Effects of multi-stage processing on quality attributes and volatile flavor profile of pre-prepared tiger skin chicken claw
摘要
Tiger-skinned chicken claw (TSCC) is a widely consumed poultry snack product, undergo a four-stage processing sequence: deodorization, deep-fried, cold soak and stewing in spiced brine. The results indicated that as fresh chicken claws were processed into tiger-skin chicken claws, the moisture content (from 74.15% to 59.28%), fat content (from 18.72% to 13.39%), and collagen content (from 1.75% to 1.00%) decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05). The shear force (from 35579.33 g to 3405.84 g) and puncture force (from 386.19 g to 37.59 g) also showed significant decreases, while the TBARS value (from 24.29 mg/kg to 35.88 mg/kg) and ΔE (from 1.40 to 21.69) increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05). During processing, significant alterations were observed in flavor compounds and aroma characteristics across stages. Frying and marinating induced shifts in taste-associated amino acid contents, including a 4.5% decrease in sweet amino acids and a 3.3% increase in bitter amino acids, along with the introduction of exogenous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from seasonings. Consequently, the overall aroma profile shifted from the light fruity notes of chicken claws after deodorization to the weak nutty and faint fatty aroma ofchicken claws after cold-soaking. After marination, a cinnamon-fennel blended aroma became dominant in the final TSCC. This study elucidates stage-specific aroma-quality dynamics during TSCC processing and provides a theoretical foundation for product optimization.