Quality characteristics of ground poultry meat obtained using advanced trimming and mincing technology

A study was conducted in order to characterize quality properties of ground poultry meat processed by advanced trimming and mincing technology (Baader) when compared with that obtained by manual trimming and conventional mincer (MTCM). Batches of turkey drumstick, turkey wing and broiler thigh meat (boneless and skin-on) were either manual trimmed of skin and, only in case of turkey drumstick of tendons, and ground using conventional mincer or processed using Baader machine (mod. 601). Ten samples for group and type of technology were used to assess chemical composition (moisture, protein, lipid and collagen) and technological properties (pH, colour, drip loss, thaw loss, cook loss, protein functionality, susceptibility to lipid oxidation and texture). Baader technology allowed to significantly reduce collagen/protein ratio (8.5 vs. 11.1; P<0.01), while higher lipid content (7.2 vs. 4.9%; P<0.01) was observed when compared with MTCM. Overall technological properties were not modified when using Baader technology. In conclusion, this study evidenced that Baader technology can be profitably used to trim and mince different kind of poultry meat by automatically removing parts rich of connective tissue and this enable to obtain of minced meat having functional properties suitable for storage and further processing.