Recent myopathies in broiler's breast meat fillets

Incidences of myopathies such as white striping (WS), woody breast (WB) and spaghetti meat (SP) in breast meat from young broilers have been observed globally over the past decade. Some industry reports suggest up to 20% WB occurrence in fast growing heavy broilers (~4. 0 kg) with an estimated cost of more than US500 million/year to the US industry alone, but may actually be far higher. The proportions and severity of the anomaly appear to be flock-dependent and are related to factors such as genetics, nutrition (e. g. protein level during the fast-growing phase), growth rate, activity of the birds at young age, sudden bursts of activity, number of embryonic stem cells and litter management. These three myopathies can appear together or individually, but it appears that they are all related. When meat is processed, these myopathies represent quality issues (firmer meat and/or lower water binding, aesthetics) but do not present a food safety issue. The poultry industry is now focusing on ways to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of these myopathies. Recently some improvements have been made as more is learned about the interactions between environmental and management (e. g. , nutrition) factors, and some producers are already implementing new procedures. Breeding programmes are starting to show some promise and are expected to help reduce WB (estimated at 10% of birds per year) and deliver more solutions in the future.