Natural aromatic extract of black tea improved the water retention of pork meat batter.

The effect of varying proportions (w/w) of natural aromatic extract of black tea (NAEBT) with pre-emulsification on the water-holding capacity (WHC) of pork meat batter was investigated. The addition of NAEBT significantly reduced the cooking loss (CL) of pork meat batter from 23.95 % to 18.30 % (P < 0.05). Furthermore, NAEBT with pre-emulsification significantly improved the color stability and increased the springiness (P < 0.05). The results of TBARS and carbonyls indicated that NAEBT with pre-emulsification significantly alleviated oxidative damage to proteins (P < 0.05), resulting in an increased level of ß-sheet (P < 0.05), as confirmed by FT-IR analysis. As a result, the water mobility of pork meat batter was restricted (P < 0.05), resulting in an increase in the energy storage modulus (P < 0.05) and a decrease in the pore size. In summary, the WHC of pork meat batter was improved by the antioxidant effect of the NAEBT.

Ultrasonic-assisted stewing enhances the aroma intensity of chicken broth: A perspective of the aroma-binding behavior of fat.

This experiment investigated the underlying mechanism of ultrasonic-assisted stewing to enhance the aroma intensity of chicken broth by measuring fat content, oil droplet sizes, zeta potential, viscosity, surface protein loading, lipid oxidation, and aroma compound concentrations. As the thermo-ultrasound time increased, the fat content increased from 0.3 % to 1.2 %, resulting in a milky white appearance. After 1 h of thermo-ultrasound, the broth had the smallest particle size and the highest surface protein load, viscosity, and emulsion stability, as well as the highest total amount of aroma-active compounds of 314.70 ng/mg. With the further extension of thermo-ultrasound time, lipid oxidation increased, but the stability of chicken broth decreased, lowering the content of aroma-active compounds. These outcomes suggested that thermo-ultrasound could enhance the aroma intensity of chicken broth by increasing the fat content and the emulsion stability of the broth.

Enhanced flavor strength of broth prepared from chicken following short-term frozen storage.

This study investigated the effect of frozen storage periods (0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks) of raw meat and stewing on the flavor of chicken broth. With the increased storage duration of frozen raw material, the contents of the free amino acids, nucleotides and mineral elements in the broth decreased significantly, especially within the first 4 weeks, and then increased significantly. Meanwhile, the volatile compounds showed the reverse trend. The results from the E-nose, E-tongue and sensory evaluation indicated a progressive difference in overall flavor profiles between the samples. The sensory scores of the meaty and fatty traits reached a maximum as raw chicken meat was stored for 4 weeks at -18 °C, which should be related to the increased contents of aldehydes and 2-pentyl furan. Overall, the limited storage duration of frozen raw meat can enhance the flavor of chicken broth.

Gelatin enhances the flavor of chicken broth: A perspective on the ability of emulsions to bind volatile compounds.

The mechanism of flavor retention in chicken broth from the perspective of gelatin affecting the flavor-binding ability of emulsions was investigated. Results showed that fat was the important reservoir for aroma compounds in the emulsion. The particle sizes of emulsions significantly decreased with prolonged stewing time of gelatin, which was consistent with the results from confocal laser scanning microscopy and interfacial tension. The ability of pre-heated gelatin emulsions to bind volatile compounds with higher hydrophobicity was enhanced. When 0.1% gelatin was added into chicken broth, the total amount of the main volatile compounds (OAV > 1) increased from 458.83 ng/g to 1218.42 ng/g. In summary, the pre-heated gelatin increased the interfacial pressure of water/oil interface, resulting in a smaller particle size of oil droplets, and these further increased the binding area between oil droplets and flavor compounds. This appears to be the mechanism that gelatin enhances the flavor intensity of chicken broth.