A survey of broiler breast meat quality in the retail market of Quebec

Abstract In this study, 206 breast fillets were purchased from grocery stores in the province of Quebec and evaluated for the presence of different quality defects. Of these fillets, 48.5% showed breast muscle myopathies (BMM), 19.4% showed pale, soft, and exudative (PSE), and 6.8% showed dark, firm, and dry (DFD) attributes. BMM were equally present (P > 0.05) in fillets of economical, commercial, and high-quality brands, while PSE-like fillets were more present in economical brands (P < 0.0001). The combined effect of BMM and DFD induced significantly higher counts of Salmonella (P = 0.03) and Enterobacteriaceae (P = 0.03) in myopathic than in unaffected fillets. These quality defects also altered the nutritional quality of breast meat: BMM-affected fillets had greater fat content (P < 0.0001) and DFD fillets had lower protein content (P = 0.041) than normal fillets. The technological quality was only slightly impacted by BMM, while PSE-like fillets had higher cooking loss (P = 0.009) and a tougher texture after cooking (P < 0.0001) than DFD fillets. For the first time, this study confirmed the presence of multiple quality issues in the Quebec poultry supply chain, and provided valuable data to support future research efforts.