Production of functional raw chicken meat by incorporation of date palm seed extract: an assessment of microbiological, chemical and sensory properties

This study explored the impact of date palm seeds ethanolic extract (DSEE) on the microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory qualities of chicken breast meat kept refrigerated at 4 °C. DSEE was applied at 0.156% (DSEE1), 0.312% (DSEE2), and 0.624% (DSEE4). Microbiological parameters, chemical stability, and sensory features of DSEE were monitored for 14 days at refrigerated conditions (4 °C). DSEE considerably (p < 0.05) decreased lipid/protein oxidation processes. Interestingly, at 14 days, DSEE at 0.624% delayed microbial growth. Moreover, the addition of 0.312% (DSEE2) and 0.624% (DSEE4) and storage time substantially affected the sensory (appearance, odor, color, and overall acceptability) parameters of chicken breast meat. By expertly employing chemometric techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and heat maps, the acquired evidence brought useful information to regroup all samples and to associate microbiological and oxidation characteristics to organoleptic attributes using correlation models. PCA and heat maps provided effective information to differentiate all samples and relate lipid and protein oxidative processes and microbiological properties to sensory parameters. The obtained findings contribute to a better knowledge of the impact of chemical and microbial alterations on sensory quality in fortified meat products. This study displayed the potential functional and economic benefits of using DSEE as an encouraging component in chicken meat preservation.