EFFECT OF PARTIAL PROTEIN REMOVAL FROM MUSCLE CUBES ON PROPERTIES OF POULTRY MEAT LOAVES1

Abstract

Pectoral muscle cubes from 10-week old broilers were “water-washed” or “salt-washed” ( 0.6 M NaCl) to provide tissue with various quantities of water-soluble and salt-soluble proteins. Approximately 30% of the water-soluble protein was removed when cubes were water-washed. Salt-washed cubes had decreases of 42% and 54% in salt-soluble and water-soluble protein concentrations, respectively. Loaves prepared with meat from the two washing treatments and control cubes showed significant (P<0.01) differences in both cooking loss and binding strength of meat slices. The quantity of salt-soluble proteins available for solubilization to reduce cooking loss and increase binding strength among meat particles appeared more important to poultry loaf processing than the quantity of extractable water-soluble proteins.