US study finds light intensity affects meat quality

Rearing broilers in dim light resulted in longer and heavier fillets but slightly tougher meat than those reared in bright light.

The study conducted by Auburn University evaluates the effects of light intensity and handling during rearing on broiler and meat quality factors.

The Auburn researchers found that birds subjected to dim light had greater live weights (p<0.05), post-chill weights and fillet weights than birds reared in bright light. The increase in fillet weights observed for in dim light was due to an increase in fillet length and area.

Light or handling treatments had no affect on DPM and other carcass defects. Cook-loss had no specific trend.

Fillets deboned at two hours post mortem had higher shear values than those deboned at four hours post mortem, regardless of light or handling.

Within the two-hour post mortem deboning period, dim light resulted in higher shear values and greater sarcomere length than bright light treatments. This trend was not observed in the fillets deboned at four hours post mortem.

Hence, the study concluded that the dim light treatment resulted in longer, heavier fillets but slightly tougher meat when the fillets were deboned at two hours post mortem.