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Title: EFFECT OF VACUUM ON MOISTURE ABSORPTION AND RETENTION BY MARINATED BROILER FILLETS

Author
item Young, Louis
item Smith, Douglas

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/16/2003
Publication Date: 8/20/2003
Citation: Young, L.L., Smith, D.P. 2004. Effect of vacuum on moisture absorption and retention by marinated broiler fillets. Poultry Science. 83:129-131.

Interpretive Summary: Poultry meat marketers often pre-soak their meat in solutions to improve texture, flavor and yield, a process known as marination; however, optimum conditions for marination are not well known. Tests were conducted to see if marination of chicken breast meat under vacuum produces better quality and yields that similar meat marinated without vacuum. Results of this study indicate that vacuum increases absorption of the marinating solution, but the added marinade is lost prior to or during cooking. Under the conditions of this study, vacuum appears to offer no real advantage over marination without vacuum.

Technical Abstract: Effects of vacuum on moisture retention and quality characteristics of aged chicken breast fillets were evaluated. One hundred-twenty-eight broilers (2 replicates of 64 birds each) were manually slaughtered, ice-water chilled, placed in unsealed plastic bags and then aged over night at 4°. Both Pectoralis major muscle were harvested from each carcass. Left muscles were marinated for 30 min en vacuo with 20% (vol/wt) of a 10% (wt/vol) NaCl solution containing 4% (wt/vol) of a commercial food-grade polyphosphate. Right fillets were marinated similarly but without vacuum. Moisture absorption, cooked yield, pH change during marination and shear values of vacuum-marinated fillets were compared to those on fillets marinated without vacuum. Use of vacuum during marination increased moisture absorption during marination, but after cooking, yields were similar. Nor did vacuum effect pH or shear values. Under the conditions of this study, use of vacuum during marination appears to offer no significant advantage over marination at atmospheric pressure. (Key Words: marinate, poultry, meat, chicken)