Influence of cooking conditions on cooking loss and tenderness of raw and marinated chicken breast meat

The influence of different cooking treatments on tenderness and cooking loss, as main quality characteristics of chicken breast meat, was investigated. Industrial skinless chicken breast meat samples were designated as raw and marinated and cooked in the oven by hot air and hot air-steam mixture at 130, 150 and 170 °C, for 4, 8 and 12 min. Cooking losses were evaluated by weight changes before and after cooking, and tenderness changes were determined on cooked samples by measuring shear force using instrumental texture analysis. Results showed that marination, followed by air-steam cooking is the best combination to obtain the most tender chicken breast slices. The time and temperature of cooking showed similar effects on cooking loss and tenderness: short cooking time (4 min) and temperatures of 130–150 °C resulted in lower cooking losses and best meat tenderness, in both not marinated and marinated meat. Statistically significant correlations between tenderness and cooking loss indicated that the cooking loss correlated better with cooking time than with cooking temperature. An opposite phenomenon was observed for meat tenderness.     

EVALUATION OF DUCKLING BREAST MEAT SUBJECTED TO DIFFERENT METHODS OF FURTHER PROCESSING AND COOKING

Breast fillets (128 total) deboned from commercially processed 7-week-old Pekin ducklings were subjected to one of four tenderization treatments: control, mechanically tenderized, marinated, or tenderized and marinated, and one of two cooking methods, oven-baked or gourmet-cooked. Treatments were evaluated for cooked yield and tenderness. Mechanical tenderization resulted in the lowest cooked yield, 60.0%, followed by the control, 64.5%. Mechanical tenderization and the control treatment were not significantly different for shear, with an average of 7.0 kg shear/g sample. Marination, with or without mechanical tenderization, resulted in signficantly greater cooked yield, 72.6 and 72.9 % respectively, and more tender meat, 4.9 and 5.1 kg shear/g meat respectively. Oven baking resulted in a signficantly greater cooked yield than gourmet cooking. Results indicate that marination, with or without mechanical tenderization, can significantly improve the cooked yield and tenderness of duckling breast fillets.     

Tenderness and Chemical Composition of Elk (Cervus elaphus) Meat: Effects of Muscle Type, Marinade Composition, and Cooking Method

Effects of sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP; 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3%) and 0.5%NaCl on the color, cooking yield, and tenderness of moisture‐enhanced elk longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles were assessed. Injected samples had significantly (P < 0.05) lower L, a, and b values and significantly (P < 0.05) higher cooking yields and lower shear force values compared to controls; shear force values did not differ among marination treatments. The amino acid composition of elk meat was typical for those of red meat species. Elk meat was very lean and had a relatively high ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids. The present study found that addition of 0.5% NaCl with 0.2% or 0.3% STPP to the marinade was best at improving the cooking yield and tenderness of the resultant products.     

Quality and proteome changes of beef M.longissimus dorsi cooked using a water bath and ohmic heating process

This study investigated the effects of different cooking methods, namely water bath cooking (WB), short time ohmic cooking (STOH) and long time ohmic cooking (LTOH) on color, cooking loss, shear force value and proteome changes in beef M.longissimus dorsi at the same endpoint temperature of 72 °C. The cooking loss and shear force value of the ohmically cooked meat were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and redness a* value was significantly higher than that of the WB cooked samples. Proteomics analysis showed that ohmically cooked meat had less protein damage than those of WB cooked ones. Seventeen protein spots of differential abundance in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) image between STOH and WB cooked samples were successfully identified, and thirteen protein spots between LTOH and WB cooked samples were identified. Most of them belong to myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins and may be related to changes of meat quality parameters.Industrial relevanceDuring thermal processing, proteins, the primary constituents of meat, undergo structural modifications such as oxidation, degradation, denaturation and aggregation. These changes of proteins have important effects on the quality of the final meat products, such as color, tenderness and flavor, and ultimately affect meat palatability and acceptability. Nowadays, innovation is necessary in developing new cooking methods to meet the industrial demand for more efficient production and consumer's demand for higher quality and safer meat products. Ohmic cooking, also known as electric resistance cooking, relies on the heat that is generated when electrical current passes directly through conductive foodstuff to cook the food. Compared to conventional cooking, ohmic cooking has the advantages of much shorter cooking time, higher yield and more uniform heating distribution, and ohmically cooked meat has superior color, higher tenderness, etc. Therefore, as a potential food processing technology, ohmic heating not only increases energy efficiency, but also improves meat quality. In this study, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry were used to investigate the quality and proteome changes of beef M.longissimus dorsi following ohmic cooking and water bath cooking, and the results indicated that protein damages in ohmically cooked meat were much less than that of water bath cooked ones, and this might contribute to the lower cooking loss, higher tenderness and better color in ohmically cooked meat. The results of the study suggested that ohmic cooking has a great potential in industrial production of meat products.     

腌制预处理对红烧肉品质的影响

为探明原料肉腌制处理对红烧肉品质的影响,采用注射腌制（injection marination,IM）和静态变压腌制 （variable pressure static marination,VPSM）处理原料肉,以非腌制组作为对照,分析不同腌制处理的中间品和 成品的腌制吸收率、出品率、pH值、食盐含量、水分含量、蛋白质与脂肪含量、色泽、剪切力与质构、滴水损失 率、离心损失率、水分存在状态和微观结构,探讨原料肉经腌制、红烧后产品品质的形成规律。结果表明：VPSM 组腌制吸收率为2.46%,显著高于IM组（P＜0.05）。与对照组相比,原料肉经腌制后,中间品与红烧成品的水分含 量、出品率均显著提高（P＜0.05）;从原料肉到腌制后中间品直到红烧后成品,滴水损失率和离心损失率均显著降 低（P＜0.05）,且VPSM组最低。与IM组相比,VPSM组保水性更优,红烧肉出品率显著提高（P＜0.05）。经腌制 红烧后,与对照组相比,实验组脂肪含量显著下降,蛋白质含量呈先显著升高后显著下降的趋势（P＜0.05）。就 亮度值（L*）而言,与原料肉相比,IM组与VPSM组中间品L*值均显著上升,IM组成品L*值显著升高,而VPSM组 则显著下降（P＜0.05）。而与原料肉和对照组相比,VPSM成品的红度值（a*）、黄度值（b*）均最高,且差异显 著（P＜0.05）。与对照组相比,腌制预处理会显著降低成品红烧肉的剪切力与硬度（P＜0.05）。在预处理组中, VPSM效果最优。低场核磁共振T2弛豫时间检测结果显示原料肉经腌制后,不易流动水含量上升,且VPSM组高于IM 组。扫描电子显微镜观察结果显示,经腌制红烧后的成品纤维结构受到破坏,且VPSM组结构更为松散,纤维间隙最 大,有利于提高其保水性。VPSM可有效改善红烧肉加工品质,为改善红烧肉加工工艺提供了理论支持。     

Injection of marinade with actinidin increases tenderness of porcine M. biceps femoris and affects myofibrils and connective tissue

BACKGROUND: Marination of beef muscles with brine solutions containing proteolytic enzymes from fruit extracts has been shown to tenderize meat. However, the effect of marination with actinidin on tenderness of pork muscles has not been investigated. Tenderness and eating quality of porcine M. biceps femoris was investigated by Warner–Bratzler (WB) shear test and sensory evaluation after injection of brine containing up to 11 g L^?1 actinidin‐containing kiwi fruit powder and 2, 5 or 9 days of storage. RESULTS: Actinidin decreased WB shear force, increased tenderness and did not affect flavour and juiciness. Injection of 2.8 g L^?1 actinidin powder and storage for 2 days resulted in WB shear force values similar to control samples stored for 5 or 9 days. In samples injected with 10 g L^?1 actinidin powder, degradation of desmin and percentage of heat‐soluble collagen (P < 0.05) increased compared to control samples. Myofibrillar particle size tended to decrease (P < 0.1) with increasing actinidin concentration. No major changes were observed by proteome analysis. Atomic force microscopy showed actinidin‐induced damage of endomysium surrounding isolated single muscle fibres. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that actinidin tenderizes pork M. biceps femoris by affecting both the myofibrils and connective tissue. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

鸡蛋腌制对3种烤肉饼食用品质的影响

为系统分析传统中式菜肴烹调过程中鸡蛋腌制处理对不同肉类食用品质的影响,分别选用全蛋腌制或蛋清腌制、不同蛋清添加量腌制处理,分析其对猪肉饼、牛肉饼和羊肉饼食用品质的影响。结果表明,在添加量为10%、腌制时间为30 min时,蛋清腌制显著增加猪肉饼和羊肉饼的水分含量（P<0.05）,显著降低两种肉饼的烤制损失率、剪切力值和硬度等（P<0.05）,有效改善猪肉饼和羊肉饼的食用品质,而牛肉饼则适合选用全蛋腌制处理,能在一定程度上改善其食用品质;不同蛋清添加量对3种肉饼的食用品质有不同影响,腌制时间为30 min时,猪肉饼和羊肉饼宜选择10%蛋清添加量,牛肉饼宜选择5%蛋清添加量,此时肉饼的保水性较好,嫩度、色泽和质构特性较优,适合作为日常烹饪过程中蛋清腌制的最佳添加量推广使用,本研究为传统中式菜肴中畜肉烹饪前鸡蛋腌制的条件提供了理论支持。     

Calcium chloride marination effects on beef steak tenderness and calpain proteolytic activity

A study was conducted in three phases to examine the effect of calcium chloride marination on tenderness. Steaks obtained 5 days postmortem were marinated in a 150 mM calcium chloride solution for 24 h and 48 h in phase 1, and for 48 h in phases 2 and 3. The steaks utilized were obtained from mature cows 8-11 years of age-phase 1; four control and four β-agonist fed steers-phase 2; and three Peidmontese and two Nelore 18-month-old steers-phase 3. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance for a split-plot design. In phase 1, marination failed to improve (P > 0·05) shear force values. However, shear force values were less than 5 kg which was uncommonly low for mature cows. In phase 2, marination improved (P < 0·05) meat tenderness regardless of diet. Yet, the steaks from the β-agonist fed steers remained less tender, even after marination, than the steaks from the control steers. In phase 3, shear force requirements were decreased (P < 0·01) with marination. Also, the activities of m-calpain and calpastatin decreased (P < 0·05) with calcium marination. It appeared that the improvement in tenderness was through the activation of m-calpain.     

Effects of pulsed electric field pretreatment on mass transfer and quality of beef during marination process

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment on mass transfer, microstructure and eating quality of beef during marination process. Results showed that PEF could achieve a good effect of promoting marination with a small energy input (0.78–12.50 kJ/kg). Under the best condition (2.0 kV/cm, 125 pulses, 12.50 kJ/kg), the marination time was reduced by almost 33%, whereas the diffusion coefficient values increased up to 51.8% and 69.0% for NaCl and water, respectively. The marination process was modeled with Fick's second law and the model showed good fit. Furthermore, the cell disintegration results and the microstructure analysis showed that the main reason for PEF accelerating marination might be due to the expansion of gaps between muscle bundles with its membrane permeabilization potential. For quality properties, tenderness was enhanced up to 22.9% (2.0 kV/cm, 125 pulses, 12.50 kJ/kg), but all conditions did not significantly (P > 0.05) influence their color, purge loss and cooking loss.Industrial relevanceIn our research, the PEF-assisted marination process could significantly (P < 0.05) enhance the NaCl uptake of beef and reduce the marination time with the potential to improve meat tenderness. These results indicated that PEF could be a promising and effective pretreatment for the marination process of meat products.     

THE EFFECT OF ORGANIC ACID MARINATION ON TENDERNESS, COOKING LOSS AND BOUND WATER CONTENT OF BEEF

Longissimus muscle obtained from beef carcasses was used in this research. Initially, 0.596, 1.0% and 1.5% lactic and citric acid solutions were prepared. Meat was marinated in these solutions (1:4 w/v) in polyethylene bags at 4C for 72h. Bound water, pH, weight gain, cooking loss and Warner Bratzler shear (WBS) were evaluated. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to determine the bound water content in meat samples. The latent heat of melting (ΔH_m) and bound water were found to be functions of moisture content of marinated meat. There was a significant decrease in pH due to marination. Compared to lactic acid, the samples marinated with citric acid held less water. The WS values in control samples were higher than in marinated samples. Cooking loss was lower in samples marinated with lactic acid compared to citric acid marinated samples.     

Phosphate Type Affects the Quality of Injected Catfish Fillets

ABSTRACT:  Catfish fillets were injected to 115% over green weight prior to tray-packing and storage at 4 °C for 1, 4, 8, and 11 d. Fillets were evaluated for yields, surface color, pH, cooking loss, tenderness, purge loss, and shelf-life. All phosphate treatments increased ( P  < 0.05) fillet tenderness, but the agglomerated blend of sodium phosphates (AGSP) increased ( P  < 0.05) pH and yields, and decreased ( P  < 0.05) CIE  L * and CIE  b * values. Psychrotrophic plate counts (PPC) of fillets treated with the agglomerated blend of polyphosphates (AGPP) were lower ( P  < 0.05) than the control at each storage time, but PPC of all samples reached 7 log CFU/g by day 8 of storage. All agglomerated phosphates and STP (sodium tripolyphosphate) improved yields and quality when compared to the nonmarinated control. However, AGSP was the most effective phosphate at increasing pick-up and yields and decreasing cooking loss due to the pH effect that causes more water to be trapped within the food system. Major quality differences may not have occurred between STP and agglomerated phosphates (other than AGSP) since injection relies solely on pH and ionic strength for marinade pickup, whereas tumbling also relies on mechanical action, which relies more on the presence of various phosphate chain lengths and solubility to impact yields. All phosphate treatments improved the quality of tray-packed, refrigerated catfish fillets that were enhanced through multineedle injection. However, AGSP also increased fillet pH, optimized yields, and improved color.
Practical Application: Use of an agglomerated phosphate blend with a high pH (AGSP) maximized the yield of catfish fillets that were marinated through multineedle injection. In addition, STP and agglomerated phosphate blends increased the yield and tenderness of catfish fillets when compared to the nonmarinated control.     

Efficacies of soy sauce and wine base marinades for controlling spoilage of raw beef

Fresh beef slices were marinated by immersion in marinades based on soy sauce without (SB) or with lactic acid (SBLA) or red wine base without (WB) or with 0.5% v/v oregano essential oil (WBO). For control samples (immersed in saline), a mean increase of 0.9log CFU/cm² in total viable counts (TVCs) occurred during the 24 h treatment. During marination with WB and SB, mean TVC decreased by 0.7 and 0.3log CFU/cm², respectively. The mean decrease in TVC for samples marinated in WBO or SBLA was 1.2log CFU/cm². Subsequent storage of beef resulted in a rapid increase of TVC in control samples, to ≥9.5log CFU/cm² after 8 days at 5 °C or 3 days at 15 °C. Significant (P < 0.05) microbial growth occurred in marinated samples stored at 5 °C. During storage at 15 °C TVC increased in only WB samples but the final numbers of 5.9log CFU/cm² were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the numbers in the control. Results similar to those for TVC were observed for Pseudomonas spp. All marinades also gave meat with significant lower TBARS values than the controls. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the toughness of the marinated samples compared to the control, except for SBLA samples which had significantly higher (P < 0.05) shear force values. Marination with soy sauce or red wine marinades can evidently control microbial spoilage and oxidation of meat.     

Validation of a Combi Oven Cooking Method for Preparation of Chicken Breast Meat for Quality Assessment

ABSTRACT: Quality assessment results of cooked meat can be significantly affected by sample preparation with different cooking techniques. A combi oven is a relatively new cooking technique in the U.S. market. However, there was a lack of published data about its effect on quality measurements of chicken meat. Broiler breast fillets deboned at 24‐h postmortem were cooked with one of the 3 methods to the core temperature of 80 °C. Cooking methods were evaluated based on cooking operation requirements, sensory profiles, Warner–Bratzler (WB) shear and cooking loss. Our results show that the average cooking time for the combi oven was 17 min compared with 31 min for the commercial oven method and 16 min for the hot water method. The combi oven did not result in a significant difference in the WB shear force values, although the cooking loss of the combi oven samples was significantly lower than the commercial oven and hot water samples. Sensory profiles of the combi oven samples did not significantly differ from those of the commercial oven and hot water samples. These results demonstrate that combi oven cooking did not significantly affect sensory profiles and WB shear force measurements of chicken breast muscle compared to the other 2 cooking methods. The combi oven method appears to be an acceptable alternative for preparing chicken breast fillets in a quality assessment.     

宰后成熟时间对不同年龄牦牛肉用品质的影响

研究宰后成熟时间对不同年龄牦牛肉用品质（pH值、肉色、肌红蛋白含量、剪切力、失水率、蒸煮损失率）的影响,并分析成熟时间、年龄与肉用品质之间的相关性。结果表明：宰后成熟过程中,不同年龄牦牛肉L*值和b*值随着成熟时间的延长先上升后下降,而a*值先下降后上升;肌红蛋白含量随着成熟时间的延长而降低;pH值在成熟的前3 d发生了显著的变化（P＜0.05）,成熟过程中不同年龄牦牛肉pH值没有显著差异（P＞0.05）;失水率和蒸煮损失率在宰后成熟的第3天时达到最大;成熟3 d后,剪切力值显著降低（P＜0.05）;年龄与牦牛肉用品质指标均呈正相关,而成熟时间与L*值、b*值、失水率、蒸煮损失率呈较强的正相关,与剪切力、肌红蛋白含量呈显著负相关（P＜0.05）;牦牛宰后经过7 d的成熟,可以降低因屠宰年龄不同而产生的差异,同时也可以改善肉的嫩度。     

Kiwifruit protease extract injection reduces toughness of pork loin muscle induced by freeze–thaw abuse

Kiwifruit juice injection was used to tenderize freeze–thaw abused porcine meat, and the enzyme activity in relation to meat tenderness was determined. Whole pork loins (Longissimus lumborum) were subjected to 5 freeze–thaw cycles (–29 °C ↔ 4 °C). Non-frozen control and freeze–thaw treated loins were either non-injected or injected with 10% water or diluted kiwifruit juice (meat weight basis). After 48 h of incubation, samples were analyzed for pH, proteolysis, cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force. Shear force of meat increased 2-fold (P < 0.05) after 1 freeze–thaw cycle but decreased when loins were subjected to additional freeze–thaw treatments. The kiwifruit juice injection lowered the pH of meat from 5.6 to 5.2 and increased the cooking loss from 21% to 30% (P < 0.05). However, as indicated by the shear force reduction, tenderness of meat improved more than 2-fold (P < 0.05) after kiwifruit juice injection, in agreement with the SDS–PAGE patterns that showed substantial degradation of myosin in samples treated with kiwifruit juice. The actinidin assay confirmed the existence of significant proteolytic activity in kiwifruit juice extract and in injected loin samples, i.e., 4.65 units/mL and 1.27 units/g, respectively.     

Changes in broiler breast fillet tenderness, water-holding capacity, and color attributes during long-term frozen storage

ABSTRACT:  Freezing is the most common and efficient way to maintain the quality of poultry products for long periods of time. However, tougher texture, discoloration, and drying have been reported as a result of long-term frozen storage. The impact of freezing on the tenderness, water-holding capacity, and color of broiler breast fillets was investigated for up to 8 mo. A total of 160 birds were deboned at either 2 or 6 h postmortem (PM). All deboned left fillets were frozen and stored at –18 °C for up to 8 mo, while the corresponding right fillets were assessed for texture approximately 24 h after deboning as a control measurement without any freezing treatment. Tenderness was measured by the Meullenet–Owens razor shear. Thaw loss, cooking loss, moisture content, color, and muscle shape profiles were also evaluated. No difference in tenderness was observed during the first 2 mo compared to the control (0 mo), but significantly decreased between 2 and 4 mo. The 8-mo-old fillets were the least tender, with a 31.5% increase in shear energy between 4 and 8 mo. Moisture content of cooked meat gradually decreased, showing a significant drop between 2 and 6 mo of storage, while thaw and cooking loss consistently increased over the entire storage period. The color of the frozen fillets tended to be darker, redder, and less yellow than the control, with increased storage duration. The results suggest that for optimal tenderness, frozen broiler breast fillets are best consumed within 2 mo of freezing.     

Effect of calcium chloride marination on calpain and quality characteristics of meat from chicken, horse, cattle and rabbit

Differences in the quality of meat obtained from four animal species (beef, horse, rabbit and chicken) treated with two concentrations of calcium chloride (75 or 150 mM) were evaluated by a sensory panel. Physicochemical variables analysed were water holding capacity, instrumental colour and pH. Sensory analysis was by recognition index (R-index) by untrained and trained panels. CaCl(2) led to an increase in enzymatic activity, although it was not significantly different in treated compared to untreated samples. Lightness was higher (paler) in treated meat for all species studied. R-index showed that treatment of raw beef with 75mM CaCl(2) had negligible effect on odour compared to fresh, untreated beef. More juicy meat resulted from marination. Treatments with 150 mM CaCl(2) caused a more tender meat. The best combinations of cooking method and CaCl(2) concentration to obtain the most acceptable meat varied from attribute to attribute. The best odour was obtained when beef was treated with 150 mM CaCl(2) and cooked in a convection oven, whereas juiciness was improved if beef was treated with 150 mM CaCl(2) and cooked in a microwave oven. The highest scores for tenderness were for 75 mM CaCl(2)-treated samples regardless of cooking method. Flavour profile showed that the most marked feature in marinated beef is the predominance of a bitter flavour and after taste, which probably masks other flavour attributes. It is concluded that, in accordance with other authors, marination has no adverse effects on beef odour and improves texture, producing more tender material. However, marination at the CaCl(2) levels tested caused a bitter after taste and flavour.     

Palatability of beef steaks marinated with solutions of calcium chloride, phosphate, and (or) beef-flavoring

This study evaluated the efficacy of marination for increasing consumer acceptability of beef. Top-sirloin steaks from 28 USDA select steers were randomly assigned to one of six marination treatments: control (CT), 150 mM calcium chloride (CA), 10% solution of beef-flavoring/seasoning mixture (FL), CA and FL (CF), 2.5% sodium phosphate and FL (PF), and tap water (TW). Steaks were marinated in vacuum pouches, aged for 7 days, cooked to 70°C and evaluated by a trained sensory panel. Marination with CA did not affect tenderness ratings, but increased (P<0.05) bitter and metallic flavors compared to CT or TW treatments. Use of FL, alone or in conjunction with CA or sodium phosphate, increased (P<0.05) tenderness and juiciness ratings and reduced (P<0.05) bitterness and metallic flavors compared to CT, CA and TW marinades. Marination of beef, in vacuum pouches, is an effective method for increasing consumer acceptability and value beef.     

Dielectric Properties and Thermal Conductivity of Marinated Shrimp and Channel Catfish

Peeled shrimp (Peneaus spp.) and channel catfish (Ictalutus punctatus) fillets were either mixed with commercial lemon pepper marinade and vacuum tumbled at 4°C for 30 min or soaked in 2% tripolyphosphate solution overnight. Dielectric constant and loss factor of marinated seafood and the penetration depth of microwaves were functions of temperature. When cooking temperature increased, the dielectric constant increased, while the loss factor and depth of penetration decreased. Because of the large variation in thermal conductivity measured for individual shrimp, no correlation between thermal conductivity and temperature was found. At constant temperature, thermal conductivity of 2% sodium tripolyphosphate-treated shrimp was higher than that of both marinated and nonmarinated shrimp as a result of higher moisture content. However, no difference in thermal conductivity was found between marinated and nonmarinated shrimp or catfish.