Abstract：To investigate the effect of superchilled storage on the quality of soy sauce-braised chicken, changes in the total bacteria count, pH, water-holding capacity, textural properties, muscle microstructure, color and sensory properties were analyzed under three different storage conditions, namely chilled storage (4 ℃), superchilled storage (–3.5 ℃), and frozen storage (–18 ℃). The results showed that compared with chilled group, superchilled treatment significantly inhibited microbial growth during the storage period, extended the shelf-life from 5 to 15 d while delaying the deterioration of the sensory quality of the product and slowing down lipid oxidation; after 10 d of superchilled storage, the area proportion of the space between muscle fibers increased up to 36.26% under conditions, lower than that after 10 d of frozen storage. In addition, the water-holding capacity was significantly increased (P < 0.05) and the decline in hardness and chewiness were mitigated effectively. However, the uncontrolled recrystallisation of ice crystals during long-term storage may lead to rapid deterioration of the quality of superchilled products. Overall, superchilled treatment was an effective strategy to maintain the quality of soy sauce-braised chicken during 10 d of storage.
2026, Vol. 40 
