Effect of kiwifruit juice and tumbling on tenderness and lipid oxidation in chicken nuggets

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to study the effect of kiwifruit juice and tumbling in improving tenderness and to access antioxidant potential of kiwifruit juice. Design/methodology/approach Three treatment groups were made: Spent hen meat was subjected to still marination (SM) and tumbling marination (TM). This meat was used for preparation of whole muscle chicken nuggets and compared with control (without marination) nuggets (Con). These treatments were subjected to analysis of physicochemical characteristics, textural quality, lipid oxidation and sensory quality. Findings SM and TM exhibited higher moisture content and lower protein and fat content than Control SM and TM showed significant (p = 0.132) reduction in firmness from 5.1 to 2.3 and 1.2 Kg/cm2, respectively, and toughness from 14.1 to 6.2 and 3.3 Kg-sec/cm2, respectively, as observed by Warner-Bratzler shear and improvement in texture profile values. Sensory scores for texture, juiciness and overall acceptability were also better for SM and TM. Significant (p = 0.007) reduction was observed in lipid oxidation parameters of SM and TM. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values (on 0 day) for SM and TM were 0.18 and 0.15 as compared to 0.28 mg/kg of malonaldehyde for control. Peroxide values (PV) were also lower for SM and TM as 0.44 and 0.33, which were lesser than control (0.62 meq. peroxide/kg). The values for PV, TBA and free fatty acid increased with increase in storage period in all treatment groups. However, the antioxidant activity of kiwifruit juice persisted during whole storage period evidenced by lower values of lipid oxidation parameters for SM and TM than Control at each storage interval. Research limitations/implications Further research may be carried out to compare the tenderizing potential of kiwifruit juice with other plant proteases and physical tenderizing techniques. Spent hen meat utilization can be done with greater efficiency by using such techniques in meat caterings. Practical implications Spent hen meat utilization can done with greater efficiency by using such techniques in meat caterings. Originality/value Marination with kiwifruit juice improved the quality characteristics of chicken nuggets made from spent hen meat without altering its sensory quality. Tumbling was found to be beneficial in enhancing the tenderizing effect. Therefore, marination with kiwifruit juice can be used as a processing technology to use spent hen meat in preparing value added products.