Quality defects associated with poultry muscle development: white striping

White striping (WS) is characterized by the appearance of white lines parallel to the direction of muscle fibers on the surface of chicken breast meat. Over the past twenty years WS has become a significant concern in the poultry industry. WS not only alters technological properties of affected meat but impacts nutritional quality and consumer acceptance. This chapter summarizes current knowledge on the impacts of WS on meat quality, biological changes within affected muscle, as well as the potential factors associated with development of WS. The chapter also reviews potential strategies for mitigating WS.