Available online at http://journal-of-agroalimentary.ro Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies 2010, 16 (2), 222-229 Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies _____________________________________________________________________ Corresponding author: Phone/Fax +40 236 460165; e–mail: Elisabeta.Botez@ugal.ro Study of physical and chemical parameters and sensorial characteristics changes occured in chicken meat thermic treated Elisabeta Botez, Oana - Viorela Nistor, Oana-Emilia Constantin, Gabriel - Dănuţ Mocanu, Doina - Georgeta Andronoiu Bioingineering Department, Food Science and Engineering Faculty, „Dunarea de Jos” University, 111 Domneasca Street, 800201, Galati, Romania Received: 17 April 2010; Accepted: 12 June 2010 ______________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract The aim of this study was the identification and the analysis of the weight losses, structure, texture and microbiota changes appeared in thermic treated chicken breast. The experiment was structured as a comparison between the effects of cooking meat using two kinds of heating medium - water and oil. The chicken breast water boiling treatment has been developed at various temperatures and periods 70, 80, 90˚C/5, 10, 15 minutes and the sunflower oil frying process has performed at 100, 105, 110˚C/1, 3, 5 minutes). The technological loses for frying (110˚C/5’ were 17.45%) denote that this is more suitable for the chicken breast than the boiling (90˚C/15’ were 34.40%) in order to maintain the cellular juice and the nutrient compounds into the product. The meat with the best texture is the boiled one at 80˚C/10 minutes. The microbiota of the thermic treated meat was inactivated under the standards inferior limits or it was absent. Keywords: chicken breast, texture, structure, microbiota, thermic treatment ______________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction Due to the evolution of chicken meat production all over the world and also in Romania and the increasing consumption, the study of the possible effects of the thermic treatment on meat structure and texture is an important issue for research. One of the most common issues facing the meat and poultry industries today is an increase in the incidence of tough meat. This problem seems to stem from higher consumer demand for increasingly processed products, which in turn forces producers to increase production. The development of methods to increase processing efficiency includes the goals of reducing energy and labor costs, increasing volume, and improving yield [1]. With that in mind, methods used to attain these objectives must be evaluated in terms of validity for maintaining or improving final product quality. Many processing factors are known today to affect the overall tenderness of chicken breast. To understand better all the routes since the slaughtering point to fork, there is presented the traceability. Chilling carcasses in a two-stage chilling system which allows for maximum efficiency in core body temperature reduction for approximately 1 to 1.5 h. Carcasses are then aged on ice for an additional 4 to 6 h to achieve maximum tenderness, from here there are three possibilities: the meat is distributed to the sales, maintaining the same temperature operating for maximum 3 days;