Abstract:In order to improve the edible quality of crispy meat, this study investigated the effects of different temperature and time during frying on the moisture content, rate of mass loss, thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) value, color, texture, and sensory evaluation scores of crispy meat using chicken breasts as raw material, and evaluated the correlation between the frying conditions and the quality of crispy meat. The Box-Behnken response surface method was used to optimize the temperature and time during frying of the crispy meat. The response factors were different temperature and time for primary and secondary frying processes, and the response value was sensory evaluation scores. The results indicated that frying temperature and time showed strong correlation with rate of mass loss, TBARS value, a* value, hardness and chewiness. The optimal frying process conditions of crispy meat were: primary frying temperature was 149 ℃, primary frying time was 40 s, secondary frying temperature was 178 ℃, and secondary frying time was 107 s. The sensory evaluation score of crispy meat produced by this process was 95.50, with an error of 0.54% compared with the predicted value, which demonstrated that the response surface regression model was reliable. Comparing the sale of the three products, the crispy meat had unique flavor and crispy texture; the rate of mass loss was 59.37% for crispy meat at the condition of edible quality and the hardness was 26.29 N, which was at a moderate level. The TBARS value was 0.41 mg MDA/kg, which was reduced by 6.15%, 3.29% and 2.60% compared with that of the other varieties. The results indicated that crispy meat under optimal frying condition improved palatability and safety. This study provided some theoretical basis for the processing of crispy meat products in industrialized production.
