J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2015: Vol.

29 (2):451-453
(451) ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

EFFECT OF AGE AND CUT ON THE COLOUR OF TURKEY, JAPANESE QUAIL AND
DESI CHICKEN MEAT OF TAMIL NADU
R. Ilavarasan1*, Robinson J.J Abraham1, V. Apparao1, V. Pandiyan2, R. Narendra Babu1 and S. Wilfred Ruban1
1
Department of Meat Science and Technology, 2Department of Veterinary Bio-Chemistry, Madras Veterinary College,
TANUVAS, Chennai-600 007, India.
[Corresponding author E-mail1*:drila05vet@gmail.com]
Received: 07-05-2015 Accepted: 07-06-2015
A study was undertaken on the assessment of colour of breast and thigh portion of young and adult age groups of Nandanam
Turkey-II (Meleagris gallopavo), Nandanam Quail-III (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and desi chicken (Gallus domesticus) meat. The
mean lightness (L*) value of breast and thigh meat of adult turkey, quail and desi chicken was lower than young. The breast and
thigh meat of adult turkey, quail and desi chicken had significantly higher redness (a*) and lower yellowness (b*) value than
young. The thigh meat had significantly lower lightness (L*), yellowness (b*) and higher redness (a*) (P<0.01) value than breast
in both young and adult age groups of turkey, quail and desi chicken.

Consumption of poultry meat and poultry meat products is
growing all over the world1. The physical appearance and colour
of retail cuts were the two most important attributes that
consumers prefer to select and purchase meat2. Colour of
the meat greatly affects its saleability and bright red colour is
connected to freshness. Colour represents perceived
freshness and it is of vital importance to the meat industry
and meat science research3. Colour stability varies according
to the muscle type which can be associated with the different
balance of antioxidative and pro-oxidative compounds that
control the oxidation rate of myoglobin4. Meat colour depends
on myoglobin concentration, their chemical states and the
light scattering properties of meat5-6. The meat colour is also
influenced by some factors such as the species, breed,
genotype, gender, age, variation in muscle reducing systems
and metabolic type, nutrition and pre-slaughter7. The meat
derived from the adult birds appears darker and is apparently
tougher upon consumption after cooking. The breast meat of
poultry is more tender than thigh meat8. But the consumer
preference is more towards thigh meat than breast meat and
it could be due to the colour appearance of the muscle. So
this paper deals with the effect of age and muscle portions on
the colour of Turkey (Nandanam Turkey-II), Japanese quail
(Nandanam Quail-III) and desi chicken meat.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A total number of twelve male birds
of two different age groups viz., young and adult were selected
NAAS Rating (2016)-4.20
and each groups had six birds. The young and adult age groups
of Nandanam Turkey-II (Beltsville Small White birds evolved
as Nandanam Turkey-II by the individual selection of 20
generations) with the age of 12 weeks and 40 weeks old,
respectively and Nandanam Quail-III (The continuous selective
breeding of Nandanam Quail-I and Nandanam Quail-II on
eighteen generations) with the age of 5 weeks and 27 weeks
old,respectively were obtained from Institute of Poultry
Production and Management (IPPM), Madhavaram,
TANUVAS. The young and adult age groups of desi chickens
were obtained at the age of 8 weeks and above 40 weeks old
respectively. All the birds were brought to the department of
Meat Science and Technology, Madres Veterinary College,
Chennai. The birds were slaughtered and breast and thigh
meat were obtained.
INSTRUMENTAL COLOUR ANALYSIS: The colour of breast
and thigh meat samples of two age groups was tested using
Hunter lab Mini scan XE plus Spectrocolorimeter (Model No.
45/O-L, Reston Virgenia, USA) with geometry of diffuse/80
(sphere – 8 mm view) and an illuminant of D65/10o standard
observer 9. Colorimetry measures color with quantitative
physical methods and can define them within well established
numerical values. Here, they were expressed using the
standard Hunter L* a* b* system. L*, a*, b* values (non-
dimensional units) refer to the three axes of the system: a
lightness axis (white-black, L*); and two axes representing
both hue and chroma, one red green (a*) and the other blue-
yellow (b*). This system provides an unambiguous description

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 EFFECT OF AGE AND CUT ON THE COLOUR OF TURKEY (452)

of colour and has the advantage that colour differences
between samples can be determined using simple computer
programs. The instrument was calibrated with black and white
tile (L* = 94, a* = 1.10 and b* = 0.6) every time before the
colour measurement was taken. The colour was expressed
as L* (brightness), a* (redness) and b* (yellowness). Average
value for each colour parameter was determined by taking
observation from six different areas of the same sample.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data obtained in the present
study was analysed by unpaired t- test using IBM® SPSS®
20.0 for MS-Windows®.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Mean ± (S.E.) of lightness (L*), redness (a*) and
yellowness (b*) of breast and thigh muscle of young and adult
age groups of Nandanam Turkey II, Nandanam Quail III and
desi chicken meat was presented in Table-1 along with test
of significance. The young turkey, quail and desi chicken birds
had higher mean lightness (L*) value than adult birds in both
breast and thigh (P<0.01) meats. The breast meat of turkey,
quail and desi chicken had higher mean lightness (L*) value
than thigh meat in both young as well as adult (P<0.01) age
groups. Lightness in meat and meat products depends on several
factors like free water, water holding capacity and fat content10-13.
The breast and thigh meats of adult turkey, quail and desi
chicken had significantly higher redness (a*) value than young.
There was a highly significant difference (P<0.01) noticed
between two age groups of thigh meat of turkey and quail,
whereas, significant difference (P<0.05) noticed in desi
chicken. The significant difference in the L* and a* values
was reported in ostriches (P<0.001) and in quail (P<0.05)14-15.
This phenomenon indicates that turkey, quail and chicken
meat, just like beef and other meats, becomes darker and
redder with increasing age, which is mainly due to an increased
in concentration of myoglobin pigment16-17. Muscle pigment
concentration was influenced by many factors including
species, breed, sex, age, type of muscle and muscular
activity18. The thigh meat of turkey, quail and desi chicken
had significantly (P<0.01) higher redness (a*) value than breast
meat in both young and adult age groups which indicates the
more red muscle fibre in the thigh meat than breast meat.
The higher redness (a*) value in the thigh meat than breast
meat could be due to more myoglobin content in thigh meat.
This desirable colour effect on the thigh meat could be one of

Table 1 . The Mean ± S.E. of instrumental colour analysis of breast and thigh muscle of young and adult age
groups of turkey, quail and desi chicken meat.

No. of samples - 6, means bearing different superscripts differ significantly.* = significant (P<0.05), ** = highly significant
(P<0.01), NS = Non - significant (P>0.05).

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 (453) ILAVARASAN, ABRAHAM, APPARAO, PANDIYAN, BABU AND RUBAN

the reasons why consumers are more preferring thigh meat USA.
than breast. The breast and thigh meats of young turkey, 5. McDougall, D. B. (1983). In: Instrumental Assessment of the
quail and desi chicken had higher yellowness (b*) value than Appearance of Foods. Chichester, Ellis Horvard, Publishers,

adult. The breast meat had higher yellowness (b*) value than UK.
6. Lawrie, R. A. (2002). In: Meat Science, 5th Edn, Pergamon Press,
thigh meat in both young as well as adult age groups of turkey,
New York 173, 184.
quail and desi chicken. Contrary to this, the higher yellowness
7. Tarrant, P. V. (1989). Irish J. Food Sci. & Tech. 13: 1.
(b*) value was observed in adult turkey than young19. Based
8. Liu, A., Nishimura, T. and Takahashi, K. (1996). Meat Sci. 43:
on the results obtained in this study on instrumental colour
43.
analysis it was concluded that the age had the significant 9. Bindu, J., Ravishankar, C. N. and Srinivasa Gopal, T. K. (2007).
effect on the meat of Nandanam Turkey II, Nandanam Quail III J. Food Eng. 78: 995.
and desi chicken and the thigh meat had more desirable colour 10. Judge, M., Aberle, E., Forrest, J., Hedrich, H.Y. and Merkel, R.
quality than breast meat. (1989). In: Principles of Meat Science, Dubuque: Kendall / Hunt
Publishing Co.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 11. Kauffman, R., Joo, S. T., Schuttz, C., Warner, R. and Faustman,
C. (1991). In: 47th annual reciprocal meat conference. 70.
The financial support and facilities provided by the Tamil Nadu 12. Fernandez Lopez, J., Perez Alvarez, J. A. and Aranda Catala,
Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India is V. (2000). Colour Res. & Application. 25: 376.
duly acknowledged. The authors are thankful to the Dean of 13. Fisher, P., Hoffman, L. C. and Mellet, F.D. (2000). Meat Sci. 55:
Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal 251.
Sciences University, Chennai-600 051, India for providing 14. Hoffman, L.C. and Fisher, P. (2001). Meat Sci. 59: 335.
necessary facilities to carry out research work. 15. Boni, I., Nurul, H. and Noryati, I. (2010). Int. Food Res. J. 17:
661.
16. Lawrie, R. A. (1991). In: Meat Science, 5 th edn, Oxford:
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