Turkey breast meat functionality differences among turkeys selected for body weight and/or breast yield

Area of Science:

• Poultry Science
• Meat Science
• Animal Breeding

Background:

• Modern turkey breeding programs focus on enhancing growth rate and breast muscle yield.
• These genetic selections may inadvertently impact functional meat characteristics.
• Understanding these trade-offs is crucial for optimizing turkey production and product quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the functional meat characteristics of three distinct turkey lines.
• To investigate the effects of selection for body weight and breast muscle yield on meat quality.
• To determine if modern breeding practices are associated with altered meat functionality.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated Warner-Bratzler shear force for Pectoralis major (PM) muscle tenderness.
• Assessed water-holding capacity (WHC) of breast meat.
• Measured the storage modulus (G') of thermally induced meat gels to assess meat gel strength.

Main Results:

• RBC2 line (1960s commercial turkeys) exhibited lower shear force values (greater tenderness) than F-line and C-line turkeys.
• C-line turkeys showed reduced WHC compared to the RBC2 line.
• A trend indicated that RBC2 line PM had the highest gel strength (G'), while the C-line had the lowest.

Conclusions:

• Selection for increased growth and breast muscle yield in turkeys is associated with decreased meat functionality.
• Modern commercial turkey lines may possess reduced meat tenderness and water-holding capacity.
• Genetic trade-offs exist between production traits and meat quality in turkeys.