Quality implications of chicken breast myopathies during refrigerated storage

Abstract

Myopathies alter chicken breast quality through muscle structure changes such as fibrosis and lipidosis. Their presence is associated with increased pH, reduced water-holding capacity, and other impairments that may compromise shelf-life of affected fillets. This study evaluated the effects of Wooden Breast (WB) and Spaghetti Meat (SM) myopathies on chicken breast quality at four time points over refrigerated storage. Quality determinations included sensory traits (willingness to purchase, visual appearance, and odor, scored by two trained assessors), microbiological counts (total viable counts, Brochothrix spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, lactic acid bacteria), physicochemical parameters (color, pH, exudate, electric conductivity, water activity, texture), and oxidative markers (TBARS, carbonyls, relative oxygenation index). Overall, WB had more detrimental effects than SM, and both differed from normal breasts (CO). Willingness to purchase and visual appearance were lowest in WB, intermediate in SM, and highest in CO, while odor was unaffected. Microbial growth—TVC, Brochothrix spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Enterobacteriaceae—was highest in WB, intermediate in SM, and lowest in CO. Redness (a*), pH, and exudation followed the same pattern. Texture measurements showed that WB fillets were consistently softer than SM and CO, regardless of storage time. No clear signs of oxidative deterioration were observed.