The Effect of an Acetic Acid Dip on Carcass Appearance, Microbiological Quality, and Cooked Breast Meat Texture and Flavor

In Experiment 1, broiler carcasses were subjected to a 10-min prechill treatment with and without a food grade vinegar at a concentration of .6% acetic acid. After treatment the carcasses were monitored for visual appearance and microbiological quality. Color change and skin appearance were subjectively monitored. Microbiological quality was determined using the low volume whole carcass rinse. Shear values of cooked muscle were determined using a Warner-Bratzler attachment to an Instron. In a second experiment using the same treatment protocol, treated carcasses were chilled in an ice slush for 30 min and held overnight at 2 C. The breast muscles were removed and cooked by two methods. Triangle tests to determine sensory differences due to acetic acid were conducted. The skin color of treated carcasses turned a light yellow, and the feather follicles were protruded or puckered. Total aerobic counts were not affected by any of the treatments, but Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) counts of treated carcasses were significantly lower than the counts for the water control carcasses. Log10 ENT counts ranged from 4.51 for the control to 3.80 for the carcasses treated with acetic acid. Based on sensory triangle tests using a trained panel, there were no significant differences in the samples from either cooking method.