Development of a non-destructive detection system of Deep Pectoral Myopathy in poultry by dielectric spectroscopy

Abstract

The trend in meat consumption has changed drastically in the last years, mainly due to the relationship of red and processed meats with cancer and cardiovascular diseases, which has caused a substantial growth in poultry meat consumption, 8% in 2016. Therefore, poultry production has suffered an intensification that has led to an increase in the incidence of internal malformations in chickens and turkeys for fattening, especially in the pectoral muscles, as Deep Pectoral Myopathy (DPM). Currently, industry is not able to detect DPM breasts when sold as whole carcasses. In this context, the use of dielectric spectroscopy, complemented by a deep study of the chemical, biochemical and microstructural transformations of the muscle and the effect that these changes have on the electrical dispersions in radiofrequency range, may become feasible for online DPM detection. For this paper, non-damaged and affected by DPM chicken breasts (pectoralis major and pectoralis minor) was analysed. Permittivity in radiofrequency and microwave ranges were measured in the different tissues: pectoralis minor, major and skin in order to characterize them. Moreover, proteins content, ion content and pH were measured. With this data, a sensor for measuring the permittivity of chicken whole carcass with skin was developed; it consists of two pairs of two flat plates sensor connected to an impedance Agilent analyzer 4294A and can measure the permittivity from 40 Hz to 1 MHz. The results demonstrated the feasibility of the permittivity in radiofrequency range as an identification technique of chicken breasts affected by DPM. Highlights > A deep microstructural study of normal and DPM chicken meat has been carried out > Lactate content of each category has been related to the ε'  > The relation of proteins content of each category with the ε'  has been obtained > Dielectric properties of normal and DPM poultry meat were obtained in RF and MW ranges > A non-destructive sensor able to detect DPM in whole carcasses has been developed *Highlights (for review)

Development of a methodology to categorize poultry meat affected by deep pectoral myopathy

“…This muscle is very susceptible to this type of injury because it is surrounded by an elastic membrane (fascia) and located between the sternum and the Pectoralis major or Pectoralis superficialis muscle, limiting the expansion during the animal wing beat (Stangierski et al, 2019). Although this disease affects largely the Pectoralis minor muscles, in some cases, the Pectoralis major can also be affected, which suffer degradative changes (Kijowski & Konstańczak, 2009;Traffano-Schiffo, Castro-Giraldez, Herrero, et al, 2018).…”

“…byTraffano-Schiffo et al (2021),Traffano-Schiffo, Castro-Giraldez, Herrero, et al (2018). Briefly, protein phase transitions were calculated using a differential scanning calorimeter Mettler Toledo DSC 1 (Mettler Toledo, Barcelona, Spain) and using around 20-30 mg of sample enclosed in hermetically sealed aluminium pans (Mettler Toledo, ME-00026763).…”

“…Briefly, protein phase transitions were calculated using a differential scanning calorimeter Mettler Toledo DSC 1 (Mettler Toledo, Barcelona, Spain) and using around 20-30 mg of sample enclosed in hermetically sealed aluminium pans (Mettler Toledo, ME-00026763). Meat samples were heated from 15 to 115°C at a heating rate of 10°C/min under N 2 (flowed at 200 min/ ml).Microstructure was analyzed in the affected areas, using a Cryo-SEM, using a Cryostage CT-1500C unit (Oxford Instruments, Witney, UK), coupled with a Jeol JSM-5410 scanning electron microscope (Jeol, Tokyo, Japan)(Traffano-Schiffo, Castro-Giraldez, Herrero, et al, 2018).Ion quantification (Li + , Na + , Ca 2+ , NH 4 + , K + , and Mg 2+ ) was carried out using an ion-exchange chromatography (Metrohm Ion Analysis, Herisau, Switzerland), coupled to a universal standard column (Metrosep C2-150, 4.0 × 150 mm), following the procedure described in previous work(Traffano-Schiffo, Castro-Giraldez, Herrero, et al, 2018).…”

Analysis of Apple Candying by Microwave Spectroscopy

“…The analysis of the electromagnetic field (EMF) properties in range of microwaves could be a good tool to monitor and improve apple candying. The development of sensors to determine the dielectric properties of biological tissues, in range of radiofrequency and microwaves, has been demonstrated to be a useful tool for monitoring the quality of many products: Poultry [18,19,20,21,22], pork [23,24,25,26,27], beef [28], goat [29], meat products [30], cheese [31], mandarin [32], potato [33], wheat [34], agricultural products [35,36,37], pomegranate [38] and apple [39,40,41], and for monitoring processes of pork meat HAD [42] and salting [43], orange peel drying [44], cheese salting [45], brewing [46], puffing of amaranth seeds [47], OD of kiwi [48] and apple [49].…”

Magnetic Induction Spectroscopy for Biomass Measurement: A Feasibility Study

“…Therefore, changes in the sample’s impedance spectrum can reflect changes in the ionic environment within the sample and changes in the sample’s inner structure at the cellular level. This principle makes the bio-impedance spectrum measurement a powerful tool in many applications [5,6,7].…”