Chicken Products from Chennai: Effect of Different Cooking Methods on Physicochemical and Microbial Quality from Different Retail Outlets

Background: Methods of cooking used for chicken products play a significant role in oxidation reactions which in turn leads to loss of nutritional quality, color and further leads to spoilage. Methods: The aim of the research was to study the effect of different cooking methods viz, dry (Chicken 65 and Grilled chicken) and moist cooking (Chicken briyani and Chicken gravy) on physicochemical and microbial quality of chicken products sold at different retail outlets (street outlets, small hotels and restaurants) in Chennai. Results: Moist cooked chicken products in street outlets had significantly higher pH, when compare with dry cooked chicken products, whereas, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and tyrosine value (TV) were higher (P less than 0.05 and P greater than 0.01) in chicken 65. Chicken products from street outlets had significantly higher (P less than 0.01) pH, TBA and tyrosine value in both type of cooking methods. Significantly higher (P less than 0.01) hue, chroma and value were noticed in chicken 65, of which chicken 65 from restaurant had higher (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05) colour properties. Significantly lower (P less than 0.01) microbial count was noticed in dry cooked chicken products. However, chicken products sold at street outlets had poor microbial quality.