Relation among quality traits of chicken breast meat during cold storage: correlations between freshness traits and...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation among the quality and freshness traits of chicken breast meat during storage for 12 d at 4°C. In addition, correlations between freshness traits and torrymeter values were examined. The L* and a* value of the color was constant; however, the b* value increased on day 5 of storage (P < 0.05). The shear force value significantly decreased, whereas the 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value significantly increased during storage. Regarding the sensory properties, the off-odor and the drip loss increased along with the decrease in color and overall acceptability evaluated by the panelist. The pH, total microorganism counts, and volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) value of chicken breast significantly increased following storage, whereas the torrymeter value and overall acceptability of chicken breast meat significantly decreased from 12.80 to 4.53 and from 6.14 to 1.86, respectively. The VBN value was positively correlated with the pH and total microorganism counts, and the pH value was positively correlated with the total microorganism counts. The torrymeter value was associated with the VBN (-0.918, P < 0.01), pH (-0.973, P < 0.001), total microorganism counts (-0.975, P < 0.001), and overall acceptability (0.884, P < 0.01). These results suggest that the tested traits highly correlate with torrymeter value and it can be used as an indicator of freshness of chicken meat.