Effect of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) powder on oxidative stability and sensory characteristics of broiler meat

Antioxidant potency of graded levels of tomato powder in cooked and raw broiler meat under refrigerated storage was evaluated and compared with that of Butylated Hydroxyl Anisole (BHA), a synthetic antioxidant. To a separate 200g of minced broiler meat, 0% (control), 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% of tomato powder were applied. A positive control was prepared with 0.15% of BHA in a separate 200g of minced broiler meat. Each sample was divided into 16 parts of 12.5g each. Eight of these were cooked in a microwave oven for 1/2 minutes while the other eight parts were left raw. The samples were packaged in different nylon bags, with labeling corresponding to the treatment applied and then stored in a refrigerator at 4°C. Oxidative stability of the cooked samples was monitored for 6 days at two-day intervals while that of raw samples was monitored for 9 days at three-day intervals. A forty-member team was constituted to form the taste panel and was instructed on the parameters to adjudge using a five point Hedonic scale. The result showed that all additives and BHA reduced lipid oxidation in broiler meat. This was shown by lower TBARS values in meat samples with additives compared to meat samples without additive. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in the TBARS values of cooked and raw meat samples. There was a general increase in lipid oxidation as storage day progress. However, the increment was more pronounced in cooked meat samples than the raw meat samples. The result revealed that 0.5% and 1.5% tomato powder exhibited higher antioxidant potency (P<0.05) than BHA in the cooked and raw samples respectively. The control samples were the most susceptible to lipid oxidation. Sensory scores revealed that all levels of tomato powder improved the color, flavor, juiciness, tenderness and overall acceptability of broiler meat. Tomato powder could therefore, be used as a cheap, readily available and safe source of natural antioxidant to protect broiler meat from lipid oxidation and improve its sensory characteristics. Keywords: tomato, antioxidant, minced, broiler, BHA<African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Volume 12 No.