Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Volatile Constitutents from Cooked Carcasses of Old and Young Chickens ,

Abstract

MODERN methods of poultry production have resulted in accelerated growth rates with lowered feed and labor requirements (Lineweaver and Pippen, 1961). Despite progress in producing low cost poultry, scientific evidence on the relative amount of flavor in the meat from new versus old-type birds is incomplete. A recent study by Wells et al. (1962) in which comparisons were made of cooked freeze-dehydrated breast muscle from 28 month-, 19 week-, and 9 week-old birds indicated that although color was best in the 19 week-old birds, tenderness and flavor were best in the 28 month-old birds. Earlier studies on birds ranging in age from 6 weeks to 6 months failed to reveal significant flavor differences (Fry et al., 1958; Leong et al., 1958; Harkin et al., 1958; and Hanson et al., 1959). These workers concluded that poultry production by modern methods has been achieved without loss of flavor, and that chicken flavor…