Effect of final cooked temperature on tenderness, protein solubility and microstructure of duck breast muscle

Abstract

Changes in Warner–Bratzler shear force, cooking loss, protein solubility and microstructure of duck breast muscle cooked to 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 95 °C were determined. Warner–Bratzler shear force was found to increase in two separate phases from internal temperature of 40–50 °C and again from 60 to 95 °C (P < 0.05), with a decrease from 50 to 60 °C. With increasing internal temperature cooking loss gradually increased while protein solubility significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Two significant decreases in fiber diameter were observed in samples cooked to internal temperatures of 40–50 °C (P < 0.01) and 70–80 °C (P < 0.01). The sarcomere length decreased for the most part with increased internal temperature from ambient (raw) to 95 °C, but with a noticeable increase between 50 and 60 °C (P < 0.01). It was found that the amount of protein solubility and shrinkage of sarcomere significantly correlated with tenderness of duck meat during cooking process.