Turkey breast meat: Glycolysis post-mortem and technological properties

A sample of 80 male turkey carcasses was classified on the slaughter line into rapid glycolysing (pH 6, 5)groups based on the pH measurement 20 minutes post-mortem in the breast muscle. A variety of physico-chemical criteria of meat quality were evaluated in the breast cut and turkey breast ham was investigated for technological characteristics. There were differences between the groups in water-binding capacity in the raw as well as in the processed breast muscles. The samples of the rapid glycolysing group had significantly lower capacity values in some cases. The colour brightness of the raw meat and the texture of the cooked breast samples were not influenced by the postmortal pH decline. The results indicate that a rapid postmortal glycolysis in the raw material can affect the traits texture (shear force) and taste of cured/cooked turkey breast ham.