Effect of vacuum treatment on smoke penetration into boiled skipjack loins for production of smoke-dried skipjack

ABSTRACT: The present work evaluates the effect of vacuum treatment on smoke penetration into boiled skipjack loins for the production of smoke-dried skipjack. Using a vacuum freeze-dryer, the boiled skipjack loins were vacuumed immediately after being boiled at a pressure of 400 Pa for 30 min in order to reduce the lipid and water contents. The vacuumed boiled meats were then smoked and dried at 90 ± 10°C for 3 h a day for 6 days in a metal kiln (internal diameter 24 cm × 24 cm × 70 cm height), using an electric heater (1.2 kW) to heat and generate smoke from cherry tree wood chips. Also, non-vacuumed boiled meats were smoked in the same manner as a control. The vacuum treatment reduced the lipid and water contents by as much as 0.6% and 2.7% on the wet weight basis, respectively. Histological observations showed many clearances among the muscle fibers of the vacuumed boiled meats. The content of phenols that had penetrated the vacuumed boiled meats during the smoke drying procedure was significantly larger ( P < 0.05) than that of the non-vacuumed boiled meats. Accordingly, the vacuum treatment accelerated the penetration of phenols into the boiled meats and enhanced the function of antioxidant substances, which improved the quality of the smoke-dried skipjack.