Cured and smoked chicken loaves (emulsion type) were prepared with light weight hen (Leghorn) meat and vegetable oils (soybean, corn, sunflower, and canola). Broiler (Hubbard Peterson) meat was also used, for comparison. When deboning hen carcasses, average yields of 14.73% breast meat, 14.91% legs, and 2.46% wings were found. The yield was 14.73% for light meat, and 17.37% for dark meat. Carcass weight averaged 1195.81g. As an average, 34.34kg of loaf were obtained from 100kg of hen carcasses, and 113.50kg of product were prepared from 100kg of boned light and dark meat. The final products had the following averaged chemical composition: 64.76% moisture, 13.91% protein, 16.62% fat, and 3.00% ash; pH was 6.21. Thermal processing yield averaged 94.96%. In sensory analysis, the flavor of chicken loaves prepared with hen meat and soybean oil was significantly better than that of products prepared with broiler meat and the same oil. No significant difference was found when products were made with corn oil. Tenderness was favored when broiler meat and soybean oil were used, with relation to hen meat. No significant differences were found for juiciness. Loaves prepared with hen meat had a better color. In the overall quality evaluation, loaves made with hen meat and soybean oil were better than products prepared with broiler meat and the same oil.
hen meat; vegetable oils; chicken loaf; meat emulsion