Comprehensive assessment of quality changes in spent laying and broiler duck meat during chilling storage

This study investigated the impact of chilling on the quality of breast and leg meat from spent laying and broiler duck meats (BSD, LSD, BBD, and LBD) over 0, 5, and 9 days. Variations in meat type and chilling duration influenced chemical and physical properties and preference scores. Moisture content in duck meat decreased during chilling (p < 0.05), which was attributed to a significant increase in weight loss. TBARS, TCA, and MFI increased after 9 days of chilling (p < 0.05), resulting in increased cooking loss and decreased shear force, particularly in BSD and BBD. L* and a* values decreased during chilling (p < 0.05), while b* values exhibited an opposite trend due to markedly increased TBARS, MetMb content, and protein denaturation. Sensory characteristics scores declined after 5 days of chilling, notably in odor and overall preference (p < 0.05). After 9 days, the overall preference score reached its lowest point, with panelists deeming the meat unacceptable due to strong off-odor and discoloration. Notably, while the quality changes observed in breast and leg meat from spent laying ducks followed a similar trend to broiler ducks, the rate of protein degradation and lipid oxidation was significantly higher in the spent laying ducks compared to broiler ducks. Consequently, all four meat types can be chilled for up to 5 days while maintaining good quality in terms of chemical and physical properties. The findings of this study provide insights into understanding the quality changes in duck meat for optimizing storage practices.