Pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) poultry originates during rigor mortis when the muscle pH drops rapidly in high temperature carcasses. This condition results from antemortem stress and/or genetic material in the live animal. PSE poultry is pale in color, has low water-holding capacity, and forms products that are unappealing, dry, and unacceptable to consumers. Since value added products processed with PSE turkey meat display poor protein bind, color, and water retention, enhanced usability could add value to this low value raw material through locating a niche for PSE meat currently utilized in further processed products.

Experiment 1 consisted of four broiler breast treatments: 100% PSE, 100% PSE + 1.5% chicken collagen, 100% normal, and 100% normal + 1.5% chicken collagen to test the effects of raw material and chicken collagen. Incorporation of collagen improved (p<0.05) protein bind and CIE L* values in both PSE and normal broiler breast treatments, while decreasing (p<0.05) the cooking and chilling loss of PSE broiler breast treatments.

Experiment 2 consisted of four turkey breast treatments: 100% PSE, 100% PSE + 1.5% turkey collagen, 100% normal, and 100% normal + 1.5% turkey collagen to test the effects of raw material and turkey collagen. Addition of turkey collagen improved (p<0.05) the protein bind and CIE L* values in both PSE and normal broiler breast treatments, while decreasing (p<0.05) the cooking and chilling loss of PSE turkey breast treatments.

Experiment 3 consisted of five turkey breast treatments: 100% PSE, 100% PSE + 1.5% collagen, 100% PSE + 0.30% kappa/iota carrageenan, 100% PSE + 1.5% soy protein concentrate, and 100% normal to test the effects of raw material, turkey collagen, soy protein concentrate, and carrageenan. Addition of soy protein and turkey collagen both decreased (p<0.05) cooking and chilling loss and increased (p<0.005) the protein bind of 100% PSE. Purge loss was decreased (p<0.05) in PSE raw material when turkey collagen, soy protein concentrate, and kappa/iota carrageenan were utilized. Treatments with collagen displayed similar (p>0.05) CIE L* and CIE a* values to that of normal treatments. No differences (p>0.05) in consumer acceptability existed among the treatments.