Frozen poultry breasts (m. Pectoralis major) of conventional (n ¼ 10), free-range (n ¼ 10) and organic (n ¼ 10) chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), duck (n ¼ 10) (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) and frozen carcass (n ¼ 20) of quail (Coturnix coturnix) were purchased from local markets in Niteroi (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).Slaughterhouses registered and inspected by Brazilian Federal Inspection Service manufactured all poultry meats. Samples were thawed overnight at 4 ± 1 C in their original packages and then aseptically removed from their containers. Breasts of duck and chickens were divided into 100 g portions (n ¼ 20, for each specie).Due to the smaller size of quail breasts in relation to those of other birds, the whole breast (100 g) of each quail was used for each analysis (n ¼ 20). Samples were stored aerobically in plastic bags and kept refrigerated at 4 ± 1 C. BA and bacteriological changes
were evaluated every two days during storage.