Predicting the quality traits of white striped turkey breast by visible/near infra-red spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis

The appearance of white striations over the breast of chicken and turkey meat is considered as a recent emerging and growing problem. The aim of this research is to investigate the ability of visible-near infra-red (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy to predict the quality traits of different levels of white striping (thickness of white striations, moderate < 1 mm and severe ≥ 1 mm) defects in turkey breast muscle. Accordingly, 36 turkey breast fillets affected by different level of white striping defects (normal, moderate and severe) were selected from 20-wk old tom turkeys. Colour traits (L*, a* and b*), pH, marinade uptake, drip loss, cooking loss, and chemical composition (moisture, fat, protein and ash) have been evaluated. Our findings showed that prediction models using partial least squares (PLS) were good for colour traits (a* for example; RPD values were 3.22 and 1.27, R2P were 0.91 and 0.57 while RER values were 11.8 and 3.12) , pH (RPD values were 5.00 and 0.01, R2P were 0.95 and 0.07 while RER values were –1.00 and 15.50), and chemical composition (protein content for instance, the prediction values were as the following: RPD values were 1.93 and 0.79, R2P were 0.80 and 0.34 and then RER were 8.48 and 3.80) in particular for normal and severe white striped meat respectively. In conclusion, the results of this research showed that VIS/NIR spectroscopy prediction models were satisfactory to predict the quality traits in the majority of cases.