Storage Stability (TBA) of Meat Obtained from Turkeys Receiving Tocopherol Supplementation

Twenty female and twenty male broad breasted turkeys were raised to 18 weeks and 20 weeks, respectively. D-alpha tocopherol acetate was supplemented in vivo from 12 weeks to slaughter through diet (100 IU/kg feed) or through biweekly subcutaneous injections. Storage stability of meat was evaluated by the 2-thiobarbituric acid test (TBA). Samples of breast meat, thigh meat, and mechanically deboned turkey meat (MDTM) were held at 4 C up to six days and stored at −18 C up to three months. Loaves formulated from breast meat and MDTM were foil wrapped, vacuum sealed, and either held at 4 C one week or stored at −18 C up to six months. Stored loaves were evaluated raw and after cooking. TBA numbers were consistently lower for tocopherol supplemented turkey meat than for control meat. Dietary supplementation was more effective than injections for maintaining low TBA numbers. TBA numbers of meat types increased from breast meat to MDTM to thigh meat, and TBA numbers of each type increased over time. Meat from females generally had TBA numbers lower than meat from males. Meat loaves prepared from tocopherol supplemented meat had TBA numbers lower than control loaves for both storage conditions. Loaves vacuum packaged had TBA numbers lower than those foil wrapped. Both packaging conditions resulted in increased TBA numbers with cooking and storage time at −18 C. Tocopherol supplementation increased the storage stability as evaluated by the TBA test for all evaluated meat types (including loaves) and storage conditions. Vacuum packaging further improved stability of loaves.