Physicochemical and technological properties of Japanese quail meat

Meat pH in Manchurian Golden Japanese quails immediately after slaughtering were near to neutral − 6.06-6.21 for breast muscles and 6.58-6.92 for leg muscles. From the time of slaughter to rigor mortis resolution, pH values decreased from 6.13±0.04 to 5.91±0.03 in breast meat and from 6.74±0.04 tо 6.58±0.04 in leg meat. The water holding capacity - WHC of meat varied within 18.05 and 21.7%, and water absorption capacity - WAC in isotonic physiological saline solution varied between 24 and 29.6% for the pectoral muscle - 26.36±0.69 and between 28.2 and 37.8% for the biceps femoris muscle - 32.89±0.90%. The cooking loss percentage was 28.81±0.76 for breast meat and 33.71±0.86 for leg meat. Breast meat tenderness in Manchurian Golden quails varied from 201 to 321 оР - 261.23±2.83 for males and 275.03±3.27 оР for females. The tenderness of breast meat increased by about 11% with advancing slaughter age of birds from 31 to 42 days - Р0.001 for males and Р0.01 for females. Breast meat L* values of Manchurian Golden Japanese quails varied between 40.6 and 56.1 - 44.98±0.42 in males and 44.75±0.30 in females. The colour of breast meat became darker with advancing slaughter age. The coordinates in the red/green spectrum - а* varied from 5.1 до 14.4 - 10.46±0.15, and in the yellow/blue spectrum - b* – from 7.9 to 13.4 - 10.8±0.12. Breast meat redness and yellowness accounted for the excellent colourfullness - chroma, C of the meat of the studied Japanese quail breed - 15.09±0.15. At the age of 35 days, the pectoral muscle of Manchurian Golden Japanese quails was composed mainly of dark muscle fibres - 95.72-96.37%. The percentage of light muscle fibres varied within 2.9 and 5.2%. The pectoral muscle was built from 98.37±0.18% muscle tissue, 1.36±0.14% connective tissue and 0.28±0.05% intramuscular fat tissue. In female quails, the values were 97.61±0.20% muscle tissue, 1.79±0.22% connective tissue and 0.59±0.04% intramuscular fat tissue.