Effect of Super Chilling and Freezing on Shelf Life and Quality Attributes of Improved Native Chicken Varieties and Commercial Broilers
Satla Sneha Priya *
Department of Livestock Products Technology, PVNRTVU, C.V.Sc, Hyderabad, India.
Madhu SahityaRani
Department of Livestock Products Technology, PVNRTVU, C.V.Sc, Hyderabad, India.
Swami Jagdish Nagnath
Department of Livestock Products Technology, PVNRTVU, C.V.Sc, Hyderabad, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The preservation of poultry meat through advanced storage techniques such as super-chilling and freezing is essential for maintaining quality and extending shelf life in modern retail systems. However, limited information is available on the effects of these preservation methods on the quality attributes of slow-growing chicken varieties compared with commercial broilers. The present investigation was undertaken to compare the meat quality characteristics of three chicken varieties, namely Vanaraja, Indbro, and commercial broilers, under different storage conditions, specifically super-chilling (0 to −2 °C) and freezing (−20 ± 1 °C). In recent years, several slow-growing broiler varieties have been developed and introduced to meet evolving consumer preferences for improved meat quality and flavour, and their contribution to the poultry market has been steadily increasing. The evaluation of meat quality under different preservation conditions is therefore essential for determining the suitability of these varieties for extended storage and commercial utilisation. A total of 180 birds were included in the study, comprising 60 birds each of Vanaraja (8 weeks of age), Indbro (7 weeks of age), and commercial broilers (38 days of age). Breast meat samples obtained from each group were stored under super-chilled conditions for 30 days and frozen conditions for 60 days, and were periodically analysed for various physicochemical, sensory, and microbiological quality parameters during the storage period. The results indicated that commercial broilers exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) higher pH and water-holding capacity (%) values compared with Vanaraja and Indbro birds. However, both pH and water-holding capacity showed a gradual decline in all groups with increasing storage duration. Sensory evaluation of cooked breast meat samples demonstrated that Vanaraja and Indbro varieties received higher scores for appearance, flavour, juiciness, texture, and overall acceptability compared with commercial broilers, indicating superior organoleptic quality in the slow-growing varieties. Lipid oxidation, as indicated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values, increased progressively during storage in all three groups, whereas shear force values (SFV) showed a decreasing trend, suggesting gradual tenderisation of the meat over time. Microbiological analysis revealed a consistent increase in microbial load with prolonged storage under both super-chilled and frozen conditions for all chicken varieties. Drip loss measurements in frozen meat samples did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) among the experimental groups. Overall, the findings suggest that slow-growing chicken varieties such as Vanaraja and Indbro possess superior sensory quality attributes and may serve as valuable alternatives to commercial broilers for the production of high-quality poultry meat. Furthermore, the results indicate that super-chilling represents an effective preservation method for maintaining the freshness and quality characteristics of chicken meat during storage.
Keywords: Meat quality, improved native chicken breeds, super chilling, shelf life