Bacteriological and histological profile of turkeys condemned for cyanosis

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has adopted the term cyanosis to describe a category of condemnation for poultry that is dark but has no other condemnable lesions. Two case-control studies (n = 30 pairs; n = 65 pairs) of 18-wk-old tom turkeys were conducted. A case was defined as a carcass condemned by the veterinary inspector for cyanosis, and a control carcass was one that passed inspection. Microbiological tests were conducted on samples of Pectoralis major and Gastrocnemius lacteralis. A modified Rappaport Vassiliadis medium was used for Salmonella, and a Petrifilm method was used to assess aerobic counts, coliform counts, and Escherichia coli. The Salmonella (qualitative) test was negative for all cases and controls, and there were no significant differences between the aerobic counts, coliform counts, and E. coli counts of case and control carcasses. Two pathologists conducted a blind histopathological study: there were no lesions compatible with those of septicemia-toxemia, as defined by CFIA and the USDA, nor any significant histopathological differences between the skin, P. major, G. lateralis, kidney, liver, spleen, small intestine, pancreas, lung, and heart of cases and controls. The inter-rater agreement between pathologists ranged from good to excellent (Kappa = 0.7 to 1.0). In the absence of important lesions and microbial contamination, carcasses with this color change alone should be suitable for human consumption.

Risk factors for abattoir condemnation of turkey carcasses due to cyanosis in southern Ontario

Cyanosis is a category of condemnation for poultry, as defined by Agriculture and Agrifood Canada. A retrospective study to examine the seasonal patterns and trends for turkey cyanosis condemnation was conducted for the years 1987 to 1995 with the use of condemnation records made available by a single abattoir in Ontario. Condemnation for cyanosis had a significant seasonal pattern, with major losses occurring in the colder months (October to March). A prospective longitudinal study was conducted during January to March and October to December 1996 in the same abattoir and the 75 turkey farms that contracted to process their birds through it and all the 913 truckloads of turkeys processed in these two 3-mo periods. The data from this prospective study were used for multivariate modeling of the effects of potential risk factors on the incidence of cyanosis. Risk factors (at P < or = 0.05) included bird type (broiler age turkeys, mature toms, and mature hens compared to toms and hens), ambient temperature (cold: -9.9 to 0.0 C and very cold: < or =-10.0 C compared to mild: >0.0 C), clean-out lot (the last shipped from a poultry house), shipping time > or =8 h, and emaciation (proportion of turkeys in the lot condemned for insufficient muscle mass). The crate density was a sparing factor, and an increase in turkey density during shipping resulted in a lower incidence of cyanosis. This study suggested that the number of turkeys condemned for cyanosis was associated with cold, shipping stress, and subclinical syndromes.

Roaster breast meat condemned for cyanosis: a dark firm dry-like condition?

A case-control study (n = 68) of roaster chickens condemned for cyanosis was conducted. Color (CIE L*a*b*) and pH were measured at slaughter, and after 24 h aging on ice, at four predetermined sites of the Pectoralis major. Cyanotic carcasses (dark) had a higher pH than controls at the time of slaughter and at 24 h postmortem (P < 0.01). Perimortem pH was significantly correlated with pH at 24 h postmortem (r = 0.64) and also was correlated with lightness (L*) perimortem and postmortem (24 h; r = -0.36 and -0.50, respectively). Perimortem pH was not correlated with meat redness (a*) at slaughter time and after 24 h. Ultimate pH and lightness at 24 h postmortem were also correlated. Tests based on pH, L*, and a* of the P. major were assessed: the sensitivity and specificity at various cut-off points were, respectively, pH(6.3) = 76.47 and 88.24%, L*(41) = 91.18 and 79.41%, and a*(3) = 76.47 and 97.06%. The repeatability (p) of pH and color measurements was excellent and ranged from 0.87 to 0.98. Breast meat from roasters condemned for cyanosis had dark, firm, and dry (DFD)-like traits, and accurate tests based on color and pH could be described as a means of identifying chickens condemned for cyanosis.

A dark, firm, dry-like condition in breast meat of roaster chickens condemned for ascites, valgus-varus deformity and emaciation

Chicken carcasses with dark, firm, dry traits (DFD) are currently condemned in Canada for cyanosis. Reconsideration of the current policy requires tests for distinguishing DFD carcasses from those that are inadequately bled. Birds in other categories such as ascites (AS), emaciation (EM), and valgus-varus deformity (VVD) may also present a dark carcass color. Chickens condemned for DFD and inadequate bleeding (IB), and also for AS, EM and VVD were collected, and visually separated into "light" or "dark" groups. Color (Commission Intern. de l'Eclairage L*a*b*) and pH were measured at slaughter, on four fixed sites of the pectoralis major. pH was highly and negatively correlated with L* for AS (r = –0.57), EM (r = –0.64), and VVD (r = –0.66). The dark classes of EM and VVD were not significantly different (P > 0.05) for pH, L*, and a* from DFD carcasses, but the dark AS class was redder and less acidic than DFD carcasses. Color and pH were not correlated in the inadequately-bled group, which was lighter, less red, and more acidic than the DFD group. Tests based on pH and a*, used to distinguish DFD from inadequately bled carcasses, showed good sensitivity and specificity. The agreement beyond chance between the pH and a* tests was good (Kappa = 0.65). We conclude (1) that a DFD-like condition was present in the dark classes of AS, EM and VVD, and (2) that inadequately bled chickens can be distinguished from those with DFD traits by the use of tests based on pH and a*. Key words: Poultry color, rapid tests, chicken, dark firm dry meat, cyanosis

A dark, firm dry-like condition in turkeys condemned for cyanosis

A case-control study (n = 130) was conducted on toms condemned for cyanosis. Color (CIE L*a*b*), pH, and physical characteristics were measured on the Pectoralis major at slaughter and after 24 h. Meat from carcasses condemned for cyanosis had dark, firm, dry-like traits. It was darker and redder and showed higher water-holding capacity, lower cooking loss, and higher gel strength than did controls. Perimortem pH was negatively correlated with the lightness (L*) of meat at the time of slaughter (r = -0.58) and at 24 h postmortem (r = -0.64), positively correlated with water-holding capacity (r = 0.73) and gel strength (r = 0.43) and negatively correlated with cooking loss (r = -0.50). Ultimate pH was negatively correlated with lightness (L*) of meat at slaughter time (r = -0.62) and at 24 h postmortem (r = 0.79) was positively correlated with water-holding capacity (r = 0.87) and gel strength (r = 0.61) and negatively correlated with cooking loss (r = -0.52). Tests based on pH and L* of the P. major were also assessed; tests based on pH had a sensitivity in the range of 0.79 to 0.89 and specificity (Sp) of 0.60 to 0.94. Tests based on L* showed sensitivity of 0.75 to 0.92, and specificity of 0.79 to 0.97. The repeatability of measurements varied from good (L*: rho = 0.6) to excellent (pH: rho = 0.92). Overall, turkey breast condemned for cyanosis showed dark, firm, dry-like traits. Tests based on color and pH are described as a means of identifying turkeys condemned for cyanosis.