Influence of Thawing Methods on the Composition of Drip from Broiler Carcasses

CONSUMPTION of frozen chickens has continued to increase because of improved methods of packaging, freezing and marketing. Today a large percentage of chicken purchased for use in homes, restaurants and other types of eating establishments is sold in a frozen condition. The methods of thawing poultry are of interest because of the time required and the possible loss of nutrients in the drip. Ice crystals formed during freezing cause denaturation and proteolysis which reduce the ability of tissues to reabsorb the moisture (Swanson and Sloan 1953; Khan et al. 1963; and Crigler and Dawson 1968). The results of several studies have been published concerning the influence of methods of chilling poultry carcasses on factors associated with thawing (Pippen and Klose, 1955; and Osner and Shrimpton, 1966a, b); rate of freezing and storage (Sair and Cook, 1938; Koonz and Ramsbottom, 1939; Stewart et al., 1945; Marion and Stadelman, 1958; and van…