Changes in the fatty acid composition of dietetic ready-to-cook chicken meat products during frozen storage

A study was made on the fatty acid composition of dietetic ready-to-cook products of boneless chicken legs or breasts prepared by curing using several curing mixtures during frozen storage. Leg muscles were found to be richer in unsaturated fatty acids than breast muscles, substantial differences having been found in the contents of palmitoleic and linolenic acids. During frozen storage, the contents of unsaturated fatty acids were reduced, especially intensively in the leg muscle ready-to-cook products. The fastest changes occurred in linolenic and linolic acids and partly in palmitic acid. The level of oleic acid remained substantially unchanged throughout the storage period. Irrespective of the changes found, the ratio of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids in all the groups studied remained greater than 1 for both types of meat. The application of citrate in the curing mixture had a favourable effect on the changes, in that a minimum alteration in the contents of unsaturated fatty acids was achieved.