Combined effects of high pressure processing and sous-vide cooking on the tenderization of proteolytic enzyme-injected chicken breast

The combined effects of high pressure processing (HPP), sous-vide cooking (SV), and their processed sequence on papaya extract (PaExt) tenderized chicken breast were investigated. Chicken breasts were injected with 0.05% PaExt and then divided into HPP + SV or SV + HPP where the HPP conditions were 250 or 450 MPa for 10 min and meats were SV cooked at 61 degrees C for 100 min. The cooking loss, pH value, meat color, texture, and microstructure of treated chicken breasts were determined. PaExt treated chicken breast with HPP + SV had the lowest values in all texture parameters and the highest cooking loss among all treatments. Microstructural images further explained the tenderization of PaExt + HPP + SV treatments which caused severe degradation and denaturation of muscle fibers and connective tissues. Therefore, the application of PaExt + HPP + SV may lead to tender meat texture which is easier for the elderly to consume and also shows the potential of elderly care food development.