Consumer Attitudes Toward Storing and Thawing Chicken and Effects of the Common Thawing Practices on Some Quality Characteristics of Frozen Chicken

Incorporating bay leaf extract (Laurus nobilis L.) and determining the quality attributes of Turkish fermented sausage (sucuk)

This study aimed at investigating the quality attributes of Turkish fermented sausage (sucuk) incorporated with bay leaf extract obtained as a natural antioxidant and a source of phytochemicals. Five different bay leaf extracts were obtained with distilled water and 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% ethanol. The total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity values indicated that ultrasound-assisted 70% ethanol extract was the most suitable extract. Furthermore, five groups of sucuks were manufactured with the addition of bay leaf extract (1, 5, and 10 mL/kg), ascorbic acid (500 mg/kg), and control. The extracts were produced similar pH values when compared to control and ascorbic acid samples. The treatments had no significant effect on moisture contents of sucuks. Bay leaf extracts produced comparable color, texture profile analysis, and TBARS values to control and ascorbic acid samples. Biogenic amine contents (mg/kg dry weight) of sucuks including tryptamine (6.43-30.66), 2-phenylethylamine (2.24-32.04), putrescine (2.19-7.98), cadaverine (3.28-12.21), histamine (7.01-11.38), tyramine (3.27-71.07), spermidine (4.44-8.01), and spermine (53.96-68.25) were mostly within the lower ranges typically associated with sucuk. However, the lowest cadaverine values observed at the end of storage in the bay leaf extract added samples indicated that bay leaf extract might be effective in decreasing cadaverine values during storage. The addition of bay leaf extract caused similar sensory attributes to the control and ascorbic acid samples. This study revealed that Turkish fermented sucuks could be effectively incorporated with bay leaf extracts without a negative effect on the quality attributes or consumer acceptability.

Challenges and processing strategies to produce high quality frozen meat

Freezing is an effective means to extend the shelf-life of meat products. However, freezing and thawing processes lead to physical (e.g., ice crystals formation and freezer burn) and biochemical changes (e.g., protein denaturation and lipid oxidation) in meat resulting in loss of quality. Over the last two decades, several attempts have been made to produce thawed meat with qualities similar to that of fresh meat to no avail. This is due to the fact that no single technique exists to date that can mitigate all the quality challenges caused by freezing and thawing. This is further confounded by the consumer perception of frozen meat as lower quality compared to equivalent fresh-never-frozen meat cuts. Therefore, it remains challenging for the meat industry to produce high quality frozen meat and increase consumer acceptability of frozen products. This review aimed to provide an overview of the applications of novel freezing and thawing technologies that could improve the quality of thawed meat including deep freezing, high pressure, radiofrequency, electro-magnetic resonance, electrostatic field, immersion solution, microwave, ohmic heating, and ultrasound. This review will also discuss the development in processing strategies such as optimising the ageing of meat pre- or post-freezing, and the integration of freezing and thawing in one process/regime to collapse the difference in quality between thawed meat and fresh-never-frozen equivalents.

Comparison of Thawing Treatments on Quality, Microbiota, and Organoleptic Characteristics of Chicken Meat Fillets

The current research attempted to evaluate the impact of various thawing techniques (R₀: control group, R₁: water immersion thawing, R₂: low-temperature thawing, R₃: combined thawing, water thawing then low-temperature thawing, R₄: combination thawing, low temperature thawing then water thawing, and R₅: oven thawing) on the quality, microbiota, and organoleptic characteristics of chicken meat fillets. The findings showed that moisture content varied from 74.43 to 72.33%; thawing loss peaked in R₁ at 4.66%, while it was minimum in R₅ at 2.10%. Lipid content varied from 1.09% in R₀ to 1.03% in R₅, while protein content varied from 22.06% in R₀ to 23.10% in R₁. The values of shear force, protein, and lipid oxidation increased for all treatments compared to control, ranging from 7.94 N to 9.54 N, 0.99-1.21 nm/mg protein, and 0.74-1.15 mg MDA/Kg, respectively. On the other hand, pH (5.94 in R₄) and protein solubility (238.63 mg/g in R₁) were decreased in contrast to the control group (6.08 and 298.27 mg/g). In association with different methods, R₅ and R₂ showed minimal thawing loss and the highest lipid and protein oxidation rates. However, R₃ showed reduced shear force and lipid oxidation comparatively. TPC was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in both R₂ and R₁. Sensory evaluation indicated that R₃ and R₂ showed better color and taste, while R₁ showed minimum scores for organoleptic attributes. R₀, R₃, and R₅ obtained a higher sensory score_, whereas R₁, R₂, and R₄ showed a lower score. However, R₅ exhibited better results in close association with the control group (R₀). Hence, it can be concluded that freezing and subsequent thawing decrease the quality of chicken fillets due to the time required for thawing. In the present study, the best quality of chicken fillets was retained by R₃ and R₅ due to their reduced thawing periods.

Effects of Thawing and Frying Methods on the Formation of Acrylamide and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Chicken Meat

Air frying is commonly used as a substitute for deep-fat frying. However, few studies have examined the effect of air frying on the formation of potential carcinogens in foodstuffs. This study aimed to investigate the formation of acrylamide and four types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air-fried and deep-fat-fried chicken breasts, thighs, and wings thawed using different methods, i.e., by using a microwave or a refrigerator, or by water immersion. The acrylamide and PAHs were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. Deep-fat-fried chicken meat had higher acrylamide (n.d.-6.19 μg/kg) and total PAH (2.64-3.17 μg/kg) air-fried chicken meat (n.d.-3.49 μg/kg and 1.96-2.71 μg/kg). However, the thawing method did not significantly affect the formation of either acrylamide or PAHs. No significant differences in the acrylamide contents were observed among the chicken meat parts, however, the highest PAH contents were found in chicken wings. Thus, the results demonstrated that air frying could reduce the formation of acrylamide and PAHs in chicken meat in comparison with deep-fat frying.

Effects of dried okra fruit (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) powder on growth, carcass characteristics, blood indices, and meat quality of stored broiler meat

The present study investigated the impacts of dried okra fruit powder (DOFP), used as a natural feed supplement, on growth, carcass, blood, and meat quality parameters of broilers. A total of 240 unsexed, one-week-old chicks were randomly allotted to 4 equal groups with 6 replicates in each group (i.e., 10 birds/replicate). The dietary treatments consisted of the basal diet as control, and 3 DOFP groups, supplemented with 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 g DOFP/kg feed, respectively. The results showed that the highest values of live body weight and body weight gain were observed in the group with 1.0 g of DOFP/kg of feed during the fifth week of age and between 1 and 5 wk of age, respectively. During 1 to 3 wk of age, daily feed consumption of chicks fed DOFP-supplemented diets increased numerically with increasing DOFP levels. Dietary treatments significantly depressed liver, thigh, and dressing fat percentages. Chicks fed the diet containing 1.0 g of DOFP/kg of feed had the lowest values for serum urea and creatinine compared with the other treatment group. In addition, the concentration of liver enzymes decreased with increasing DOFP levels, except for the groups fed 3.0 and 1.0 g of DOFP/kg of diet. Oxidative rancidity of broiler meat samples containing DOFP in their diets was lower than that of the control samples, throughout the storage period. It can be concluded that DOFP is a useful phytogenic additive, which can lower the percentage of abdominal fat of the carcass, as well as alanine aminotransferase, urea, and creatinine in the blood. Furthermore, all sensory characteristics of the meat were improved by the addition of DOFP to broiler diets. It could be concluded that DOFP can be used as a natural supplement in broiler diets for improving growth performance and reducing abdominal fat, blood creatinine, and urea.

Physicochemical Properties and Protein Denaturation of Pork Longissimus Dorsi Muscle Subjected to Six Microwave-Based Thawing Methods

Physicochemical changes and protein denaturation were evaluated for pork longissimus dorsi muscle subjected to different thawing methods. Fresh pork longissimus dorsi muscle served as a control. Microwave (MT), microwave combined with ultrasonic (MUT), microwave combined with 35 °C water immersion (MIT), microwave combined with 4 °C refrigeration (MRT), microwave combined with air convection (MAT), and microwave combined with running water (MWT) were applied. All microwave-based methods excepted for MT avoided localized overheating. The changes in the water holding capacity (WHC), color, TBARS, and protein solubility were lowest with MAT. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic rheological property measurements indicated, that the MAT samples changed only slightly and presented with complete peaks and high G' values compared with the other treatments. Thus, MAT may reduce protein denaturation associated with meat thawing. The results of this study indicated that MAT effectively shortens thawing time, preserves meat quality and uniformity, and could benefit the meat industry and those who consume its products.

Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Broiler Chicken Breast Meat Stored Frozen and Thawed Using Various Methods

The paper presents an analysis of the impact of freezing storage duration (1, 3, 5, and 7 months) and thawing methods, namely, in atmospheric air, water, and using microwave oven on the quality properties of broiler chicken breast meat. The physicochemical indicators of raw breast meat after thawing and after being subjected to heat treatment were evaluated. The sensory evaluation was also conducted. The findings indicate that the duration of storage has effects on the quality of meat stored frozen at −20°C. Unfavourable changes (p<0.05) were observed between the first and seventh months of freezing storage in respect of such areas as increased drip loss, increased thermal loss, colour changes, and reduced ash content in thawed breast meat as well as in those subjected to heat treatment. Unfavourable changes in the sensory properties, namely, diminished intensity of flavour and aroma, were also observed. The analysis revealed significant (p<0.05) impacts of thawing methods on the meat’s quality properties, depending on the duration of freezing storage. The application of microwave oven method of thawing meat enabled the retention of better physicochemical properties (reduction of drip and thermal losses and increased ash content) as well as sensory properties such as the desirability of the flavor and juiciness of meat stored for one-month period. A longer period of freezing storage (5 and 7 months) revealed higher degrees of colour saturation towards red (a∗) in raw breast meat as well as reduced brittleness of breast meat thawed using microwave oven method prior to and after the heat treatment in comparison to those thawed using atmospheric air and water. Practical Applications. The duration of freezing storage and thawing methods has impacts on the meat’s quality, including its processing value. The current study has its practical implications due to the immense consumption of broiler chicken meat, the high proportion of deep frozen meat products in commerce, and the acceptability and popularity of frozen stored meat in households. The current study enables one to ascertain how the physicochemical and sensory properties of broiler chicken breast meat change over the period of freezing storage (for 1, 3, 5, and 7 months) and which of the applied thawing methods (in atmospheric air, water, or microwave method) is most favourable for retaining meat’s best quality.

Effect of freezing on electrical properties and quality of thawed chicken breast meat

Objective

The objective of this research was to study the electrical properties and quality of frozen-thawed chicken breast meat and to investigate the relationship between these parameters at different times of frozen storage.

Methods

Thawed samples of chicken breast muscles were evaluated after being kept in frozen storage at −18°C for different periods of time (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 months).

Results

The results showed that water-holding capacity (WHC) and protein solubility decreased while thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances content increased with increasing storage time. The impedance module of samples decreased during 8-month frozen storage. Pearson correlation coefficients showed that the impedance change ratio (Q value) was significantly (p<0.05) related to pH, color, WHC, lipid oxidation and protein solubility, indicating a good relationship between the electrical properties and qualities of frozen-thawed chicken breast meat.

Conclusion

Impedance measurement has a potential to assess the quality of frozen chicken meat combining with quality indices.