydrogen bond, hydrophobic force, and electrostatic force were obtained as the main molecular forces between MP and the phenolic compounds of PNE, while arginine, glutamic acid, and glycine residues were the main binding sites. All results suggested that PNE might be a potential candidate to improve the quality of salted meat in the food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The quality deterioration of meat may not only affect its further processing and consumption but also may lead to some food safety problems. In present study, PNE exhibited the fine capability to inhibit the oxidation of meat, while it could ameliorate the texture, color, and physicochemical properties of meat due to its tightly interaction with myofibrillar protein. All result suggested that PNE could be potentially utilized to improve the quality of meat in food industry.

Analysis of the simultaneous measurement of acoustic phase velocity and stress-strain relationship in beef: An approach to Young's modulus

Ultrasound is a tool that has two fields of study and application. On the one hand, the characterization of materials by means of low intensity ultrasound (LIU) and on the other, the modification of materials by applying high intensity ultrasound (HIU). In the last decades ultrasound has been applied in the food industry. The LIU is primarily applied as an evaluation system to determine the quality of food. In the meat industry, medical ultrasound has been used to check the status of meat postmortem. In some cases, also, acoustic properties such as acoustic phase velocity (APV) and attenuation are determined, which is a way of predicting the texture of the meat, where the nature and strain of the samples can modify the results of the velocity values acoustic phase. However, there is no precise information on how the strain of the sample could affect the measurements. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of sample strain (%), muscle (Longissimus thoracis, LT; Longissimus lumborum, LL and Psoas major, PM) and high intensity ultrasound (HIU, 0 or 90 W/cm2) application on LIU-APV [c, m/s] measures. The factors mentioned above significantly (P < 0.05) affected LIU-APV with no interaction effect. APV is related to meat texture, muscles considered as tender resulted in lower phase velocity. However, a better relation was observed with characteristic acoustic impedance (Z) and stress. Additionally, HIU pretreatment resulted in LIU-APV decrease of ≅ 41.6 m/s. Finally, sample strain affected LIU measures with an inverse trend, the lowest LIU-APV values were found at 40% sample deformation with a 10% of APV decrease ≅ 149 m/s. LIU contact conditions should be standardized to a level where the air in the sample and the ultrasonic sensor coupling can move without causing irreversible damage to the meat sample, ultrasonic gel is commonly used, in order to couple the tissue and sensor impedances.

The influence of age and gender on the quality of raw and roasted wild boars (Sus scrofa) meat

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of age and gender on the chemical composition, colour, texture and sensory attributes of wild boars meat (Sus scrofa, n = 48). The animals were analysed in 6 groups (n = 8), differed in age (piglets below 1 year, yearlings 1–2 years, and adults over 2 years) and gender (male and female). Protein content in raw meat was affected by age, whereas in roasted meat by animals gender. Colour parameters, excluding lightness, were affected by animals age and values of a*, b* and C increased along the animal age. Roasted meat from piglets showed the lowest hardness and chewiness in TPA test, however shear force was similar for piglets and yearling, yet lower than adults. Age affected sensory quality of roasted meat and meat from yearlings was scored higher than from adults. The results of the study clearly indicate the predominant influence of wild boar age over gender on the meat quality.

Prediction of Thiol Group Changes in Minced Raw and Cooked Chicken Meat with Plant Extracts-Kinetic and Neural Network Approaches.

Simple SummaryDemand for poultry meat (chickens and turkeys) is constantly increasing. The upward trend in the production and consumption of poultry meat has two reasons. The first is the financial aspect because chicken meat is relatively cheap. The second reason is the nutritional and health aspect. Although the meat has high nutritional, dietary, culinary, technological, and sensory values, it is very susceptible to undesirable changes during storage, mainly due to the growth of microflora but also due to lipid and protein oxidation. The use of plant extracts in food technology is multifunctional, as they exhibit antioxidant and antibacterial effects and have a beneficial effect on the texture of meat and meat products. Moreover, the antioxidant effect of compounds isolated from plants may influence consumer health. Antioxidants of plant origin can be used as an additive to animal feed, as well as a component of stuffing or marinating mixes for meat. In addition, they are used in the coating of raw materials or in active packaging for food products. So far, many studies have shown the positive effect of plant and plant extract addition to meat on the oxidative status of its protein. However, the predictive approach to protein oxidation in raw meat is still little described. This study has demonstrated the potential usefulness of the kinetic model as well as models based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) to the realistic prediction of protein oxidation expressed as thiol group (SH) changes in raw and cooked chicken meat during storage. Such predictive models allow us to predict oxidative changes in minced meat under different time and temperature conditions as minced meat is particularly susceptible to oxidation through exposure to oxygen during the mincing process itself and through the increased contact surface with oxygen. This knowledge is very useful in designing food products and predicting their shelf-life. Additionally, the effectiveness of various spices in the raw and cooked meat system were compared. Meat is a very complex system and, according to the research, there is no direct correlation between the anti-oxidant activity of the spice itself and its antioxidant effectiveness in the product.The aim of the study was to develop predictive models of thiol group (SH) level changes in minced raw and heat-treated chicken meat enriched with selected plant extracts (allspice, basil, bay leaf, black seed, cardamom, caraway, cloves, garlic, nutmeg, onion, oregano, rosemary, and thyme) during storage at different temperatures. Meat samples with extract addition were stored under various temperatures (4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 °C). SH changes were measured spectrophotometrically using Ellman’s reagent. Samples stored at 12 °C were used as the external validation dataset. SH content decreased with storage time and temperature. The dependence of SH changes on temperature was adequately modeled by the Arrhenius equation with average high R2 coefficients for raw meat (R2 = 0.951) and heat-treated meat (R2 = 0.968). Kinetic models and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to build the predictive models of thiol group decay during meat storage. The obtained results demonstrate that both kinetic Arrhenius (R2 = 0.853 and 0.872 for raw and cooked meat, respectively) and ANN (R2 = 0.803) models can predict thiol group changes in raw and cooked ground chicken meat during storage.

Alternative proteins attract investment

Alternative proteins attract investment

Sustainable intensification of indigenous village chicken production system: matching the genotype with the environment.

The multi-purpose indigenous village chickens (IVCs) are kept in low- and middle-income countries. IVCs are hardy and are resilient to disease, hostile environment, global warming, and climate change. The IVCs are a little impacted by anthropogenic effects; consequently, they possess high genetic and phenotypic diversity. Likewise, the genetic structure of IVCs is principally shaped by natural selection, which enables them to accumulate high genetic polymorphism and to adaptively radiate. Regardless of this, the genetic wealth of IVCs has been eroded by indiscriminate crossbreeding. Emerging infectious and non-infectious diseases, flawed assumptions, predation, inadequate nutrition, poorly maintained night enclosures, and underdeveloped market infrastructure, and the overlooked multiple-use values and unique attributes of IVCs have threatened their mere survival. The IVCs lay a few eggs and produce less meat, which cannot meet the growing (existing) demand. However, the demand for IVC products is growing attributable to the flavor and texture of eggs and meat, and they are well-aligned with the subsistence farming system. The several use values and ecosystem services provided by IVCs have been increasingly realized. Enhanced production can be attained through sustainable use of local (genetic) resources and by scaling up and out best practices. Genetic improvement needs to mainly rely upon IVC genetic resources and should have to match the genotype with the environment. Moreover, it has to maintain the genetic polymorphism that has been accumulated for time immemorial to respond to unanticipated changes in the production system and consumers' demand. In this review, enhanced management, selection strategies, and genetic crosses including the crossing of commercial chickens with red junglefowl have been proposed to sustainably intensify the IVC production system.

Standardization Of The Recipe For Rendang Daging In Nagari Lingkuang Aua Kecamatan Pasaman Kabupaten Pasaman Barat

The quality of beef rendang found in Nagari Lingkuang Aua,Pasaman District,West Pasaman Regency is still diverse,this is because there is no standard recipe for beef rendang in this area,this can be seen in terms of shape,color,aroma,texture and taste.The aim of the research was to obtain standard recipes for beef rendang in this area,so that the standard recipe is useful for preservation to be uniform and preferred.This type of research is a mix of methods combined qualitative and quantitative research.The source of qualitative data obtained 11 informants who are experts in making beef rendang. Sources of quantitative data obtained 10 people who are experts knowing about beef rendang and 5 limited panelists,UNP Catering lecturers.Qualitative data analysis techniques are data reduction,data presentation and conclusions. Quantitative data analysis techniques use the formula (Mx = N ∑/ N).Organoleptic tests on the standard recipe for meat rendang produce a fairly square shape quality,the color of the flesh is dark brown enough,the color of the rendang bran quite blackish brown, fragrant aroma,the texture of the rendang meat is quite soft,the texture of the rendang bran is quite dry,oily,the taste of rendang meat permeates,and the taste of the rendang beef bran is tasty.Keywords: Standardization,Meat Rendang,Lingkuang Aua

Standardization Of The Recipe For Rendang Daging In Nagari Lingkuang Aua Kecamatan Pasaman Kabupaten Pasaman Barat

The quality of beef rendang found in Nagari Lingkuang Aua,Pasaman District,West Pasaman Regency is still diverse,this is because there is no standard recipe for beef rendang in this area,this can be seen in terms of shape,color,aroma,texture and taste.The aim of the research was to obtain standard recipes for beef rendang in this area,so that the standard recipe is useful for preservation to be uniform and preferred.This type of research is a mix of methods combined qualitative and quantitative research.The source of qualitative data obtained 11 informants who are experts in making beef rendang. Sources of quantitative data obtained 10 people who are experts knowing about beef rendang and 5 limited panelists,UNP Catering lecturers.Qualitative data analysis techniques are data reduction,data presentation and conclusions. Quantitative data analysis techniques use the formula (Mx = N ∑/ N).Organoleptic tests on the standard recipe for meat rendang produce a fairly square shape quality,the color of the flesh is dark brown enough,the color of the rendang bran quite blackish brown, fragrant aroma,the texture of the rendang meat is quite soft,the texture of the rendang bran is quite dry,oily,the taste of rendang meat permeates,and the taste of the rendang beef bran is tasty. Keywords: Standardization,Meat Rendang,Lingkuang Aua

Effects of Grape Seed Oil Supplementation to Broilers Diets on Growth Performance, Meat Fatty Acids, Health Lipid Indices and Lipid Oxidation Parameters

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of grape seed oil (GSO) supplementation to broilers fed polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-enriched diets on growth performance, color, texture, fatty acid content and lipid peroxidation of meat. The 4-week feeding trial was conducted on 120 Cobb 500 broilers, assigned to three groups and housed in an experimental hall on permanent wood shaves litter. GSO was tested as source of natural antioxidants at different levels, 0% (GSO0, control), 1.5% (GSO1.5) and 3% (GSO3) in the presence of 4% flaxseed meal (FSM) in a completely randomized design. The results show that at the end of the experiment (42 days) the GSO supplementation had no effect (p &lt; 0.05) on productivity parameters, except the final weight which was improved in GSO3 compared to GSO. The thigh meat color indicated a higher degree of lightness (p &lt; 0.05), but the meat texture was not influenced (p &lt; 0.05) by the new tested diets. The GSO diets increased (p &lt; 0.05) the saturated fatty acid (SFA) content and decreased the PUFA content in the thigh meat. Thigh meat samples from GSO treatments had significantly (p &lt; 0.05) improved oxidative stability. In the breast meat only the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) decreased (p &lt; 0.05). It is concluded that the GSO significantly improved the thigh meat oxidative stability.

Dietary supplementation of suckling lambs with anthocyanins: Effects on growth, carcass, oxidative and meat quality traits

The aim of this research was to assess the effect of the dietary inclusion in suckling lambs of a red orange and lemon extract rich in anthocyanins on growth performance, antioxidant status, carcass characteristics and of both dietary antioxidant addition and aging on meat fatty acids, colorimetric and antioxidant profile, and meat texture. The experiment was carried out using 44 Merino male lambs randomly assigned to two groups: one group received the red orange and lemon extract (RLE) (RLE; n = 22) and the control group (CON; n = 22) did not receive the anthocyanins. The RLE extract was orally administered (90 mg/kg of live weight) to each lamb every day from birth until slaughter (40 ± 1 days). Longissimus lumborum muscle was sampled and aged for 7 days. Rheological, colorimetric and oxidative parameters were affected by aging time and anthocyanins administration. The meat from RLE supplemented lambs had lower cooking loss and Warner-Blatzer Shear Force (WBSF) values. Moreover, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydroperoxides were lower (P < 0.01) in RLE meat along the entire aging period, although in both groups they increased during aging (P < 0.01). The RLE addition affect yellowness values during aging, showing lower values in CON group at 7 d (P < 0.01). The RLE feed addition in able to positively affect oxidative animal status, and consequently animal welfare, enhancing meat oxidative stability and reducing colour deterioration during aging.

Impact of Some Managerial Factors on Carcass and Meat Quality of Japanese Quail Farghly M. F. A. and H. Y. El-Hammady

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of some managerial factors (stock density, litter and floor types) on the carcass traits and meat quality of Japanese quail birds. All experimental birds were randomly distributed to 2 X 4 factorial design, which contains two stoking densities (250 or 400 cm2 / bird) and four litter and floor types; wheat straw group served as control, wire net group, plastic group and wooden slatted floors. The obtained results confirmed that stock density, litter and floor groups had significant (P≤0.05) higher dressed carcass, liver percentages, carcass lengths, fatness, protein, Ca and Fe percentages of meat content. Likewise, significant effects were found on sensory attributes (tenderness and juiciness), texture and pH of meat. However, no significant differences in percentages of heart, kidney, dissectible fat, Lean:bone ratio, moisture, ether extract, ash, P, aroma, taste, flavor and water holding capacity (WHC) were found among all groups. Taking in consideration these advantages it could be concluded that the use of plastic group and wooden slatted floors with stock density (400 cm2 / bird) is highly recommend for managing Japanese quail birds.

Relationships between meat quality traits of Popielno White rabbits

&lt;b&gt;The purpose of the study was to determine the phenotypic correlations between meat quality traits in Popielno White rabbits. The experimental material consisted of 93 Popielno White rabbits (49♀; 44♂). From weaning at 35 days of age until 84 days of age, the animals were housed in a battery system and fed ad libitum with a complete feed containing 10,2 MJ of metabolic energy, 16,5% total protein and 14% crude fibre. The rabbits were slaughtered at 84 days of age with a body weight of about 2,6 kg. The research material was the meat of longissimus lumborum muscle. Meat quality characteristics, i.e. meat acidity, meat colour, shear force, meat texture and cooking loss, were examined. The results were analysed using the SAS package (2014). Many statistically significant relationships were found between the meat quality characteristics of Popielno White rabbits. The results indicate that potential selection towards a change in pH value may adversely affect the meat texture of Popielno White rabbits. Selection to improve the colour of the meat of this breed may have a negative effect on its shear force, hardness and cooking loss. Selection to improve shear force will improve the other texture profile parameters. An improvement in the meat texture parameters of Popielno White rabbits will lead to an improvement in the cooking loss value. Dependencies among meat quality traits in Popielno White rabbits are high enough to be useful in selecting an appropriate breeding method. &lt;/b&gt;