JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, cilt.85, sa.9, ss.1485-1491, 2005 (SCI-Expanded)
The current trial determined the influence of dietary humate, including humic, fulvic and ulmic acids and some microminerals on the pH, TBARS and microbiological properties of vacuum-packed and aerobic-packed breast fillets and drumsticks of broilers. A total of 240 male broiler chicks (Ross-308) were randomly allocated into four dietary treatments (H-0, H-1, H-2 and H-3 groups). A basal diet (H-0), basal diet plus 0.1 (H-1), 0.2 (H-2) and 0.3% (H-3) humate (Farmagulator DRY (TM), Humate, Farmavet International Inc, Kocaeli 41400, Turkey) were offered during the experimental feeding period. At the end of the trial all chicks were slaughtered. After standard dissection of carcasses, the breasts and drumsticks were divided into two groups for vacuum packaging or aerobic packaging. Packed breasts and drumsticks were stored at 3 degrees C for 12 days. The breasts and drumsticks were analyzed for pH, TBARS, total mesophilic, total psychrotrophic, lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriacea counts at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 days of storage. The feeding of humate decreased pH values of breast fillets and drumstick muscles (p < 0.01), especially at the 0.1% level. The TBARS value decreased (p < 0.01) when compared with the without-humate group (Ho). Total aerobic mesophilic (p < 0.01), total aerobic psychrotrophic (p < 0.01) and lactic acid bacteria (p < 0.05) counts were lower in the H-3 group than the other groups. The effect of meat type on pH, TBARS, total aerobic mesophilic (p < 0.01) and lactic acid bacteria (p < 0.05) and Enterobacteriacea counts was significant. While the pH and TBARS values of breast fillets were lower than those of drumstick meats, the total mesophilic, total psychrotrophic, lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriacea counts of drumstick meats were higher than those of breast fillets. The effect of packaging type on pH (P < 0.01), TBARS (p < 0.01), total aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria (p < 0.01) and Enterobacteriacea counts (p < 0.01) was found statistically significant and the maximum values were determined in the aerobic-packed samples. In addition, investigated parameters were also affected by storage period. While the total aerobic mesophilic count decreased, the other parameters increased when compared with zero day of storage. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.