Effect of marinating broiler chicken meat with acid whey on product quality and consumer acceptance

In the research study, acid whey was used to marinate chicken broiler meat. The raw material used in the research study consisted of breast muscles of broiler chickens (n = 90); they were marinated with the acid whey added (n = 30) and, comparatively, with a marinade with the addition of lemon juice (n = 30). The concentration of lemon juice was designed to correspond to pH of the acid whey (4.54). Non-marinated breast muscles were a control group (n = 30). The assessment of the raw and grilled product included a sensory assessment (pts) and the determination of the following: quality parameters (marinade absorption, pH and colour in the CIE L* a* b* system), nutritional value (protein, fat, mineral compounds in the form of ash), textural parameters (shear force as well as hardness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness). The research study showed that compared to marinating the breast muscles with lemon juice, marinating them using whey increased the uptake of marinade, advantageously (p < 0.05) affected tenderness (measured by a Warner-Bratzler shear force), hardness (assessed using a TPA texture profile analysis), the ash content of the raw and heat-treated product, the reduction in saturation of red (a*) and the increase in saturation of yellow (b*) in the general colour tone. In the sensory assessment, the marinating with the use of whey positively affected the juiciness and tenderness of the grilled product. Also an overall acceptability of the attributes analysed was reported. According to the results obtained, acid whey may be recommended as a natural marinade for broiler chicken meat.