A Comprehensive Review of Wooden Breast Myopathy in Broilers: Impacts, Detection, Processing, and Future Perspectives.

Abstract

Wooden breast (WB) myopathy is a major muscle disorder in fast-growing broilers, affecting the entire poultry production chain and causing substantial economic losses. Current mitigation strategies rely primarily on carcass-level identification, grading, and processing treatments. However, existing studies remain fragmented and insufficiently integrated, limiting effective problem-solving. In this review, we summarize and compare reported WB identification and classification methods in terms of detection principles, industrial adaptability, accuracy, cost, scalability, technological maturity, and limitations. Overall, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy achieves high accuracy (95%-100%), whereas imaging-based methods show greater potential for real-time, on-site application. We further review major postmortem strategies to improve WB meat quality and compare their underlying principles, key effects, applicable product types, optimization outcomes, costs, and limitations. Evidence shows that papain treatment significantly improves the quality of intact WB fillets (p < 0.05), while functional additives and protein glycation significantly enhance the processing quality of WB meat products (p < 0.05). Finally, in light of current research gaps, future efforts should focus on reducing the impact of WB through genetic marker screening and environmental control, the establishment of standardized identification criteria, AI-assisted modeling, and the development of WB-specific formulations and processing equipment. By systematically integrating WB pathophysiology, detection technologies, and postmortem processing interventions, this review provides a cohesive framework that is currently lacking in WB research and may guide both mechanistic studies and industrial practice.