Tenderization processing technology of chicken breast

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of food processing, in particular to a tenderizing processing technology of chicken breast, which comprises the following steps: selecting fresh chicken breast, removing surface fascia, fat and impurities, washing, absorbing moisture, and cutting into blocks for later use; performing plasma treatment on the cut chicken breast meat to form pores in the surface of the chicken breast meat and loosen the muscle fiber structure of the chicken breast meat; putting the chicken breast subjected to plasma treatment into a mixed solution containing arginine and cysteine for soaking treatment; taking out the soaked chicken breast from the mixed solution, and further treating the chicken breast under the combined action of ultrasonic waves and microwaves; putting the chicken breast subjected to ultrasonic and microwave treatment into a compound enzyme solution for enzymolysis treatment, and after enzymolysis is finished, inoculating a mixed bacteria solution into an enzymatic hydrolysate to ferment the chicken breast; performing vacuum packaging on the fermented chicken breast; the tenderness of chicken breast is remarkably improved, the taste is improved, and nutritional ingredients and flavor are reserved to the maximum extent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of food processing, and particularly relates to a tenderizing processing technology for chicken breast meat. Background Art

[0002] Chicken breast meat is highly favored by consumers for its high protein and low fat characteristics. However, the problems of its firm texture and tough taste have always restricted the eating experience of consumers. Traditional tenderizing methods, whether physical means or the use of chemical additives, have many drawbacks. Physical methods such as mechanical beating and cutting are not only inefficient but also easily cause damage to the tissue structure of chicken breast meat, resulting in loss of meat juice, damage to nutrients, and uneven tenderizing effects. Chemical tenderizers, such as phosphates, can improve tenderness to a certain extent, but long-term consumption may have adverse effects on human health and also affect the natural flavor and quality of chicken breast meat. With the continuous increase in people's attention to food quality and safety, it is urgent to develop an innovative, efficient, safe and precisely adaptable tenderizing processing technology for different chicken breast meat characteristics. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to provide an innovative tenderizing processing technology for chicken breast meat to solve the deficiencies of existing tenderizing methods. By coordinating multiple technologies and precisely controlling process parameters, the tenderness of chicken breast meat is significantly improved, the taste is enhanced, the nutrients and flavor are retained to the greatest extent, the processing process is ensured to be safe and healthy, the needs of consumers for high-quality chicken breast meat are met, and the competitiveness of products in the market is enhanced.

[0004] To achieve the object of the present invention, the following technical solutions are adopted:

[0005] A tenderizing processing technology for chicken breast meat, comprising the following steps:

[0006] Select fresh chicken breast meat, remove the surface fascia, fat and impurities, wash and dry it, and then cut it into pieces for standby;

[0007] Perform plasma treatment on the cut chicken breast meat to form pores on the surface of the chicken breast meat and relax the muscle fiber structure of the chicken breast meat;

[0008] Put the chicken breast meat treated by plasma into a mixed solution containing arginine and cysteine for soaking treatment;

[0009] Take out the soaked chicken breast meat from the mixed solution and further treat the chicken breast meat by the combined action of ultrasonic waves and microwaves;

[0010] Put the chicken breast meat treated by ultrasonic waves and microwaves into a composite enzyme solution for enzymatic hydrolysis treatment. After the enzymatic hydrolysis is completed, add a mixed bacterial solution to the enzymatic hydrolysate to ferment the chicken breast meat;

[0011] The vacuum-packaging is carried out on the fermented chicken breast.

[0012] A further improvement lies in that the specific method for plasma-treating the cut chicken breast includes:

[0013] Put the cut chicken breast into a low-temperature plasma treatment device. The low-temperature plasma treatment device uses a radio-frequency power supply to generate plasma, and the working gas is a mixed gas of argon and oxygen. The treatment power is set at 80 - 120 W, and the treatment time is 5 - 8 minutes.

[0014] A further improvement lies in that the specific method for soaking the chicken breast treated by plasma in a mixed solution containing arginine and cysteine includes:

[0015] Put the chicken breast treated by plasma into a mixed solution containing 0.05 - 0.15 mol / L of arginine and 0.02 - 0.05 mol / L of cysteine for soaking. The temperature of the mixed solution is controlled at 6 - 8 °C, and the soaking time is 40 - 60 minutes.

[0016] A further improvement lies in that the specific method for further treating the chicken breast by the combined action of ultrasonic waves and microwaves includes:

[0017] Put the chicken breast into an ultrasonic-microwave synergistic treatment device. The device uses ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 20 - 25 kHz and microwaves with a wavelength of 12 - 15 cm and a power of 300 - 500 W to act simultaneously. The treatment time is 8 - 12 minutes. During this period, the chicken breast is slowly stirred at a speed of 30 - 50 r / min through the stirring device in the device to ensure uniform treatment.

[0018] A further improvement lies in that the specific method for enzymatically hydrolyzing the chicken breast treated by ultrasonic waves and microwaves in a complex enzyme solution includes:

[0019] Prepare a complex enzyme solution, which contains 0.8% w / v - 1.2% w / v of bromelain, 0.5% w / v - 0.8% w / v of neutral protease, and 0.2% - 0.4% w / v of papain; put the chicken breast treated by ultrasonic waves and microwaves into the complex enzyme solution, and carry out enzymatic hydrolysis for 1 - 1.5 hours in an environment with a temperature of 35 - 40 °C and a pH value of 6.5 - 7.0. During the enzymatic hydrolysis process, gently stir once every 20 - 30 minutes to make the complex enzyme solution fully contact with the chicken breast.

[0020] A further improvement lies in that the specific method for fermenting the chicken breast by inoculating a mixed bacterial solution into the enzymatic hydrolysate includes:

[0021] Inoculate the enzymatic hydrolysate with a mixed bacterial solution of Lactobacillus plantarum at 0.5% v / v - 0.8% v / v and Bifidobacterium at 0.3% v / v - 0.5% v / v, and ferment for 2 - 3 hours under the conditions of a temperature of 30 - 32°C and a relative humidity of 85% - 90%.

[0022] A further improvement lies in that it further includes the following steps:

[0023] Subject the vacuum - packaged chicken breast to high - voltage pulsed electric field and liquid - electric pulsed shock wave treatments in sequence. The high - voltage pulsed electric field treatment is used to change the permeability of cell membranes, promote the release and exchange of intracellular substances; when performing the liquid - electric pulsed shock wave treatment, the shock wave generated by the liquid - electric pulsed shock wave generating unit acts on the vacuum - packaged chicken breast after being directionally focused, which is used to tear muscle fibers, prompt the unfolding of protein molecular structures, enhance the hydrolysis of muscle proteins, make the structure of the chicken breast looser, and improve tenderness.

[0024] A further improvement lies in that when performing the high - voltage pulsed electric field treatment, the electric field strength is set to 20 - 30 kV / cm, the pulse frequency is 100 - 200 Hz, the pulse width is 20 - 50 μs, and the treatment time is 3 - 5 minutes; when performing the liquid - electric pulsed shock wave treatment, the shock wave parameters are: voltage 25 - 35 kV, capacitance 3 - 5 μF, the pulse compression unit uses a high - voltage - resistant and large - current switching element with a rated voltage of 40 kV, a maximum peak current of 50 kA, a charge transfer amount greater than 120 kC, the number of shock wave actions is 3 - 5 times, and the interval time between each action is 1.5 - 2.5 minutes.

[0025] A further improvement lies in that it further includes the following steps:

[0026] Put the chicken breast after high - voltage pulsed electric field and liquid - electric pulsed shock wave treatments into a quick - freezing device at a temperature of - 40°C to - 50°C for rapid freezing, so that the chicken breast passes through the maximum ice crystal formation zone within 20 - 30 minutes, and the diameter of the generated ice crystals is controlled within 50 - 80 μm. The frozen chicken breast is stored in an environment below - 18°C.

[0027] A further improvement lies in that it further includes the following steps:

[0028] During thawing and cooking, use a combination of microwave thawing and running - water thawing for thawing. First, place the frozen chicken breast in a microwave environment with a power of 200 - 300 W for 3 - 5 minutes to quickly raise the internal temperature of the chicken breast to - 5°C to - 3°C, then put it into running water at 10°C - 15°C to continue thawing until completely thawed. After thawing, soak the chicken breast in a tea polyphenol solution with a mass concentration of 0.2% - 0.5% for 10 - 15 minutes, and then drain the water.

[0029] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0030] Through multi-step collaborative processing, the present invention can significantly reduce the shear force of chicken breast meat, improve tenderness, making its taste more tender, juicy, soft and delicate, with obvious advantages compared with traditional tenderization methods. The entire processing process adopts mild processing conditions and natural additives, avoiding the use of harmful chemical additives, meeting the strict requirements of modern consumers for healthy foods, and retaining the nutritional components of chicken breast meat, such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals, to the greatest extent. In addition, the biological fermentation process endows the product with a unique flavor and improves the product quality. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031] Figure 1 It is a process flow diagram for tenderizing and processing a chicken breast meat according to the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0032] To deepen the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with embodiments. These embodiments are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0033] The present invention provides a tenderizing and processing process for chicken breast meat, including the following steps:

[0034] Step S1: Select fresh chicken breast meat, remove the surface fascia, fat and impurities, wash and dry the water, and then cut it into pieces for standby.

[0035] Specifically, fresh and non-spoiled chicken breast meat can be selected, preferably the chicken breast meat from naturally free-range and grain-fed chickens to ensure the basic quality of the meat. Carefully remove the surface fascia, fat and impurities, rinse it thoroughly with running water, and then gently dry the surface water with a sterile gauze. Cut the chicken breast meat into uniform-sized pieces with a side length controlled at 3-5 cm. Such a size can not only ensure the uniformity of subsequent processing but also facilitate the full action of various processing methods on the chicken tissue.

[0036] Step S2: Perform plasma treatment on the cut chicken breast meat to form pores on the surface of the chicken breast meat and relax the muscle fiber structure of the chicken breast meat.

[0037] Specifically, the specific method for performing plasma treatment on the cut chicken breast meat includes: placing the cut chicken breast meat in a low-temperature plasma treatment device. The low-temperature plasma treatment device uses a radio frequency power supply (frequency of 13.56 MHz) to generate plasma, and the working gas is a mixed gas of argon and oxygen (the volume ratio of argon to oxygen is 8:2). The treatment power is set at 80-120 W, and the treatment time is 5-8 minutes.

[0038] It is understandable that during the plasma treatment, the active particles in the plasma react with substances such as proteins and fats on the surface of the chicken breast, forming tiny pore structures on the surface of the chicken breast, increasing the surface area, and promoting the penetration of subsequent tenderizers. At the same time, some chemical bonds on the surface of muscle fibers are broken, preliminarily relaxing the muscle fiber structure and laying a foundation for subsequent tenderization treatment.

[0039] Step S3: Put the chicken breast treated with plasma into a mixed solution containing arginine and cysteine for soaking treatment.

[0040] The specific method includes: putting the chicken breast treated with plasma into a mixed solution containing 0.05 - 0.15 mol / L of arginine and 0.02 - 0.05 mol / L of cysteine for soaking. The temperature of the mixed solution is controlled at 6 - 8 °C, and the soaking time is 40 - 60 minutes.

[0041] It is understandable that arginine and cysteine can react with muscle proteins, change the protein structure, and preliminarily improve the tenderness and water retention of the chicken breast.

[0042] Step S4: Take out the chicken breast after soaking treatment from the mixed solution, and further treat the chicken breast by the combined action of ultrasonic waves and microwaves.

[0043] Specifically, the specific method for further treating the chicken breast by the combined action of ultrasonic waves and microwaves includes: putting the chicken breast into an ultrasonic-microwave synergistic treatment device. This device uses ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 20 - 25 kHz and microwaves with a wavelength of 12 - 15 cm and a power of 300 - 500 W to act simultaneously. The treatment time is 8 - 12 minutes. During this period, the chicken breast is slowly stirred at a speed of 30 - 50 r / min by the stirring device in the device to ensure uniform treatment.

[0044] It is understandable that the mechanical vibration and cavitation effect of ultrasonic waves destroy the muscle fiber structure, and the thermal effect of microwaves accelerates molecular movement, promoting the further penetration of arginine and cysteine into the interior of the muscle. At the same time, it makes some proteins denature. The two work together to further weaken the muscle fibers.

[0045] Step S5: Put the chicken breast treated with ultrasonic waves and microwaves into a composite enzyme solution for enzymatic hydrolysis treatment. After the enzymatic hydrolysis ends, a mixed bacterial solution is added to the enzymatic hydrolysate to ferment the chicken breast.

[0046] Specifically, the specific method of putting the chicken breast meat treated with ultrasonic waves and microwaves into the complex enzyme solution for enzymatic hydrolysis includes: preparing a complex enzyme solution, which contains 0.8% w / v - 1.2% w / v of bromelain, 0.5% w / v - 0.8% w / v of neutral protease, and 0.2% - 0.4% w / v of papain; putting the chicken breast meat treated with ultrasonic waves and microwaves into the complex enzyme solution, and carrying out enzymatic hydrolysis for 1 - 1.5 hours in an environment with a temperature of 35 - 40°C and a pH value of 6.5 - 7.0. During the enzymatic hydrolysis process, gently stir once every 20 - 30 minutes to make the complex enzyme solution fully contact with the chicken breast meat.

[0047] It can be understood that bromelain acts on various peptide bonds in muscle proteins, especially the peptide bonds on the carboxyl side of arginine and lysine residues, and can cut some specific connections in myofibrillar proteins and connective tissue proteins. Neutral protease has a wide range of action and has the ability to hydrolyze various proteins and peptides. It can act on muscle proteins under relatively broad pH conditions and can act on some non-specific peptide bonds inside protein molecules. Papain has a strong ability to hydrolyze collagen and elastin in muscle proteins. Collagen is the main component of connective tissue, and elastin gives muscles a certain elasticity. Papain makes the connective tissue become loose by hydrolyzing these proteins.

[0048] After the combination of the three enzymes, they can act on the proteins in chicken breast meat from different angles. Bromelain, neutral protease, and papain act on different types of proteins and peptide bonds respectively. Their synergistic effect can degrade the proteins in muscles more comprehensively and deeply, making the tenderization effect of chicken breast meat more significant. Specifically, bromelain first cuts some specific peptide bonds, making the protein structure become loose, creating conditions for the further action of neutral protease and papain. Some small molecule peptides and amino acids produced by bromelain hydrolyzing proteins can provide a better substrate environment for neutral protease and papain, making it easier for them to bind to protein molecules, thereby improving the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency; neutral protease acts widely inside proteins, increasing the accessibility of proteins; papain specifically acts on connective tissue proteins, making the overall structure of muscles become more loose. Through the synergistic effect of the three enzymes, the myofibrillar proteins and connective tissue proteins in chicken breast meat are more fully degraded, and the muscle fibers become finer and looser, thus significantly improving the tenderness of chicken breast meat. At the same time, the small molecule peptides and amino acids produced by enzymatic hydrolysis can also increase the umami and juiciness of chicken breast meat and improve the taste.

[0049] Specifically, the specific method of fermenting chicken breast with a mixed bacterial solution added to the enzymatic hydrolysate includes: adding a mixed bacterial solution of Lactobacillus plantarum at 0.5% v / v - 0.8% v / v and Bifidobacterium at 0.3% v / v - 0.5% v / v to the enzymatic hydrolysate, and fermenting for 2 - 3 hours under the conditions of a temperature of 30 - 32°C and a relative humidity of 85% - 90%.

[0050] It can be understood that during the fermentation process, Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium produce organic acids and biological enzymes, reducing the environmental pH value, promoting further changes in the protein structure. The biological enzymes they produce cooperate with the composite enzyme solution to further hydrolyze muscle proteins, significantly improving the tenderness of chicken breast, and endowing the chicken breast with a unique flavor and good taste.

[0051] Step S6: Vacuum package the fermented chicken breast.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after step S6, the following steps are further included:

[0053] Step S7: The vacuum-packaged chicken breast is sequentially subjected to high-voltage pulsed electric field and liquid-electric pulsed shock wave treatment. The high-voltage pulsed electric field treatment is used to change the permeability of cell membranes, promoting the release and exchange of intracellular substances; when the liquid-electric pulsed shock wave treatment is carried out, the shock wave generated by the liquid-electric pulsed shock wave generating unit acts on the vacuum-packaged chicken breast after being directionally focused, which is used to tear muscle fibers, promote the unfolding of protein molecular structures, enhance the hydrolysis of muscle proteins, make the structure of the chicken breast looser, and improve the tenderness.

[0054] Specifically, during the high-voltage pulsed electric field treatment, the electric field strength is set to 20 - 30 kV / cm, the pulse frequency is 100 - 200 Hz, the pulse width is 20 - 50 μs, and the treatment time is 3 - 5 minutes; during the liquid-electric pulsed shock wave treatment, the shock wave parameters are: voltage 25 - 35 kV, capacitance 3 - 5 μF, the pulse compression unit uses a high-voltage-resistant and large-current switching element, the rated voltage is 40 kV, the maximum peak current is 50 kA, the charge transfer amount is greater than 120 kC, the number of shock wave actions is 3 - 5 times, and the interval time between each action is 1.5 - 2.5 minutes.

[0055] It can be understood that high-voltage pulsed electric fields mainly change the permeability of cell membranes by forming reversible or irreversible pores on the cell membranes, making the substances inside the cells more likely to exude and exchange. The liquid-electric pulsed shock wave, on the other hand, acts on chicken breast meat using high-intensity shock waves, causing physical tearing of muscle tissues and damaging myofibrils and connective tissues. When the two act together, the high-voltage pulsed electric field first pre-treats the cells, reducing the stability of the cell membranes. At this time, the liquid-electric pulsed shock wave is more likely to cause further damage to the already "fragile" cells and tissues, making the muscle structure looser and significantly enhancing the tenderization effect. The high-voltage pulsed electric field can affect the conformation and aggregation state of myofibrillar proteins, and the powerful impact force of the liquid-electric pulsed shock wave can cause the myofibrils to break and be refined. The two work together to more effectively refine the myofibrils into smaller fragments, increasing the tenderness and softness of the muscle.

[0056] In addition, the treatments of high-voltage pulsed electric fields and liquid-electric pulsed shock waves can activate endogenous proteases in the muscle, such as calpain, cathepsin, etc. Under the action of the high-voltage pulsed electric field, the distribution and activity of substances such as calcium ions inside the cells change, creating conditions for the activation of endogenous proteases. The liquid-electric pulsed shock wave changes the structure of proteins through physical action, exposing more enzyme action sites and further promoting the hydrolysis of proteins by endogenous proteases. The two work together to more effectively decompose proteins into small-molecule peptides and amino acids, while improving the taste and flavor of chicken breast meat.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after step S7, the following steps are further included:

[0058] Step S8: Put the chicken breast meat treated with high-voltage pulsed electric fields and liquid-electric pulsed shock waves into a quick-freezing device at a temperature of -40°C to -50°C for rapid freezing, so that the chicken breast meat passes through the maximum ice crystal formation zone within 20 - 30 minutes, and the diameter of the generated ice crystals is controlled within 50 - 80 μm. The frozen chicken breast meat is stored in an environment below -18°C.

[0059] It can be understood that rapid freezing causes the water to crystallize quickly, and the small ice crystals formed cause less damage to muscle cells. Compared with the large ice crystals formed by slow freezing, the small ice crystals do not overly squeeze and burst the cells, thus reducing the loss of cell fluid. This helps to maintain the original texture, taste and nutritional components of the chicken breast meat after subsequent thawing, and avoids the meat becoming dry and rough.

[0060] During thawing and cooking, a combination of microwave thawing and running water thawing is used for thawing. First, place the frozen chicken breast in a microwave environment with a power of 200 - 300W and thaw for 3 - 5 minutes to quickly raise the internal temperature of the chicken breast to -5°C to -3°C. Then, put it into running water at 10°C - 15°C and continue to thaw until completely thawed. After thawing, soak the chicken breast in a tea polyphenol solution with a mass concentration of 0.2% - 0.5% for 10 - 15 minutes. After soaking, take it out and gently drain the water with sterile gauze.

[0061] It can be understood that tea polyphenols have antioxidant and antibacterial effects, which can prevent the chicken breast from oxidizing and deteriorating during subsequent storage without cooking, and can also improve the color and flavor of the chicken breast.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is a further improvement of the above embodiment. Specifically, when performing liquid - electric pulse shock wave treatment on the vacuum - packaged chicken breast in step S7, the following steps are also included: According to the immediate feedback after each shock wave treatment (such as changes in the internal structure of the chicken), dynamically adjust the parameters of subsequent shock waves (voltage, capacitance value, etc.) to ensure that each shock wave can maximize its role in destroying the muscle fiber structure. This can more precisely control the liquid - electric pulse shock wave treatment process and significantly improve the quality and efficiency of chicken breast tenderization. The specific implementation methods include:

[0063] Select a high - resolution ultrasonic scanner to monitor the changes in the internal structure of the chicken breast in real - time; at the same time, use temperature sensors and humidity sensors to monitor environmental conditions; the data of all sensors need to be connected to the central processing unit through a high - speed data bus (such as USB 3.0 or Gigabit Ethernet), and timestamp technology is used to ensure the precise synchronization of data with shock wave events.

[0064] Perform pre - processing operations such as denoising and enhancement on the acquired images to improve the accuracy of subsequent analysis.

[0065] Adopt a convolutional neural network (CNN) to automatically identify key features such as the degree of muscle fiber breakage and tissue density changes; use a large amount of experimental data to train a deep - learning model to optimize its performance prediction ability under different shock wave parameters.

[0066] Combined with environmental data, comprehensively evaluate the current shock wave treatment effect and predict the optimal parameter combination. For example, higher humidity may require an increase in voltage to achieve the same effect.

[0067] Based on the feedback analysis results, use fuzzy logic or reinforcement learning algorithms to dynamically adjust the voltage, capacitance value, pulse width, and number of actions of the next shock wave.

[0068] In addition, it is necessary to set the maximum and minimum limit values of the parameters to avoid equipment damage or product quality degradation caused by excessive adjustment.

[0069] Regularly update the model and algorithm, and further optimize the system performance according to the feedback in actual applications to improve the processing efficiency and product consistency.

[0070] Example 1:

[0071] Select fresh chicken breast meat, remove the surface fascia, fat and impurities, wash it and dry it with sterile gauze, and cut it into uniform pieces.

[0072] Put the chicken breast meat into a low-temperature plasma treatment device, generate plasma with a frequency of 13.56 MHz using a radio frequency power supply, the volume ratio of the working gases argon and oxygen is 8:2, the treatment power is set to 100 W, and the treatment time is 6 minutes.

[0073] Prepare a mixed solution containing 0.1 mol / L arginine and 0.03 mol / L cysteine, put the treated chicken breast meat into it, and soak it at 6°C for 50 minutes.

[0074] Put the soaked chicken breast meat into an ultrasonic-microwave synergistic treatment device, set the ultrasonic frequency to 22 kHz, the microwave wavelength to 13 cm, the power to 400 W, treat for 10 minutes, and the stirring speed to 40 r / min.

[0075] Prepare a compound enzyme solution, where the content of bromelain is 1% w / v, the content of neutral protease is 0.6% w / v, and the content of papain is 0.3% w / v. Put the chicken breast meat treated by ultrasonic and microwave into the compound enzyme solution, enzymatically hydrolyze it for 1.2 hours at a temperature of 37°C and a pH value of 6.8, and stir it every 25 minutes. After the enzymatic hydrolysis is completed, add a mixed bacterial solution of 0.6% v / v Lactobacillus plantarum and 0.4% v / v Bifidobacterium, and ferment it for 2.5 hours at a temperature of 31°C and a relative humidity of 88%.

[0076] Vacuum package the fermented chicken breast meat, first perform high-voltage pulsed electric field treatment, with an electric field strength of 25 kV / cm, a pulse frequency of 150 Hz, a pulse width of 30 μs, and treat for 4 minutes; then perform liquid-electric pulsed shock wave treatment, with a shock wave voltage of 30 kV, a capacitance of 4 μF, and the shock wave acts 4 times, with an interval of 2 minutes each time.

[0077] Put the chicken breast meat treated by high-voltage pulsed electric field and liquid-electric pulsed shock wave into a quick-freezing device at -45°C for rapid freezing, and store it below -18°C.

[0078] For thawing and cooking, first thaw in a 250W microwave environment for 4 minutes, then place it in running water at 12°C and continue thawing until completely thawed. Soak the thawed chicken breast in a 0.3% tea polyphenol solution for 12 minutes, then drain the water and wait for cooking. Steam it for 15 minutes during cooking.

[0079] Example 2:

[0080] Select fresh chicken breast, remove the surface fascia, fat and impurities, wash it and dry it with sterile gauze, then cut it into uniform pieces.

[0081] Put the chicken breast into a low-temperature plasma treatment device, generate plasma with a frequency of 13.56 MHz using a radio frequency power supply, the volume ratio of the working gases argon and oxygen is 8:2, set the treatment power to 80W, and the treatment time to 5 minutes.

[0082] Prepare a mixed solution containing 0.08 mol / L arginine and 0.02 mol / L cysteine, put the treated chicken breast into it, and soak it at 7°C for 40 minutes.

[0083] Put the soaked chicken breast into an ultrasonic-microwave synergistic treatment device, set the ultrasonic frequency to 20 kHz, the microwave wavelength to 12 cm, the power to 300W, treat for 8 minutes, and the stirring speed to 30 r / min.

[0084] Prepare a compound enzyme solution, where the content of bromelain is 0.8% w / v, the content of neutral protease is 0.5% w / v, and the content of papain is 0.2% w / v. Put the chicken breast after ultrasonic and microwave treatment into the compound enzyme solution, enzymatically hydrolyze it for 1 hour at a temperature of 35°C and a pH value of 6.5, and stir it every 20 minutes. After the enzymatic hydrolysis is completed, inoculate a mixed bacterial solution of 0.5% v / v Lactobacillus plantarum and 0.3% v / v Bifidobacterium, and ferment it for 2 hours at a temperature of 30°C and a relative humidity of 85%.

[0085] Vacuum package the fermented chicken breast, first perform high-voltage pulsed electric field treatment, with an electric field strength of 20 kV / cm, a pulse frequency of 100 Hz, a pulse width of 20 μs, and treat for 3 minutes; then perform liquid-electric pulsed shock wave treatment, with a shock wave voltage of 25 kV, a capacitance of 3 μF, and the shock wave acts 3 times, with an interval of 1.5 minutes each time.

[0086] Put the chicken breast after high-voltage pulsed electric field and liquid-electric pulsed shock wave treatment into a quick-freezing device at -40°C for rapid freezing, and store it below -18°C.

[0087] For thawing and cooking, first thaw in a 200W microwave environment for 3 minutes, then place it in flowing water at 10°C and continue to thaw until completely thawed. Soak the thawed chicken breast in a 0.2% tea polyphenol solution for 10 minutes, then drain the water and wait for cooking. Steam it for 15 minutes during cooking.

[0088] Example 3:

[0089] Select fresh chicken breast, remove the surface fascia, fat and impurities, wash it and dry it with sterile gauze, and cut it into uniform pieces.

[0090] Put the chicken breast into a low-temperature plasma treatment device, generate plasma with a frequency of 13.56 MHz using a radio frequency power supply, the volume ratio of the working gases argon and oxygen is 8:2, set the treatment power to 120W, and the treatment time to 8 minutes.

[0091] Prepare a mixed solution containing 0.15 mol / L arginine and 0.05 mol / L cysteine, put the treated chicken breast into it, and soak it at 8°C for 60 minutes.

[0092] Put the soaked chicken breast into an ultrasonic-microwave synergistic treatment device, set the ultrasonic frequency to 25 kHz, the microwave wavelength to 15 cm, the power to 500W, treat for 12 minutes, and the stirring speed to 50 r / min.

[0093] Prepare a compound enzyme solution, in which the content of bromelain is 1.2% w / v, the content of neutral protease is 0.8% w / v, and the content of papain is 0.4% w / v. Put the chicken breast after ultrasonic and microwave treatment into the compound enzyme solution, enzymatically hydrolyze it for 1.5 hours in an environment with a temperature of 40°C and a pH value of 7.0, and stir it every 30 minutes. After the enzymatic hydrolysis is completed, inoculate a mixed bacterial liquid of 0.8% v / v Lactobacillus plantarum and 0.5% v / v Bifidobacterium, and ferment it for 3 hours under the conditions of a temperature of 32°C and a relative humidity of 90%.

[0094] Vacuum package the fermented chicken breast, first perform high-voltage pulsed electric field treatment, with an electric field strength of 30 kV / cm, a pulse frequency of 200 Hz, a pulse width of 50 μs, and treat for 3 minutes; then perform liquid-electric pulsed shock wave treatment, with a shock wave voltage of 35 kV, a capacitance of 5 μF, and the shock wave acts 5 times, with an interval of 2.5 minutes each time.

[0095] Put the chicken breast after high-voltage pulsed electric field and liquid-electric pulsed shock wave treatment into a quick-freezing device at -50°C for quick freezing, and store it below -18°C.

[0096] For thawing and cooking, first thaw in a 300W microwave environment for 5 minutes, then place it in running water at 15°C and continue to thaw until completely thawed. After thawing, soak the chicken breast in a 0.5% tea polyphenol solution for 15 minutes, then drain the water and wait for cooking. Steam it for 15 minutes during cooking.

[0097] Comparative Example 1 (Traditional Physical Tenderization Method):

[0098] Select fresh chicken breasts from the same source as in the example and cut them into pieces of similar size.

[0099] Use a traditional meat hammer to evenly beat the chicken breast with moderate force for 20 minutes to initially loosen the tissue structure of the meat.

[0100] Cook the beaten chicken breast directly (steam for 15 minutes), simulating a common cooking method at home without other complex tenderization treatments.

[0101] Comparative Example 2 (Traditional Chemical Tenderization Method):

[0102] Select fresh chicken breasts from the same source as in the example and cut them into pieces of similar size.

[0103] Prepare a tenderization solution containing 0.5% w / v phosphate (a 1:1 mixture of sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium pyrophosphate).

[0104] Completely immerse the chicken breast in the tenderization solution and soak it at room temperature (about 25°C) for 2 hours.

[0105] After soaking, take out the chicken breast, rinse it twice with clean water, drain the water and then steam it for 15 minutes.

[0106] Comparative Example 3 (Single Technology Treatment Method):

[0107] Select fresh chicken breasts from the same source as in the example and cut them into pieces of similar size.

[0108] Only use ultrasonic treatment. Place the chicken breast in an ultrasonic device, set the ultrasonic frequency to 20kHz and the power to 300W, and treat it for 15 minutes.

[0109] Steam the treated chicken breast directly for 15 minutes.

[0110] Experimental Data Comparison:

[0111] Tenderness Index (Shear Force): Use a texture analyzer to measure the shear force of the chicken breast, with the unit of Newton (N). The smaller the shear force, the tenderer the chicken breast. Each sample is measured 5 times and the average value is taken.

[0112] Taste Score: Organize 10 professionally trained food sensory evaluation personnel to score the taste of chicken breast. The scoring standard is from 1 to 10 points. 1 point represents extremely poor taste and tough and chewy meat; 10 points represents extremely good taste, tender and juicy. The evaluation content includes aspects such as tenderness, juiciness, and chewiness.

[0113] Flavor Evaluation: Similarly, 10 professional evaluators evaluate the flavor of chicken breast. The scoring standard is from 1 to 10 points. 1 point represents poor flavor and off-flavor; 10 points represents rich flavor and the natural flavor of chicken breast.

[0114] The results obtained from the above tests and scores are shown in Table 1 below:

[0115]

[0116] Table 1

[0117] The comparative experimental data show that the tenderizing processing technology of the present invention has significant advantages in improving the tenderness of chicken breast, improving taste and flavor compared with the traditional physical tenderizing method, the traditional chemical tenderizing method, and the single technology treatment method.

[0118] Generally speaking, through multi-step collaborative processing, the present invention can significantly reduce the shear force of chicken breast, improve tenderness, make its taste more tender, juicy, soft and delicate, and has obvious advantages compared with traditional tenderizing methods; the whole processing process uses mild processing conditions and natural additives, avoids using harmful chemical additives, meets the strict requirements of modern consumers for healthy food, and retains the nutritional components of chicken breast, such as protein, vitamins, and minerals, to the greatest extent. In addition, the biological fermentation process endows the product with a unique flavor and improves the product quality.

[0119] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited by the above embodiments. What is described in the above embodiments and the specification only illustrates the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention will have various changes and improvements, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the present invention claimed. The scope of protection claimed by the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A chicken breast tenderization process, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Select fresh chicken breast, remove the fascia, fat and impurities on the surface, wash and dry it, and cut it into pieces for later use; The cut chicken breast is treated with plasma to form pores on the surface of the chicken breast and relax the muscle fiber structure of the chicken breast; The plasma-treated chicken breasts are immersed in a mixed solution containing arginine and cysteine; The soaked chicken breast meat is taken out from the mixed solution, and the chicken breast meat is further processed by using ultrasonic waves and microwaves; The chicken breast meat treated with ultrasound and microwave is placed in a composite enzyme solution for enzymolysis. After the enzymolysis is completed, a mixed bacterial solution is added to the enzymolysis solution to ferment the chicken breast meat. The fermented chicken breast is vacuum packed.

2. The chicken breast tenderization process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific method of plasma treatment of cut chicken breast meat includes: Put the cut chicken breast into a low-temperature plasma processing device. The low-temperature plasma processing device uses a radio frequency power supply to generate plasma. The working gas is a mixed gas of argon and oxygen. The processing power is set to 80-120W and the processing time is 5-8 minutes.

3. The chicken breast tenderization process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific method of placing the plasma-treated chicken breast into a mixed solution containing arginine and cysteine ​​for soaking treatment includes: The plasma-treated chicken breast is immersed in a mixed solution containing 0.05-0.15 mol / L arginine and 0.02-0.05 mol / L cysteine. The temperature of the mixed solution is controlled at 6-8° C. and the immersion time is 40-60 minutes.

4. The chicken breast tenderizing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific methods of further processing chicken breast meat using ultrasound and microwaves include: The chicken breast is placed in an ultrasonic-microwave synergistic processing device, which uses ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 20-25kHz and microwaves with a wavelength of 12-15cm and a power of 300-500W to act simultaneously. The processing time is 8-12 minutes. During this period, the chicken breast is slowly stirred at a speed of 30-50r / min through the stirring device in the equipment to ensure uniform processing.

5. The chicken breast tenderization process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific method of placing the chicken breast treated with ultrasound and microwave into the composite enzyme solution for enzymolysis treatment includes: A composite enzyme solution is prepared, which contains 0.8% w / v-1.2% w / v bromelain, 0.5% w / v-0.8% w / v neutral protease and 0.2%-0.4% w / v papain; chicken breast meat treated with ultrasound and microwave is put into the composite enzyme solution, and enzymolysis is performed for 1-1.5 hours at a temperature of 35-40° C. and a pH value of 6.5-7.

0. During the enzymolysis process, the chicken breast meat is gently stirred every 20-30 minutes to ensure that the composite enzyme solution is in full contact with the chicken breast meat.

6. The chicken breast tenderization process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific method of adding the mixed bacterial liquid into the enzymatic hydrolysate to ferment the chicken breast meat includes: A mixed bacterial solution of 0.5% v / v-0.8% v / v of Lactobacillus plantarum and 0.3% v / v-0.5% v / v of Bifidobacterium was added to the enzymatic hydrolysate, and fermented for 2-3 hours at a temperature of 30-32° C. and a relative humidity of 85%-90%.

7. The chicken breast tenderization process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: The vacuum-packed chicken breast is subjected to high-voltage pulse electric field and liquid-electric pulse shock wave treatments in turn. The high-voltage pulse electric field treatment is used to change the permeability of the cell membrane and promote the release and exchange of intracellular substances. During the liquid-electric pulse shock wave treatment, the shock wave generated by the liquid-electric pulse shock wave generating unit is focused and directed to act on the vacuum-packed chicken breast, which is used to tear muscle fibers, promote the unfolding of protein molecular structure, enhance the hydrolysis of muscle protein, make the structure of the chicken breast looser, and improve tenderness.

8. The chicken breast tenderization process according to claim 7, characterized in that: During high-voltage pulse electric field treatment, the electric field strength is set to 20-30kV / cm, the pulse frequency is 100-200Hz, the pulse width is 20-50μs, and the treatment time is 3-5 minutes; during liquid-electric pulse shock wave treatment, the shock wave parameters are: voltage 25-35kV, capacitance 3-5μF, the pulse compression unit uses a high-voltage, high-current switching element, rated voltage 40kV, maximum peak current 50kA, charge transfer greater than 120kC, the number of shock wave actions is 3-5 times, and the interval between each action is 1.5-2.5 minutes.

9. The chicken breast tenderizing process according to claim 7, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: The chicken breast treated with high-voltage pulse electric field and liquid-electric pulse shock wave is placed in a quick-freezing device at a temperature of -40℃--50℃ for rapid freezing, so that the chicken breast passes through the maximum ice crystal formation zone within 20-30 minutes. The diameter of the generated ice crystal is controlled at 50-80μm. The frozen chicken breast is stored in an environment below -18℃.

10. The chicken breast tenderization process according to claim 9, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: When thawing and cooking, a combination of microwave thawing and running water thawing is used for thawing. First, the frozen chicken breast is placed in a microwave environment with a power of 200-300W for 3-5 minutes to thaw, so that the internal temperature of the chicken breast quickly rises to -5℃--3℃, and then it is placed in running water at 10℃-15℃ to continue thawing until it is completely thawed. The thawed chicken breast is soaked in a tea polyphenol solution with a mass concentration of 0.2%-0.5% for 10-15 minutes, and then the water is drained.

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