Quality and stability of meat products prepared with chicken fillets affected by white striping myopathy

This study aimed to evaluate the quality and oxidative stability of chicken burger and mortadella prepared with fillets affected by white striping (WS) myopathy as compared with products prepared with normal fillets (control). There were no differences in pH, L*, or b* between treatments (WS vs. control); however, water holding capacity was higher in control burgers and mortadellas. In burgers, the use of WS fillet led to an increase in lipid content and a reduction in moisture content. Mortadella formulations were similar in terms of proximate composition. Addition of WS fillets did not influenced water activity in any of the products. Differences (p < 0.05) were observed for texture profile: WS burgers had 35% lower firmness and 32% lower chewiness than control burgers, and WS mortadellas had lower resilience. Cooking yield and shrinkage were similar between WS and control burgers. As for lipid oxidation, it was found that WS burgers were more stable than control formulations. Mortadella formulations showed a similar behavior of lipid oxidation during storage, with higher values observed after 65 days of storage in both treatments. Utilization of WS fillets for the preparation of burgers and mortadellas is a viable alternative that does not compromise product quality or oxidative stability.