Relationships between texture and water property measurements in raw intact broiler breast fillets with the wooden breast condition

Relationships between texture measurements and meat water properties were investigated in raw intact broiler breast fillets with the wooden breast (WB) condition. Texture measurements included subjective WB scores and blunt Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear (BMORS). Water properties were determined with low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). Spearman correlation was used to estimate relationships between WB scores and water properties, while Pearson correlation was used for relationships between BMORS force and water properties. LF-NMR measurements exhibited three water components: protein-associated or hydration water T2b, intra-myofibrillar water or immobilized water T21, and extra-myofibrillar water or free water T22 in chicken breast meat. Significant and strong Spearman correlations were found between the WB scores and T21 time constant, the abundance (normalized areas) of T22, and the proportion of T21 and T22 (rs > 0.60, P < 0.001). Strong Pearson correlations (r = 0.72) were noted only between the T21 time constant and BMORS force. These results demonstrate that water may contribute to the specific texture characteristics measured with subjective WB scoring (palpable hardness and rigidity) and BMORS (hardness and share force) in raw broiler breast fillets with the WB condition.