1. College of Food Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China;
2. National Center of Meat Quality and Safety Control, Nanjing 210095, China
Abstract:This paper reports the effects of different cooling methods and coating types on the quality of chicken. Three
different cooling methods including normal cooling, two-stage cooling and vacuum cooling were applied on fresh chicken
breast meat coated respectively with sodium alginate and chitosan. Then the chilled meat was measured for color, shear
force and other indicators. The results showed that the sensory quality of coated chicken was significantly improved after
cooling treatment. Chicken shear force was minimized by using two-stage cooling, and tenderness was improved by coating
treatment. Cooling loss rate, juice loss rate and cooking loss rate of coated chicken were significantly reduced by subsequent
cooling. Cooling and coating treatment had no significant influence on chicken pH (P > 0.05). Therefore, coating treatment
can effectively prevent the problems caused by cooling process such as weight loss, bleak color, pH decline and others, and
improve the quality of chicken meat. Two-stage cooling was the best cooling method.