Influence of additives on moisture variation and edible quality of minced chicken breast subjected to combined radio frequency and water bath treatments

In addition to heat treatment, the types and quantities of additives also affect the quality of minced meat evaluated by its moisture content and migration dynamics. After combined radio frequency (RF) and water bath (WB) heating, about 10 mm of exuded water accumulated on the upper surface of the minced chicken breast (MCB) due to 2.0 % sodium chloride added, resulting in a cooking loss rate exceeding 15 %, and its gel properties did not meet consumers' quality requirements. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of different types and quantities of additives on the moisture variation and edible quality of low - salt (0.5 % NaCl) MCB after combined RF and WB heating. The results showed that with the addition of appropriate amounts of yeast extract and corn starch, the water-holding capacity (WHC) of MCB were improved, and the cooking loss rates of the samples met consumer demands. Under the conditions of 0.5 % NaCl+1.0 % yeast extract and 0.5 % NaCl+4.0 % corn starch, the WHC of the samples were not significantly different from those of the 2.0 % NaCl group (P > 0.05). Also, these treatments addressed the issues of darkened surface brightness and raised hardness in high-salt (2.0 % NaCl) samples due to prolonged heating. This study demonstrated that the utilization of 0.5 % NaCl+1.0 % yeast extract or 0.5 % NaCl+4.0 % corn starch not only reduced the quantity of salt employed but also maintained the quality of MCB. This provides a theoretical basis for the wider application of combined RF and WB heating in chicken meat products.