Food Science of Animal Resources (Food Sci. Anim. Resour.) is an international, peer-reviewed bimonthly journal publishing original research and reviews on basic and applied aspects of the use of animal resources including the meat, egg, dairy, and edible insect/worm products. Food Sci. Anim. Resour. is published and distributed by the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources.

Preheating and reheating play key roles in enhancing the nutritional and sensory qualities of stir-fried chicken. Thus, this study investigated the effect of preheating (D1) and reheating (D30) after 30 days of storage on the protein profile, lipid oxidation, flavor, texture, color, sensory properties, protein digestibility, and microstructure of household stir-fried chicken. Four doneness levels of preheating (medium rare (T1 = 62 °C), medium (T2 = 65 °C), medium well (T3 = 68 °C), and well done (T4 = 71 °C) and reheating (72 °C) were selected. Results revealed that preheating and reheating enhanced protein and lipid oxidation, while the unfolding of α-helix improved quality and digestibility. GC-MS identified 59 volatile compounds, including β-phellandrene and 1-octen-3-ol in preheating and anethole and benzaldehyde in reheating. Texture analysis showed decreased hardness, chewiness, and gumminess at T3. Lightness (L*) and redness (a*) were largely unaffected, except for the well done (D1T4, D30T4) doneness level, although yellowness (b*) increased with the increasing doneness levels. Sensory evaluation highlighted improved appearance, tenderness, and overall acceptability, particularly for D30T3. Digestibility enhanced with reheating, reaching up to 80% intestinal digestibility at D30T3. Microstructural analysis unveiled structural deformation, which was most pronounced at T4. Preheating followed by reheating enhanced meat quality attributes, with D30T3 emerging as the optimal doneness level for the industrial production of stir-fried chicken.

This study investigated the effect of freezing methods (conventional freezing, CF, ultra low temperature freezing, UF, liquid nitrogen freezing, LN) on the flavor, texture, and digestibility of reheated stir-fried chicken. Samples were preheated to four doneness levels (T1~T4) before freezing. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified 66 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal, and hexadecanal. LN (50.17%) and UF (25.27%) demonstrated superior volatile retention compared to CF (24.54%), although VOCs concentration declined with elevated doneness levels. E-nose supported GC-MS findings, highlighting enhanced sensor responses at LN-T1. LN exhibited higher moisture retention (62.24%) than CF (45.86%), which declined progressively with increasing doneness levels. Finer ice crystals resulted in enhanced myofibrillar retention and noticeable boundaries at UF and LN. Protein digestibility was lowest at CF (33.39%~55.62%), improved at LN (68.39%~83.31%). These findings highlighted liquid nitrogen freezing as the optimal preservation method for preheated stir-fried chicken.