The present invention relates to a process for preparation of dehydrated chicken meat mix. The invention in particular relates to shelf-stable and communicated layer chicken kabab.
Muscle foods are highly perishable. Dehydration of meat or meat products extends shelf life of the product. Sensory quality of meat or meat product is adversely affected by dehydration to moisture level less than 10 %. Palatability characteristics of dehydrated meat product can be improved by incorporation of certain ingredients in the formulation and by appropriate process parameters. Different ingredients and process conditions have been tried to improve palatabiiity characteristics of dehydrated meat and meat products.
Reference may be made to Bello and Sierra 1984 (Archivas-Latinoamericanos- de-Nutricion 34 (3), 500-512) wherein mechanically deboned fish meat was either directly dried or mixed with 1.5 or 20 % NaCI, 5 % cassava flour, 10 % cassava starch, 5 % maize starch and then dried. 1.5 % NaCI acted as a preservative and did not affect dehydration whereas 20 % NaCI impared dehydration. Addition of starch materials improved binding, color and appearance of products. Rehydration was not satisfactory and texture of the product was hard and dry. The drawback an use of several starches producing dark and hard products with unsatisfactory rehydration.
Reference may be a made to Wadud et al 1986 (Pakistan J Scientific and Industrial Res. 29 (3), 222-226) wherein Tempeh kababs were prepared using Tempeh, a fermented product, which was boiled or fried to destroy trypsin inhibitor. The drawbacks are need for fermentation, strict adherence to fermentation conditions and need for destruction of trypsin inhibitor.
Reference may be made to Nakao et al 1994 (J Japanese Soc Food Sci Technol 41 (2), 141-147) wherein tofu, a mixture of spicy minced meat and soybean curd, suitable for freezing was prepared by inclusion of 1.2 % curdlan and 3 % waxy cornstarch. The resulting tofu had a smooth and soft texture after reconstitution with hot water. The drawback is the use of expensive bacterial polysaccharide (curdlan) and expensive waxy cornstarch (generally modified).
Reference may be made to Destura and Haard 1999 (J Aquatic Food Products Technol 8 (2), 77-94) wherein an intermediate moisture fish patty was formulated from rockfish {Sebastes sp.) Mince (85.7 %), Sorbital (6 %), soy protein isolate (2 %), tapioca starch (2 %), chicken bouillon (1.3%), refined salt (2.5 %) and dried seasoning (0.5 %). Sorbital improved texture and rehydration and seasoning flavor, and stability of the product. The drawback is the use of large number of additives and their high costs.
Reference may be made to patent nr GB 1076923-1967 by Raymond and Palmer (Preserving foodstuffs by drying), wherein, a dehydrated meat product was prepared from meat containing starch that has been subjected to retrogradation. Retrogradation of starch was done by heating the mixture of meat and starch to above 70 °C and cooling to a temperature at which the water in the meat freezes. The drawbacks are additional step of retrogrdation of starch, freezing etc.
Reference may be made to patent nr US 4384009 -1983 by Victor and David (Method of manufacturing dehydrated meat product), wherein edible dehydrated meat product of water activity is 0.7 and 0.85 was made by using 10 -60 % vegetable materials, salt, dextrose or sucrose or fructose, hydrated plant proteins. Vegetable materials helped to form a stiff cohesive mixture and salt, sugars and /or hydrated plant proteins reduced the water activity of the final product. Thereafter the mixture was formed in to a sheet or an extrusion and dried to produce an intermediate moisture product that is bacteriology stable at a moisture content of 15 - 45 %. The drawbacks are use of expensive ingredients and need for machineries for sheeting and / or extrusion.
Reference may be made to patent nr WO 99/63833A1 -1999 (Methods of reconstituting meat) wherein, meat trims were frozen, defrosted, centrifuged and refrozen using a cooled brine (below -30°C) containing 0.005 % cruciferous oil (eg. Rapeseed oil). The drawbacks are various steps of processing and need for cooling brine-containing oil at a very low temperature below - 30°C.
However, no information available in literature on shelf-stable meat kabab mix prepared by using natural ingredients and its quality characteristics.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a process for preparation of dehydrated chicken meat mix, which obviates the drawbacks as detailed above.Another object of the present invention is to eliminate / minimize undesirable 'dehydrated meat' smell of the kabab product.
Yet another object of the present invention is to minimize the time of drudgeries of preparation of meat product at home.
Still another object of the present invention is to facilitate the use of layer chicken meat, which is very tough, and improve the economy of layer poultry farms.
Still another object of the present invention is to produce a shelf-stable meat product, which help facilitate in marketing.
Accordingly the present invention relates to a process for preparation of dehydrated chicken mix, which comprises:
a. cutting of dressed layer chicken carcasses along with skin in four parts,
b. cooking the parts under steam pressure of 1 -2 kg/cm for a period of 30-60
min.,
c. deboning the cooked meat and mincing the deboned meat
d. characterized in that adding spice mix consisting of 16-17 % (w/w) each of
garlic, pepper and green chilli powder, 12-13.5 % onion powder, 6-7 %
cumin powder, 0.5-1 % citric acid, 2.5-3.5 % dry coriander powder, 24 %
common salt and,
e. drying the spiced meat mix at 50 - 60°C for 2-3 hours to obtain dry
granular meat mix.
In an embodiment of the process the physico-chemical properties of the dehydrated chicken mix is as follows
(Table Removed)
In an another embodiment of the process the colour and microbiological proerties of the dehydrated chicken mix is as follows:

(Table Removed)
In an another embodiment of the process the the product texture quality is as follows.

(Table Removed)
The optimised ingredient composition is given in the formulations and the processing steps are presented in the flow chart.
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Attempts made for pre-treatment of meat chunks prior to dehydration include treatment with common salt, phosphate, CaCI2, sugars (dextrose, glucose, fructose, sucrose etc) as humectants, soya flour, cassava starch, maize starch, hydrolyzed plant proteins, protein isolates, dietary acids etc in order to over come undesirable palatability characteristics of dehydrated meats. Use of large number of expensive ingredients will add to the cost of the final product. Pre-treatment of meat mince with commonly used culinary ingredients and dehydration of the product in cross flow air dryer at temperatures below 60°C, which is easily feasible in the present meat industry, help produce a product with acceptable sensory quality
The novelties of the present invention are:
1. Use of three binders in specific proportion in the mix for achieving acceptable flavor, juiciness and texture of the ready-to-eat-kabab.
2. Mixing of cooked meat mince and other ingredients before dehydration resulting in to proper coating of binders and ingredients on to the meat particles thus enhancing the binding property in the product.
The following examples are given by way of illustration of the present invention and should not be construed to limit the scope of the present invention.
Example 1
Fifteen layer chicken carcasses procured from local market were brought to the laboratory, carcasses cut in to 4 parts (2 breast and 2 leg portions from each carcass), placed in a vessel in pressure cooker, subjected to cooking at a steam pressure of 2 kg/ cm2 for 30 min, allowed to cool, carcasses were deboned manually and the meat cut in to 1-2 inch size cuts. The meat chunks were then minced in meat mincer using 18 mm pore size die. Along side the 1000g spice mix formulation was prepared by mixing 170 g garlic powder, 135 g onion powder, 170 g pepper powder, 70 g cumin powder, 170 g green chilli powder and 240 g
common salt. Cooked meat mince (6.5 kg) was then mixed with 295 g starch, 620 g refined wheat flour (maida), 130 g milk powder and 650 g spice mix to obtain chicken kabab mix (8.2 kg). The mix was spread on stainless trays and subjected to drying in a cross flow air drier at 60°C for 3 hours. The cooled and dried kabab mix was packed in metalised polyethylene bags.
The pH of the dehydrated kabab mix was measured by immersing combined glass-calomel electrode directly in to the paste of 10 g kabab mix and 20 ml distilled water. The kabab mix was filled in the cup of pawkit water activity meter and aw measured directly. Similarly, the kabab mix was filled in a cup of Hunter color measuring system and L (lightness), a (redness), and b (yellowness) values were recorded. Moisture, fat, protein, ash and salt contents in kabab mix were determined by following AOAC (1999) procedures. For determination of free fatty acids (FFA), the fat in the kabab mix was extended in CHCI3, the CHCI3 extract washed with distilled water to remove non-fatty acids and FFA estimated in washed CHCI3 extract as per AOAC (1999) procedure. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of kabab mix were measured by aqueous extraction procedure of Pikul et al (J Agri Food Chem 37, 1309-1313,1989).
Microbiological quality of kabab mix was assessed by enumerating standard plate counts, sopore counts. Staphylococci, conforms and yeasts and moulds using standard procedures of APHA (2001).
Preparation of ready-to-eat chicken kabab and evaluation of product quality. 100g dehydrated chicken kabab mix was taken in a stainless vessel to which was added 120 ml hot (90°C) water and kept aside for 20 min while mixing periodically to get dough. The dough was shaped by placing in a petridish to obtain 40 mm dia and 13 mm height discs. The discs were then deep fat fried in refined sunflower oil at 130- 150°C. % weight loss and % shrinkage in diameter of disc on frying were determined. The fried discs were cut in to 8 mm thick samples and instrumental texture qualities, viz, firmness, cohesiveness and springiness were measured using Winston texture measuring system under the operating condition of 100 kg load cell, and 50-mm/min plunger speed. The sensory quality
attribute of fried products was evaluated by 8 in-house trained panelists using 9-point hedonic scale, viz., 1=dislike extremely, 2=dislike very much, 3=dislike moderately, 4=dislike slightly, 5= neither dislike nor like, 6= like slightly, 7=like moderately, 8=like very much and 9= like extremely. The mean score for each attribute is reported.
The results presented in Table 1 indicate that the dehydrated kabab mix had pH of 5.8, aw of 0.73, 4.5 % moisture, 7.2 % fat, 49.9 % protein, 6.2 % ash and 3.6 mg malonaldehyde / kg sample (TBA value). The Hunter color values had L of 54.1, a of 0.11 and b of 19.2. The product had low microbial counts (log cfu/g), viz., SPC of 4.8, spores count of 4.0, staphylococci of 1.9 and yeasts and mould count of 1.7. Coliform could not be detected. Loss in weight on frying was 10.9 %, and shrinkage on frying was 8.4 % (Table 1b). Instrumental firmness of fried sample was 153.2 Newtons, cohesiveness 0.202 and springiness 3.8 mm. The product was sensorily acceptable as indicated by scores between 7.5 - 8.0 for all quality attributes.
Example 2
Following the procedures as detailed in example 1 dehydrated chicken kabab mix as well as ready-to-eat chicken kabab were prepared and quality evaluated. The quality characteristics are presented in Table 2a and 2b. The kabab mix had low moisture content, low aw, and low microbial counts. The chicken kabab prepared was sensorily acceptable and other physical and texture quality of the product was similar to those observed in example 1.
Example 3
Dehydrated kabab mix and ready-to-eat chicken kabab were prepared and there quality assessed as outlined in examplel. The quality aspects both products were similar (Table 3a and 3b) to those observed in previous examples.
Example 4
Preparation of dehydrated kabab mix and ready-to-eat chicken kabab and evaluation of their quality aspects were done as detailed in example 1. Quality parameters of both products were similar (Table 4a and 4b) to those observed in previous examples.
The dehydrated kabab mix had low moisture content (4.5 - 5.7 %, low aw (0.72-0.74), low FFA (0.77 - 1.90 % as oleic) values and low microbial counts indicating better shelf-stability of the mix at ambient temperature when packed in metalished polyethylene bags. The slightly, higher TBA (2.6 -3.6 mg malonaldehyde / kg) values could be due to TBA - reacting substances in spices and other ingredients. Sensory scores in the range of 7.4 - 8.1 for all quality attributes clearly indicate that chicken kabab product in quite acceptable.
Table 1a. Quality characteristics of dehydrated chicken kabab mix

Table 1b. Frying yield, texture and sensory quality of ready - to - eat chicken kabab

(Table Removed)
Table 2a. Quality characteristics of dehydrated chicken kabab mix

(Table Removed)
Table 2b. Frying yield, texture and sensory quality of ready - to - eat chicken kabab

(Table Removed)
Table 3a. Quality characteristics of dehydrated chicken kabab mix

(Table Removed)
Table 3b. Frying yield, texture and sensory quality of ready - to - eat chicken kabab

(Table Removed)
Table 4a. Quality characteristics of dehydrated chicken kabab mix

(Table Removed)
Table 4b. Frying yield, texture and sensory quality of ready - to - eat chicken kabab

(Table Removed)
The main advantages of the present invention are:
Dehydrated kabab mix is a convenience type of product for the preparation of ready-to-serve chicken kabab product.
Dehydrated kabab mix has low water, aw and FFA values.
Standard plate counts; spores, staphylococci, yeasts and moulds are within acceptable limits. Conforms were absent indicating that the product is microbiologically safe.
Chicken kabab prepared from dehydrated mix is sensorily quite acceptable.

We claim:
1. A process for preparation of dehydrated chicken mix, which comprises:
a. cutting of dressed layer chicken carcasses along with skin in four parts,
b. cooking the parts under steam pressure of 1 -2 kg/cm2 for a period of 30-60 min.,
c. deboning the cooked meat and mincing the deboned meat
d. characterized in that preparing spice mix consisting of 16-17 % (w/w) each of
garlic, pepper and green chilli powder, 12-13.5 % onion powder, 6-7 % cumin
powder, 0.5-1 % citric acid, 2.5-3.5 % dry coriander powder, 24 % common salt,
e. mixing deboned meat as obtained in step c), and spice mix in step d) with starch
4-5 %, refined wheat flour 9-10%, milk powder 1-2 % to obtain chicken kabab
mix,
f. drying the said chicken kabab mix at 50 - 60°C for 2-3 hours to obtain dry
granular meat mix.
1. A process for preparation of dehydrated chicken meat mix, substantially as herein described with reference to the example accompanying this specification.