Women Empowerment Through Value Addition of Chicken Meat
Dr. M. Muthulakshmi*,
Department of Livestock Products Technology (Meat science),
Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal- 637002.
Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University-India
*Corresponding author E-mail: muthulakshmivet@gmail.com
Entrepreneurship skills can help women build confidence and self-awareness by enabling them to generate their own income. Among animal foods, meat is considered highly nutritious and has become an integral component of the human diet. Meat consumption in India is increasing and poultry meat is the most popular meat due to its affordability and lack of religious taboos. The demand for convenience meat based fast food is ever increasing due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, higher standards for living and increasing number of working women. Rising literacy and increasing health awareness also influence the purchasing pattern of the consumers.Value added meat products economically prepared by utilize different low value cuts and edible by-products gainfully and to incorporate non-meat ingredients, cater to the needs of growing meat eating population. Further processing aids to produce value added, variety and convenience meat products to meet life style requirements. It helps preservation, transportation, distribution and marketing to over larger populations. Processing promotes employment, entrepreneur ventures and exports and minimizes imports. Value addition to the raw meat in India is hardly 10-15 % as compared to 60% in developed countries. The traditional sale of fresh meat is not very profitable as compared to the sale of value added meat products.
Based on the processing type meat products can be roughly classified into:
- Emulsion meat products
- Restructured meat products
- Cured and smoked meat products
- Enrobed/ coated meat products
- Dried meat products
- Canned/Retort pouched meat products
- Shelf- stable meat products
- Fermented meat products
Emulsion based products
The common steps of emulsion based products processing include comminuting/mincing to reduce meat and fat particle size (grinding, mincing, chopping or flaking), mixing with ingredients, making into specific shape, thermal processing/cooking and finally packaging. Development of emulsion based meat products facilitate better utilization of meat and by-products from different spent animals including spent hens. Meat is minced in a mincer and emulsion is produced in bowl chopper adding meat, fat, salt, phosphate, spices, condiments, binders, ice flakes, etc. in correct proportion and sequence and chopping to a desired consistency. Emulsion quality contributes to product yield and palatability to a large extent. A large variety of palatable products such as nuggets, meat balls, sausages, patties, kababs, slice etc. could be produced from the same emulsion.
Enrobed Products
Enrobing is the process of making “further processed products” by applying edible coating to the products. It includes two distinguish steps, i.e, breading and battering. It improves the texture of the product; consumer acceptability and remarkably reduces the product cost. Enrobing also contributes other benefits like preserving the nutritive value, reducing moisture and weight loss, and improving juiciness and tenderness. These improvements are brought about by coating ingredients that act as sealants and also prevent high oil uptake during frying the products.
The batter coating reduces water loss during frying, which in turn lessens oil absorption. Crust is formed during most deep fat frying processes, and it is one of the most palatable characteristics of fried foods. Crust development influences heat and mass transfer processes and oil uptake during deep fat frying of the food product.
Marinated chicken products
Poultry products are available on the market in different forms. There is a significant increase in consumer demand towards ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat food products. Among these products, ready-to-cook marinated chicken products are very popular. Marination is traditionally used to tenderise and improve meat products’ flavour. Marinades are a seasoned or flavored mixture of components that are utilized to improve the color, flavor, texture, palatability, and tenderness of meat and meat products Marination can be applied by adding the natural ingredients by soaking the marinade in food, the main purpose is to increase the shelf life In addition, the antimicrobial properties of spices, low pH and high NaCl concentration in marinade can be highly significant in preventing the growth of spoilage bacteria.
Cured and Smoked meat products
Curing process involves addition of curing agents like salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, sodium ascorbate and sodium polyphosphate to the primal chicken cuts for enhancement of colour, flavour and preservation. Chicken is injected with pickle and dipped in it for faster curing giving a juicy texture. Exposing meat to smoke from wood results in development of aroma, flavor and colour. Also protect meat from oxidative rancidity.
Restructured meat product
Restructured meat product is any meat product that is partially or completely disassembled and then reformed into the same or different form. Restructured products give sensory characteristics somewhere between ground meat and intact muscle steaks.
These are meat products having high protein and low fat made by restructuring dark and white meat from heavy broilers. Excessive fat is trimmed off and other connective tissues are chunked out and formed. Blade tenderization, flaking and bay tumbling are modern methods available to produce tender products. Prepared meats can be used as steaks, cutlets, chops and roasts or they can be freezing stored (Anjaneyalu et al. 2012).
Thermal processing/ Retort Pouched Products
Thermal processing is a way to preserve foods in room temperature for a considerably longer period of time. Metal cans were used initially for thermally processed foods. Due to its disadvantages, a new packaging material called the retort pouch was developed by the US Army for developing shelf stable meat products with better quality and longer shelf life called retortable pouches. Thermal processing of meat destroys microorganisms and enzymes responsible for food spoilage. Thermal processing in metal cans or retort pouches increases shelf life of products and decreases processing time. Some products include traditional Indian curries, soups, Keemas etc. Retort packaged products could be stored for a period of 6 to 12 months.
India is known for its traditional culinary products such as the curries, gravies, kheema, soups, meat balls etc. The shelf life of these products is limited. By processing these products in retortable pouches in addition to increase the shelf life the eating quality of the products can also be increased.
Shelf stable meat products-Chicken pickle
Meat pickles are ready to eat, convenient meat products with good shelf stability at ambient temperature. The name meat pickle is given to the meat products made up of meat, spices, salt, vegetable oil and with or without acetic acid. The pickling of meat offers highly delicious and nutritious ready to products with a relatively better shelf life. Due to the lower initial cost of investment and without refrigeration facility, the meat pickle has good potential to be developed by the rural entrepreneurs.
Chicken soup… A hot drink for health …
Soup is the savoury liquid food made by cooking either meat, bone, fish, vegetables or combination of such ingredients in a pot until the flavours are extracted, the forming a broth. Soup is easier to digest as compared to other foods and provides the required fluids and minerals to the body. Soup has long been regarded as a best convalescent diet and act as good appetizer.it is believed to relieve the symptoms of the common cold and related conditions. Long slow simmering of bones results in soups rich in flavour and calcium content.
Shelf stable meat snacks
Meat sticks are another convenient and portable meat-based snack. Meat sticks are typically made from ground meat that is seasoned, smoked, or air-dried. They come in a wide range of flavors and are often available in smaller, snack-sized portions. Meat sticks can be eaten on-the-go and offer a satisfying protein boost with a satisfying chew. Kachori are round ball made of flour and dough filled with a stuffing of yellow mung dal, black pepper, red chili powder and ginger paste. Shelf stable chicken kachori can be developed. Meat protein-based snack food product called Meat Nimkee, Meat Biscuits, Meat rings typically refer to ring-shaped food items made from processed chicken. Shelf stable shredded
Advantages
Value-added chicken meat processing in India offers numerous advantages, including increased profitability for producers, wider market access, enhanced consumer convenience, and the utilization of by-products. It also contributes to a more sustainable and efficient poultry sector by promoting entrepreneurship, providing employment, and ensuring better resource utilization.
Challenges in the Value-Added Poultry Market
Despite the growth potential, the value-added poultry market faces several challenges:
- Cold Chain Logistics: Inadequate refrigeration and transportation facilities can hinder the distribution of perishable products.
- Consumer Awareness: Many consumers are not fully aware of the benefits of value-added products, limiting market growth.
- Regulatory Compliance: Strict food safety regulations can complicate the processing and marketing of poultry products.
Conclusion
Growing meat consumption, especially of chicken, has the potential to improve the poultry business globally, especially in developing nations like India. Value-added poultry products play a vital role in meeting the demands of modern consumers. By enhancing convenience and nutritional value, these products cater to busy lifestyles while promoting healthier eating habits. The poultry industry must continue to innovate and address challenges to fully realize the potential of value-added products. But in order to advance the marketing and consumption trends of value-added poultry meat products, it is imperative that stringent quality assurance standards be upheld in accordance with established rules. Providing the meat processing training program to women will encourage independent thought, challenges gender inequality and exploitation, and helps them develop entrepreneurship skills.
