Technological, chemical, sensory, and microbiological examination of frozen chicken as affected by microwave thawing
The effect of microwave heating as a thawing method on physical, chemical sensory, and microbiological properties of frozen chicken was investigated in comparison with other thawing methods (at ambient temperature, in refrigerator, and in running tap water). Microwave thawed chicken had the highest taste panel scores and the lowest drip percentage loss compared with the other thawing methods. Thiobarbituric acid value (TBA) remarkably increased the samples thawed at ambient temperature or under running water. The data revealed that the retention of thiamin was the highest in the microwave thawed samples (97.33%), and the lowest in running water thawed samples (66.66%). The total bacterial count in frozen chicken remarkably decreased as a result of microwave thawing treatment while increased in the other treatments.