Abstract
Curing is a technological process that improves the tenderness, water retention, and overall quality of canned food. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different exogenous additives, specifically sodium tripolyphosphate and lysine, on the quality of chicken breast meat in canned assorted vegetables and diced chicken using different curing methods: static curing, ultrasonic curing, vacuum tumbling curing, and ultrasonic combined with vacuum tumbling curing. The texture, moisture mobility and distribution, microstructure, and sensory acceptability of the chicken meat were evaluated. The results showed that lysine demonstrates better water retention than sodium tripolyphosphate, combining ultrasonic and vacuum tumbling treatments with 0.2% Lys (SL-UVT) significantly enhanced the texture characteristics and reduced the cooking loss of chicken breast meat. Additionally, SL-UVT treatment improved the texture, appearance, flavor, and overall acceptability scores. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that SL-UVT treatment affected water distribution and flowability, increasing the retention of less mobile water in chicken breasts. In addition, the gap between myogenic fibers increased after SL-UVT treatment, trapping more water. In conclusion, SL-UVT treatment significantly improved the tenderness and water-holding capacity of the chicken breast from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. This study provided a theoretical foundation for refining and optimizing canned meat processing techniques.