Wooden Breast Chicken Fillets: Viability in the Preparation of Hamburgers and Bologna

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the viability of using wooden breast (WB) chicken fillets in the production of hamburgers and bologna. Fillets (pectoralis major) were collected from a commercial slaughterhouse and classified as normal (no visible alteration) or WB (with characteristic visual alterations) by a trained specialist. The quality parameters and physical, chemical, and technological stability of the resulting meat products during the storage period, at 1, 30, 60, and 90 days from production were evaluated. Hamburgers with WB showed a significant increase of 2.38% in moisture content and a reduction of 17% in protein content, whereas bologna showed an increase of 1.15% in moisture content. The inclusion of WB meat did not influence the yield and stability of these products, but resulted in higher pH and softer hamburgers with greater lipid oxidation. The results suggest that the manufacture of meat products with a lower percentage of WB meat in their formulation is a viable alternative to minimize costs and reduce economic losses generated by the incidence of the anomaly.

Keywords

• broilers
• degeneration
• meat products
• myopathy
• texture profile analysis