Introduction

Osmotic dehydration is a mild, energy-efficient method for partial water removal, used to extend shelf life and preserve the quality of food. While traditionally performed with binary solutions (e.g., NaCl alone), recent studies suggest that ternary solutions—combining NaCl with maltose syrup—can improve mass transfer and product quality. However, this approach has not been extensively explored in poultry meat.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of osmotic dehydration using ternary solutions on selected quality attributes of poultry meat.

Methods

The research material consisted of chicken breast meat. Samples were subjected to osmotic dehydration using five different solutions: a binary solution of 20% NaCl and four ternary solutions combining 5% or 10% NaCl with either 40% or 60% maltose syrup. Beakers with the prepared solutions were placed in a refrigerated cabinet at 3 °C. Their contents were continuously mixed using magnetic stirrers, ensuring uniform distribution of both salt and maltose syrup throughout the solutions. Samples were collected before dehydration (0 h) and after 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours of immersion. At each time point, pH, moisture content, water activity (aw), and salt content were measured using standard physicochemical methods to evaluate mass transfer dynamics and quality changes.

Results and Conclusions

Ternary solutions significantly enhanced dehydration efficiency. Moisture content dropped from 75,22% to as low as 54,37%, with a concurrent decrease in water activity from 0,971 to 0,920, favoring microbial stability and extended shelf life. Notably, higher maltose concentrations led to better moisture removal and reduced NaCl uptake, preserving desirable quality traits.

The results highlight the potential of ternary osmotic solutions in poultry processing to achieve effective dehydration while limiting salt absorption, offering a balanced and efficient method for meat quality enhancement.