Dielectric properties of uncooked chicken breast muscles from ten to one thousand eight hundred megahertz.

The dielectric properties, consisting of the dielectric constant (epsilon') and loss factor (epsilon''), were measured with an open-ended coaxial-line probe and impedance analyzer for uncooked broiler breast muscle pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, deboned at 2- and 24-h postmortem, over the frequency range from 10 to 1,800 MHz at temperatures ranging from 5 to 85 degrees C. The dielectric property profiles of chicken breast muscle are dependent upon the radio-wave and microwave frequencies and temperature. Increasing frequency from 10 to 1,800 MHz results in decreasing values of the dielectric constant and loss factor regardless of temperature in this range, chicken breast muscle type, or deboning time. However, the response to temperature varies with the frequency, muscle type, and deboning time. There are no differences in the dielectric constant and loss factor values at frequencies of 26 or 1,800 MHz between samples deboned at 2- and at 24-h postmortem. However, the muscle type significantly affects the average values of the dielectric constant and loss factor, with pectoralis minor having significantly higher average values. Both the deboning time and muscle type significantly affect the average values of the loss tangent (tan delta = dielectric loss factor/dielectric constant) at 26 and 1,800 MHz, with pectoralis minor having higher values than pectoralis major and 2-h samples having higher values than 24-h samples. Our quality measurements also show there are significant differences in chicken meat quality characteristics, including color, pH, drip loss, water holding capacity, and texture (Warner-Bratzler shear force value) between the different muscle types and between different deboning times in the same test. These results suggest that there is a probable potential for using dielectric property measurements to assess the quality of chicken meat.

[1]  F. B. Wardlaw,et al.  EFFECT OF POSTMORTEM MUSCLE CHANGES ON POULTRY MEAT LOAF PROPERTIES , 1973 .

[2]  A. Datta,et al.  Dielectric Properties of Food Materials and Electric Field Interactions , 2001 .

[3]  R. G. Kauffman,et al.  A comparison of methods to estimate water-holding capacity in post-rigor porcine muscle. , 1986, Meat science.

[4]  M. Kent,et al.  Determination of the quality of frozen hake using its microwave dielectric properties , 2005 .

[5]  S. Stuchly,et al.  Dielectric properties of beef, beef liver, chicken and salmon at frequencies from 100 to 2500 MHz. , 1987, The Journal of microwave power and electromagnetic energy : a publication of the International Microwave Power Institute.

[6]  M. Kent,et al.  Composition of foods including added water using microwave dielectric spectra , 2001 .

[7]  Vladimiros P. Lougovois,et al.  Comparison of selected methods of assessing freshness quality and remaining storage life of iced gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) , 2003 .

[8]  C. E. Lyon,et al.  The Relationship of Objective Shear Values and Sensory Tests to Changes in Tenderness of Broiler Breast Meat , 1990 .

[9]  D. M. Gibson,et al.  Comparison of methods of freshness assessment of wet fish , 1976 .

[10]  M. Kent,et al.  Determination of added water in pork products using microwave dielectric spectroscopy , 2002 .

[11]  S. Nelson.  Dielectric properties of agricultural products-measurements and applications , 1991 .

[12]  M. Kent,et al.  Estimation of the quality of frozen cod using a new instrumental method , 2004 .

[13]  E. Novelli,et al.  Objective measurements of pork quality: Evaluation of various techniques. , 1993, Meat science.

[14]  Stuart O. Nelson,et al.  Assessment of microwave permittivity for sensing peach maturity , 1995 .

[15]  D. L. Fletcher,et al.  Broiler breast meat color variation, pH, and texture. , 1999, Poultry science.

[16]  C. E. Lyon,et al.  pH and Tenderness of Broiler Breast Meat Deboned Various Times After Chilling , 1985 .

[17]  S. O. Nelson,et al.  FREQUENCY– AND TEMPERATURE–DEPENDENT PERMITTIVITIES OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM 0.01 TO 1.8 GHZ , 2003 .

[18]  J. Oehlenschläger,et al.  A new multivariate approach to the problem of fish quality estimation , 2004 .

[19]  J. Meullenet,et al.  COMPARISON OF ALLO–KRAMER, WARNER–BRATZLER AND RAZOR BLADE SHEARS FOR PREDICTING SENSORY TENDERNESS OF BROILER BREAST MEAT , 2006 .

[20]  W. R. Windham,et al.  Principal component analysis of physical, color, and sensory characteristics of chicken breasts deboned at two, four, six, and twenty-four hours postmortem. , 2004, Poultry science.

[21]  W. Horwitz.  Official Methods of Analysis , 1980 .

[22]  M. Kent,et al.  Dielectric studies of added water in poultry meat and scallops , 1996 .

[23]  M. Kent,et al.  Composition of foods using microwave dielectric spectra , 2000 .

[24]  Kenneth Helrick,et al.  Official methods of analysis , 1990 .

[25]  P. Cadman,et al.  The application of differential scanning calorimetry and electron spectroscopy to PTFE-metal reactions of interest in dry bearing technology , 1976 .