Development of Ready-to-Cook Meatballs from Broiler Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Global poultry meat production is estimated at 131 million metric tons and its consumption is estimated at 131 million metric tons (FAO, 2021). The global meat production in 2020 is estimated at 328 million metric tons and its consumption is about 324 million metric tons. The consumption of poultry meat in India was about 4 million metric tons which are higher than other meat sources because of its versatility, palatability and digestibility (FAO, 2021). In addition, consumption is greatly influenced by rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles which creates demand for convenient meat products (Sinhamahapatra et al., 2013; FAO, 2021). 
       
Among the different convenient meat products, meatballs are one of the most popular food items. Meatballs are small balls of crushed or ground meat mixed with spices and other ingredients (Islam et al., 2018). The sensory quality of low-fat-comminuted meat products can be increased by plant starches and/or flours which are commonly utilized as binders and/or fillers (Bogler et al., 2017). Bengal gram flour is a good source of proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins (Choudhary et al., 2021) and it acts as a good binding and thickening agent by improving the texture and extending the shelf life of the meatballs. 
       
The chicken meatball substituted with corn flour has a low cooking loss, it improves the taste of the meatballs (Mamun et al., 2017). Corn starch increases the texture and water-binding ability of sausages (Berry and Wergin, 1993). Tapioca flours are a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour and have a wide range of properties. The tapioca flour can be used as a thickener, filler, binder or stabilizer in meat products. In addition, tapioca flour has increased the texture of cooked chicken breast meat patties (Chatterjee et al., 2019). 
       
Packaging techniques such as vacuum packaging, controlled atmosphere packaging, modified atmosphere packaging and active packaging have been applied in the meat industry to prevent the deterioration of meat products (Scetar et al., 2010). Vacuum packaging involves removal of the air from the package prior to sealing, to minimize the contact with oxygen and water vapor in the surrounding environment. This method increased the shelf life of chicken meatballs (Sinhamahapatra et al., 2013). The shelf life of meatballs can be further increased by storing the meat at low-temperature storage conditions. Sinhamahapatra et al., (2013) found that chicken meatballs kept in a deep freezer have an extended shelf life than refrigerated storage.
       
The present study aimed to develop ready-to-cook chicken meatballs from broiler chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) stored at (-4°C) and (-18°C) and to evaluate the physico-chemical, microbial and sensory properties of ready-to-cook chicken meat balls were stored at (-4°C) and (-18°C) for the period upto 21 days.

Broiler chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) was purchased from Poorna slaughterhouse, Ponneri and the other ingredients were purchased from the local supermarket. The fresh broiler chicken meat was washed with potable water and sliced into small pieces. The smaller meat portions were minced using a mixer grinder and the minced meat temperature was maintained at 0 to -5°C using flake ice. The ingredients such as tapioca flour, bengal gram flour, garam masala, salt and onion were quantified as mentioned in (Table 1) and for preparing traditional masala spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, fennel, ginger, garlic and green chili was quantified as mentioned in the (Table 2). The onions were cut into small pieces, minced and roasted in a pan along with traditional masala. The roasted onions were added to the minced meat which was roasted in a pan for 10 mins. After that, the meat was allowed to cool for 2-3 mins and then ground using a mixer to form meat emulsion. The meat emulsions were transferred to a flat surface and blended with tapioca flour, bengal gram flour, garam masala and salt to form meat dough. The dough mixture was kneaded for 3 mins. The meat dough was rolled into meatballs. The meatballs were baked at 180°C, for 6mins and packed in LDPE bags, sealed using a vacuum packaging machine. Then, analyzed for the physico chemical, microbial and sensory properties of vacuum-packed ready-to-cook chicken meatballs were evaluated at -4°C and -18°C  under different storage conditions.         
 

 

       
The proximate composition was determined in accordance with standard AOAC (2005). The pH values were determined by 5g of chicken meatball diluted in 45 ml of distilled water and measured for pH using the glass electrode of a digital pH meter as described by IS. 2168 (1971). The cooking yield or product yield was calculated by measuring the difference in sample weight before and after cooking and was determined according to Murphy et al., (1975).
         
The microbial analysis of ready-to-cook chicken meat balls were analyzed for total plate count, Escherichia coli, yeast and mould according to the standard method described by APHA (1984). The sensory analysis of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs were carried out by trained and untrained panelists using 5-point hedonic scale as prescribed by Civille and Carr, (2015).

Proximate composition
 
The result of the proximate composition of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs were given in (Table 3). The biochemical composition of broiler chicken meat consists of 75.80% moisture, 22.60% protein, 1.60% fat and 1.27% ash. The moisture content of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs on 1^st day was 58% which was comparatively lower than raw chicken meat. This might be due to dry and intense heat applied during baking which results in the evaporation of moisture (Talukder and Sharma, 2010).
 

       
The protein content of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs on 1^st day was 25% which was comparatively higher than the protein content of raw chicken meat. This significant increase might be a result of the baking process (Talukder and Sharma, 2010). The protein content in chicken products was mainly linked to the quality of raw meat and the ingredients used (Babar et al., 2017). There was a significant decrease in the protein content during storage and it decreased to 23.93% and 24.66% on the 21^st day in samples T₁ and T₂. The decrease in protein content of refrigerated samples might be due to slow freezing which is often a major cause of protein denaturation (Hammad et al., 2019). In frozen samples, the protein denaturation might be due to the enzymatic reaction taking place during freezing (Kilinceeker et al., 2013). The fat content of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs on 1^st day was 2.03% and there was no significant difference during the period of up to 21 days. This might be due to the antioxidant activity of spices. The ash content was 6% and it was comparatively higher than commercial meatballs which might be due to the presence of spices in the product. Generally, spices have high ash content (Mehring, 1924). It decreased to 5.67% and 5.7% on the 21^st day in samples T₁ and T₂. The deterioration of ash might be attributed to protein and water hydrolysis (Hammad et al., 2019).  
 
pH and cooking yield
 
The pH and cooking yield of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs during storage was given in (Table 4). There was a significant difference in the pH of chicken meatballs. The pH of chicken meatballs was 6.02 on 1^st day and increased to 6.11 and 6.04 on the 21^st day in samples T₁ and T₂. The rate of increment in pH was slower in the freezer temperature than in the refrigerator. This might be due to the effect of freezer temperature in arresting microbial growth to a larger extent (Sinhamahapatra et al., 2013). Increasing pH values might be the result of proteolytic effects (Kilincceker et al., 2013). The range of pH value was 6.07-6.22 for meatballs in which the tapioca was substituted with other kinds of flour (Ozturk and Turhan, 2020). The pH of vacuum-packed meatballs increased at a slower rate because vacuum hinders the growth of microbes for a longer time (Kim et al., 1996). The cooking yield of chicken meatballs was 86.70% on 1^st day and it increased to 88.67% and 88.70% on the 21^st day in samples T₁ and T₂. The cooking yield increased with increased storage (Islam et al., 2018).
 

 
Microbial analysis
 
The microbial count of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs in storage was given in (Table 5). The total plate count of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs increased significantly during refrigerated storage. The TPC count increased from 2.00×10⁶ CFU/g to 6.7×10⁶ CFU/g and 3.5×10⁶ CFU/g on the 21^st day in samples T₁ and T₂. The growth rate of total plate count in frozen meatballs is slower than refrigerated storage due to the reduction of the microbial cell and extension of the lag phase of the microbial growth caused by cold chain in the freezer storage (Sinhamahapatra et al., 2013). The meatballs were devoid of coliform, yeast and mould because yeast and moulds grow more slowly under vacuum packaging as the primary need for thriving and multiplication of the microbes became inadequate in vacuum packs (Valin and Lacourt, 1980).
 

 
Sensory evaluation
 
The sensory parameters of ready-to-cook chicken meatballs during storage was given in (Table 6). During refrigerated and freezer storage, colour, flavour and tenderness score of the meatballs decreased gradually. Initially, ready-to-cook chicken meatball has an appearance score of 4.55 and it decreased to 4.45 in both samples. Color values were also decreased from an initial score of 4.45 and decreased to 4.25 and 4.35 on 21^st day in T₁ and T₂. The score obtained for texture was 4.50 on 1^st day and decreased to 4.38 and 4.45 on the 21^st day in samples T₁ and T₂. Flavour values also decreased from an initial score of 4.75 to 4.25 and 4.60 on 21^st day in samples T₁ and T₂. The score obtained for taste was 4.88 on 1^st day and decreased to 4.25 and 4.75 on 21^st day in samples T₁ and T₂. Refrigerated samples had an overall score of 4.2 whereas frozen samples had an overall score of 4.52 on 21^st day. Decrease in the colour, flavour and tenderness scores might be due to moisture loss from the product, increased lipid oxidation and proteolysis of the product (Bhoyar et al., 1997).