Development of Natural Liquid and Powdered Meat Tenderizer Based on Papaya Peel, Ginger and Garlic

Recently, the application of exogenous enzymes for meat tenderization has turned the attention of food technologists and meat scientists. This research investigates the synergistic impact of natural tenderizers derived from the combination of papaya peels (P), ginger (G), and garlic (Ga) on the sensory attributes of goat meat such as color, aroma, taste, tenderness and overall acceptability. The tenderizers were formulated in different concentration ratios of 3:2:1 in both liquid and powdered form. The sensory quality parameters for all tenderized goat meat samples under observation including the control, were evaluated by 60 semi-trained panelists using a five-point hedonic scale. The effect of tenderizers was compared to the control which was devoid of tenderizing ingredients. Tenderness was greatly improved (p<0.05) by tenderizer P:G:Ga (3:2:1) in both liquid and powder forms at 45- and 90- minutes of tenderization. Alternatively, liquid and powdered Ga:G:P (3:2:1) were highly significantly rated (p<0.05) in taste compared to all other tenderizer formulations for 45- and 90-minute tenderization. From the samples tested, the control sample in both setups was the least rated in all sensory attributes, except for color in powdered tenderization. Generally, liquid and powdered P:G:Ga (3:2:1) and Ga:P:G (3:2:1) tenderizers received significantly higher (p<0.05) overall acceptability scores than G:G:aP (3:2:1) and the control sample. While liquid tenderizers mostly performed better compared to powdered tenderizers for all sample combinations, there was a significant improvement (p<0.05) in tenderness when both liquid and powdered tenderizers were used for 90 minutes compared to 45-minute marination. This suggests that, the longer the tenderization time, the greater the effect on tenderness. These findings underscore the importance of natural tenderizers in enhancing consumer satisfaction with meat products.