Quality of Nuggets Prepared From Fresh and Smoked Spent Layer Chicken Meat

Nuggets were prepared from fresh and smoked meats of spent layer chicken of age approximately 18 months, packed in polyethylene bags and stored at ‐18 ± 2C for 6 months. Thawed nuggets were fried on hot pan coated with refined sunflower oil and product quality was evaluated. Nuggets from smoked chicken had lower (P ±0.05) moisture and higher fat contents and lower weight loss on frying compared to fresh meat nuggets. Free fatty acid (FFA expressed as percent of oleic acid) increased from 3.6 to 3.9 and 3.2 to 3.7, and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values (mg malonaldehyde/kg sample) increased from 0.90 to 1.19 and 0.63 to 0.71 for fresh and smoked meat nuggets, respectively, during frozen storage for 6 months. Shrinkage in product diameter on frying ranged from 4.6 to 5.0%. Warner‐Bratzler shear values ranged from 0.89 to 1.28 lbs for all products stored frozen up to 6 months. Sensory quality scores for smoked meat nuggets were significantly (P ±0.05) higher, except for juiciness (P ≥0.05), than for fresh meat nuggets. Smoked chicken meat produced better nugget products compared to fresh meat as indicated by lower FFA and TBA values and better sensory quality attributes. Products packed in polyethylene bags can be stored at ‐18 ≥ 2C for up to 6 months without marked deterioration in product quality.