Color of uncooked and cooked broiler leg quarters associated with chilling temperature and holding time

Quality Assessment Research Unit, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Russell Research Center, P.O. Box 5677, Athens, Georgia 30604-5677, USA. bglyon@saa.ars.usda.gov

Discoloration of raw or cooked tissue can occur from cell disruptions and blood migration caused by slow or variable chilling rates. Color parameters established by the Commission International D'Eclairage for measuring lightness, redness, and yellowness (L*, a*, and b* respectively) were determined on two groups (A and B) of uncooked and cooked leg quarters chilled at +4, 0, -3, -12, or -18 C. At Day 7, group A was evaluated for color, and group B was moved to -18 C for seven additional days and then evaluated. Group B represented cooling, freezing, thawing, and cooking steps. Color was measured on surfaces of thawed, uncooked parts (UCS), on surfaces of cooked parts (CS) 75 or 85 C internal temperature), and on cooked meat (CM) adjacent to the femur. UCS samples at -3 C were significantly redder (a* = 8.91) than -18 C samples (a* = 5.04). The A-CS a* values showed a significant interaction between chill temperature storage and internal temperature (IT). Samples at 75 C IT had higher a* values (redder). CM samples held at +4 and 0 C were significantly lighter (higher L* values). A significant interaction effect occurred for CM a* values due to storage chill temperature and IT. Generally, 75 C IT samples were redder (higher a* values). UCS and CS color was not influenced by chilling at +4 to -18 C for 7 d and then at -18 C for 7 d. CM was affected by a combination of chill temperature history and IT.