Chicken breast quality – normal, pale, soft and exudative (PSE) and woody – influences the functional properties of meat batters

Summary Three classes (normal, PSE ‐like and woody, thirty for per class) of fresh chicken breast meats were selected from a Chinese processing plant. Then, three classes of chicken breast meats were used to prepare meat batters and meatballs. This study investigated the effects of three classes of chicken breast meat on the physicochemical properties, water distribution, protein secondary structures and microstructures of meatballs. PSE ‐like and woody meatballs both had lower water holding capacity and textural properties than normal meatballs. Furthermore, the free water mobility and proportion in PSE ‐like and woody meatballs were increased ( P < 0.05). According to near‐infrared spectroscopy results, the intensity of the 1940‐nm bands of PSE ‐like and woody classes both increased. Both PSE ‐like and woody meatballs formed more aggregated gel matrices than normal class. PSE ‐like and woody classes had higher α‐helix and lower β‐structure contents ( P < 0.05). Overall, compared with normal meatballs, PSE ‐like and woody meatballs showed inferior functional properties.