The effects of freeze-drying process parameters on Broiler chicken breast meat

Freeze-dried meat can be stored for unlimited periods retaining the majority of their physical, chemical, biological and sensorial properties as in the fresh state. However, adequate process conditions must be applied to prevent quality problems in the product.The aim of this work was to study the effect of freeze-drying process parameters on the quality of Broiler chicken breast meat. Therefore, different meat thicknesses, speed of freezing, time of drying phases and pressure were assayed. Physical and sensory analyses were carried out on treated meat samples. Results showed that sample thickness was critical for the determination of process conditions. The study has demonstrated that it is possible to obtain freeze-dried poultry meat that looks and tastes similar to fresh poultry meat when the right process conditions for the sample's thickness are applied.