Technological and Sensory Quality and Microbiological Safety of RIR Chicken Breast Meat Marinated with Fermented Milk Products

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The use of meat from hens after the end of the laying period is limited due to their inferior sensory properties compared to the meat of young slaughter birds, mainly due to the age of the hens. Therefore, we are looking for effective methods of softening the meat of laying hens after the end of the annual laying use. One way to reduce the hardness of hen meat after the laying period is to marinate it with fermented milk products. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of marinating with buttermilk and sour milk on the quality of Rhode Island Red (RIR) hen meat after the first year of laying use. In the conducted research, it was found that marinating hen meat after the first year of laying with fermented milk products has a beneficial effect on the characteristics of raw and roasted meat. Roasted hen meat was characterised by a brighter colour, lower hardness, and better microbiological quality, and had greater overall acceptability. The obtained results allow us to conclude that marinating hen meat with fermented milk products creates new opportunities and prospects for the culinary use of the meat of RIR hens after one year of laying use. ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of marinating with fermented milk products (buttermilk and sour milk) on the physical characteristics, microbiological quality, and sensory acceptability of Rhode Island Red (RIR) hen meat after the first year of laying use. The hen breast meat was marinated with fermented dairy products, buttermilk and sour milk, by the immersion method for 12 h at 4 °C. The assessed features included the quality of raw and roasted marinated and non-marinated meat in terms of physical characteristics (marinade absorption, water absorption, pH, L*, a*, b* colour, shear strength, texture profile analysis (TPA) test), microbiological parameters, and sensory characteristics. Bacteria were identified by the mass spectrometry method (MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper). Marinating meat with fermented dairy products lightened the colour, decreased the value of shear force, reduced hardness and chewiness, and limited the growth of aerobic bacteria and Pseudomonas spp. Additionally, after heat treatment, the number of identified aerobic bacteria families in the marinated in buttermilk and marinated in sour milk groups was smaller than in the non-marinated muscle group. The sensory evaluation showed a beneficial effect of marinating with buttermilk and sour milk on the tenderness, juiciness, and colour of roasted meat.