Meat Quality of Broiler Breast Fillets with White Striping and Woody Breast Muscle Myopathies

The global poultry industry has been faced with emerging broiler breast meat quality issues known as white striping and woody breast. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of white striping and woody breast hardness on meat quality traits in broiler breast fillets. Birds were processed at 8 wk (Exp.1) and at 6 and 9 wk of age (Exp.2), whereas deboning was carried out at 4 and 2 h postmortem in Exp.1 and 2, respectively. Fillets were categorized as: normal for both white striping and woody breast (NORM); mild for white striping and woody breast (MILD); severe for white striping and mild for woody breast (WS); severe for woody breast and mild for white striping (WB); or severe for both white striping and woody breast (BOTH). Sarcomere length, gravimetric fragmentation index (GFI; Exp.1 only), marination uptake, cook loss, and Meullenet-Owens razor shear energy (MORSE) values on non-marinated and marinated fillets were assessed. Sarcomeres tended to be longer (P≤0.07) with increasing severity of white striping and woody breast in both experiments, but GFI was not impacted (P=0.49). Marinade uptake decreased (

Bearing Failure Investigation of Turbomachinery Test Rig

This paper presents the investigation of bearing failure in a compressor test rig which has been satisfactorily in operation. Two pair of single row angular contact ball bearings, each pair in tandem, and the pairs in turn in back to back support the rotor shaft to meet compressor thrust and to provide moderate stiffness for smooth operation. Since being experimental rig, it is reassembled several times involving bearing replacements on each occasion. Recently one bearing on one side pair is found severely damaged and the other bearing of the pair with minor damage. The bearing with minor damage supported the rotor and this evaded the initial diagnostics until the time of severe damage. Initial investigation revealed that the primary cause of failure is washed off by the secondary failure. A thorough, systematic investigation with the help of fishbone approach is carried in order to find out the root cause of the failure and also to decide on new rig. This investigation revealed lack of preload as the major cause and bearing seat clearance as minor problem. New procedure is adopted to ensure proper preload and the rig is back in operation