INFLUÊNCIA DO PROCESSO DE CONGELAMENTO NA PERDA DE MASSA EM CORTES DE FRANGO

Abstract

The quality of Brazilian poultry and the efficiency of Brazilian chicken production have made the country the largest poultry exporter in the world and the third largest producer. The quality of chicken meat is gradually more demanded, cuts and deboned products, for example, are being increasingly sought after for processing, due to the growing demand for products that are easily and quickly prepared. Freezing is one of the meat conservation methods that guarantees its quality until it reaches the consumer. The objective of the present study was to know the profile of mass loss of chicken cuts (breast and thigh) by the IQF individual rapid freezing method. It was identified in the analysis that the thigh cut lost 10±0.0003 grams per piece while the breast cut had a loss of 16±0.005 grams per piece. The distribution of the percentage of water loss of the two products was evidenced in the work, with the average percentage of loss of breast mass of 0.86% ± 0.132%, and of the thigh of 1.18% ± 0.078%. Thus, it was possible to conclude that the loss of mass of the chicken cuts was similar to the loss of other animal proteins such as crustaceans and fish. Taking into account the high volume of chicken produced and consumed, the loss presents itself as a great opportunity for technological development for poultry slaughterhouses.