RESUMEN
The aim was to assess the impact of long-term storage on the quality of Botucatu rabbit meat frozen in pre- and post-rigor stages. The stability of the technological and nutritional parameters of Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle was analyzed over 12 months. In the post-rigor phase, the dorsal LL surface showed a higher level (p < 0.05) of redness and saturation, while the ventral surface showed a higher level (p < 0.05) of yellowness compared to the pre-rigor LL muscle. During storage, the redness and saturation in the LL muscle decreased (p < 0.05), while the yellowness increased (p < 0.05) on both dorsal and ventral surfaces. In the first six months, the pre-rigor meat had a higher pH (p < 0.05) compared to the post-rigor meat. The fresh meat showed higher (p < 0.05) shear force values in the post-rigor stage. Over the 12-month study period, the lipid oxidation, myofibrillar fragmentation index, gross energy, and levels of protein, fat, and carbohydrates increased (p < 0.05), while the shear force, mineral content, and moisture decreased (p < 0.05). Thus, rigor mortis affects meat color in Botucatu rabbits. Fresh meat in the pre-rigor stage is softer, moister, and less acidic than post-rigor meat after 24 h of chilling. Long-term freezing enhances tenderness, regardless of the rigor phase at freezing, preserving its physical, chemical, and nutritional quality, with minor changes in color, lipid oxidation, and chemical composition.
RESUMEN
The objective of the present study was to characterize possible variations in the quality of wooden chicken breast meat during freezing for 12 mo, in order to prove whether the shelf life recommended by the industry allows the storage of that type of meat without compromising its consumption. Three hundred samples of male Cobb 500 broilers slaughtered at 42 d of age were used. Part of the samples (n = 20 normal-control group; n = 20 moderate degree; n = 20 severe degree) were analyzed on the day of collection (beginning), previously kept under refrigeration (4°C). The other samples were stored (-18°C) for up to 12 mo. At the end of each proposed freezing period (3, 6, 9, and 12 mo), physical and chemical analyses were performed (per period: n = 20 normal-control group; n = 20 moderate degree; n = 20 severe degree). Color (L*, a*, and b*), pH, water-holding capacity, cooking losses, tenderness, lipid oxidation, chemical composition, cholesterol concentration, mineral profile, and collagen concentration were evaluated. The physicochemical quality of wooden chicken breast meat is significantly altered during frozen storage for 12 mo, being of inferior quality when compared to normal chicken breast meat, which can negatively affect consumer acceptance. However, it should be noted that even after 12 mo of freezing, the meats did not show oxidative rancidity.