Pectoralis muscle shortening and rigor development at different locations within the broiler breast

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate differences in rigor development that occur as a function of location within the broiler breast muscles, pectoralis major (p. major) and pectoralis minor (p. minor). Three locations were evaluated, corresponding to anterior, middle, and posterior samples taken between the cranial and caudal ends of each muscle. Results of the first experiment indicated that the 1.55-mu sarcomere lengths of hot-boned p. major muscle at the anterior location were significantly shorter than those at the posterior location, which were 1.69 mu. Sarcomere lengths of p. minor were shorter than those of p. major in hot-boned muscles, but longer in those aged intact, indicating a significant muscle x treatment interaction. In the second experiment, the anterior location of hot-boned p. major reached the onset phase of rigor in about 1 h, whereas those at the posterior location required between 2 and 4 h postmortem. Between 1 and 8 h postmortem, sarcomere lengths for the anterior location of p. major were also significantly shorter than lengths in the posterior location, but the differences after 24 h were not significant. Samples at all locations of p. minor reached onset of rigor by 15 to 30 min postmortem, with no locational differences throughout the 24 h period of aging. The results of both experiments generally indicated differences between profiles of rigor development of the two muscles and between samples at different locations of the much larger and more complex p. major.