Evaluation of Water Absorption in Free-Range Chicken Carcasses Using the Drip Test Method

Abstract

In Brazil, the slaughtering process for free-range chickens follows the RIISPOA (Regulation of Industrial and Sanitary Inspection of Products of Animal Origin). The MAPA (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) establishes that the percentage of water in chicken should be a maximum of 6% of the total carcass weight, to protect consumers, ensure they receive a quality product, and avoid losses for the customer. During the slaughtering process, the carcass goes through stages that can absorb water, such as in the cooling tanks (pre-chiller and chiller), directly impacting water retention. For this reason, monitoring is carried out during slaughter to prevent excessive water absorption through temperature, dripping, and retention time in the pre-chiller and chiller, from the beginning of slaughter until the carcass enters the freezing tunnel, which takes an average of 4 hours to reach 4 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, another way to monitor the control of established parameters is through the Drip Test, a verification performed by physicochemical analysis established by the SIF (Federal Inspection Service). This test takes place after the slaughter of the freerange chickens and is verified at the end of the entire freezing process to guarantee quality.