The Effect of Different Current and Wave Type Electricity Values Used in Unconscious Pre-Slaughtering of Broilers on Carcass Defects and Quality Characteristics of Breast Meat

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of electrical stunning including different currents (AC/pDC) and waves types (square, triangle and chirp) applied to unconscious to broiler chickens before slaughtering on carcass defects and breast meat quality characteristics. In this study were used 39-d-old (Ross 308) broiler chickens, from the same flock raised commercially under similar environmental and mean weight 2350 g. Six treatment groups were set up with 10 birds (5♀:5♂) each. A total of 60 broiler chickens were stunned with electricity at water bath for 5 s using AC and pDC currents at 200 Hz frequency and 120 mA/bird. After slaughtering, the amount of blood loss, vein hemorrhages in the carcasses, spot stains and fractures in the wing bones were detected in the chicks. In addition, pH and color values and water loss of breast meat were also examined. Electric current application did not cause any significant carcass defect in chickens. It was determined that triangular and chirp wave types caused more blood loss than square wave in chickens. The lowest water loss in breast meat was realized in the chirp wave type while pH15 value in the breast meat of chicks applied AC was found higher. It was determined that triangular and square waves in water baths and chirp wave type in individual applications were resulted in having more positive effects on the properties investigated.