Markets with fast retail supply chains have historically been early adopters of breast meat maturation processes. These markets tend to be in countries where consumers favor super tender meat. Coincidence or not, these were also the markets where air-chilling was prevalent. This means principally the large European markets such as France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. How do other markets regard breast meat maturation?
Chilling in water is still the process used most often globally. Most breast meat products in the USA are water-chilled, although here too air chilling has begun to make inroads. Much water-chilled product is deep frozen, particularly in countries where distances are great, retail outlets few and far between and not equipped to handle fresh product.
Customers in markets, which chill in water, are used to the tougher bite of chicken breast, where deboning has taken place immediately after chilling. There are yield benefits too, as breast fillet can be harvested more cleanly. Although maturation improves meat tenderness by breaking down proteins, it can also result in “feathering,” characterized by small meat shreds left on the membrane, which harms the yield. Americans observing this seemingly ‘poor’ yield in factories with air-chilling and maturation are often struck by the sight of it...
When air-chilling is standard in a market, there is a substantial risk that breast meat from non-matured products deboned immediately after chilling can be stringy and tough. This was the reason supermarkets in certain European markets insisted on the maturation of products before breast deboning could begin. Maturation was then based on the time needed for the broiler’s postmortem energy to dissipate and for the enzymes necessary for breaking down proteins to do their work. This could often mean several hours’ storage off-line.
Maturation affects breast meat only; leg meat is not affected
Maturation affects breast meat only; leg meat is not affected. In markets where products were matured, there was a preference for maturing the whole carcass, as it was felt that this way of processing gave more tender breast meat than just maturing the breast cap.
Storage of either whole product or breast caps off-line had several downsides. Labor was required to move products from the line to storage, including rehanging whole products on storage shackles or packing whole products or breast caps into crates. After about eight hours of ‘maturation storage’, the products had to be returned to the line again.
Packing in crates could result in misshapen whole product, causing problems for automatic cutting systems. There were hygiene penalties too, as human hands contaminate more than anything else in a typical processing plant. Maturation storage also required space, which is always at a premium. In addition, products dried out, negatively affecting yield. Last but not least, time spent in storage shortened shelf life.
As more and more breast fillets were sold, those countries which matured their breast meat were on the look-out for an in-line solution. Enter the revolutionary in-line tenderness management system for air-chilled products developed by Marel (Stork PMT at that time). The Marel tenderness management system consists of two parts, RapidRigor and Shock Maturation Chilling. The system can be used after both electrical and controlled atmosphere stunning. It is suitable for all types of chicken and is particularly suitable for slow-growing varieties.
RapidRigor is installed in the killing line, immediately after the pluckers to avoid adversely affecting plucking or bleed-out. RapidRigor, which was developed in conjunction with highly respected Dutch scientific institutes, uses pulses of electricity to remove energy from the breast muscles postmortem. Shock Maturation Chilling is a two-stage air chilling process, which aids proteolysis or the breakdown of proteins resulting in tender breast meat.
RapidRigor is developed in conjunction with highly respected Dutch scientific institutes
In the first, shorter stage of Shock Maturation Chilling, products are ‘shock-chilled’ quickly to reduce bacteriological growth. Very cold air circulated at high velocity is used, while a thin film of moisture is applied to all exterior and interior surfaces to protect products from microbiological contaminations, and prevent them from drying out and losing weight. Spray cabinets for wetting either the exterior or the interior of the product apply this water film and are positioned at fixed intervals during the first phase.
In the second, much longer phase, product is matured using cold air at a higher temperature circulated at a much lower velocity, keeping product for as long as possible at temperatures, where maximum proteolytic activity happens.
The advantages of the Marel tenderness management system are many. Product no longer has to be manually transferred for off-line maturation. Not only does this save labor, but food safety is also improved, as it reduces the chance of cross-contamination. It also saves space and the maturation process happens much more quickly. Depending on product weight, just three hours’ maturation can give similar or even better fillet tenderness to many more hours’ storage off-line. Product can therefore spend more time on the customer’s shelf. Thanks to the first phase of Shock Maturation Chilling, product is no longer at risk of drying out. This does not only benefit yield and eating quality but also helps when breast fillet is further processed, as happens increasingly frequently. Last but not least, the process is fully in-line, allowing the full traceability demanded by an increasing number of customers.
In the Americas, alternatives to long-term or in-line maturation are often employed. Due to the distances involved, there is not such a fast retail market, with products on the store shelves the next morning. Products simply stay longer in the supply chain before reaching the customer. For example, processors might pre-treat deboned breast meat products with marinades or other preparations, thus prolonging the time the products spend in the line. During this time, the maturation process continues, enhancing tenderness before shipping. When shipped frozen, maturation halts, but resumes upon thawing, although the meat structure may suffer from freezing.
Breast fillets are extremely popular in the USA, Europe and Oceania. Even in markets where water chilling is the norm, there has been some movement towards air-chilled product, which then attracts a premium. These customers, expecting more for their money, want a breast fillet that is juicy and succulent. The most reliable way of achieving this is to mature. With its tenderness management system, Marel has just the right answer.
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