XIJUAN GUO^{1, 2}, MINGDUO YANG^{1, 3, 4}*, PING MA²
*Corresponding author
1. College of food Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce, NO.1, Xuehai Road, 150076, Harbin City, China
2. College of Food Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No.2, Xinyang Road, 163319, Daqing City, China
3. Postdoctoral Program of Traditional Chinese Fast Food Research and Development Center, Harbin University of Commerce, NO.1, Xuehai Road, 150076, Harbin City, China
4. Key Laboratory of Food Science and Engineering of Colleges and Universities in Heilongjiang, NO.1, Xuehai Road, 150076, Harbin City, China

Abstract

Oil sorption from batter to pork slice may lead to protein oxidation, resulting in taste deterioration which hampers industrialization of battered and fried pork slices (BAF). This study was aimed overcoming these problems. Moisture loss and oil sorption were determined at temperatures of 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40°C after preparation of BAF. Modeling of kinetics of mass transfer was established based on standard procedures. Texture profile analysis, shear force measurement and color measurement were also carried out. The results obtained showed that in terms of cost and convenience, short term storage of BAF for less than 6 h at 20°C can maintain the tenderness and taste of BAF while extending its shelf life.

INTRODUCTION

Battered and fried pork slices (BAF) are a famous traditional dish in many parts of the world. It has a delicious taste, especially immediately after cooking. In recent years, processing technology, preservation and storage of traditional foods have gained universal acceptance (1, 2). Unfortunately, textural properties of BAF, such as brittleness and tenderness, decline within hours at room temperature. Moreover, moisture losses from pork slices to batter make it lose its brittleness. Oil sorption from batter to pork slice may lead to protein oxidation and deterioration in the taste of BAF. These undesirable changes militate against the industrialization of BAF.

Tenderness is an important factor related of meat quality. Some researchers have reported that tenderness of cooked meat is affected by processing methods (3). It is well known that overcooking may cause toughness in meat (4, 5). Castaneda reported that poultry breast meat could be more easily overcooked rather than beef due to its lower contents of connective tissue and fat (6) . Frying is widely applied in food processing. However, studies on frying of meat are not as many ...