Convective heat processing of turkey roll: effects on sensory quality and energy usage

Twenty-four frozen, raw, boneless, ready-to-cook turkey rolls were cooked in an institutional electric convection oven to an internal temperature of 77 degrees C. Six treatment combinations of three cooking temperatures (105 degrees C, 135 degrees C, and 165 degrees C) and two holding conditions (not chilled and chilled for 24 hours) were studied. Turkey rolls from each treatment combination were subjected to three hot-holding times (0, 60, and 120 minutes). Electrical energy usage was monitored during heat processing of the turkey rolls, reheating the turkey slices, and hot holding the turkey slices. Aroma, juicy mouthfeel, texture, flavor, and flavor off-notes of the cooked turkey were evaluated by seven judges using 150-mm unstructured line scales. Chew counts also were recorded. Turkey cooked at 105 degrees C took significantly more time to cook (331 vs. 227 and 203 minutes) but consumed significantly less energy (3.4 vs. 3.8 and 4.5 kWh) than turkey rolls cooked at 135 degrees C and 165 degrees C, respectively. Significantly higher juicy mouthfeel scores were obtained when the turkey roll was cooked in the convection oven at an oven temperature of 105 degrees C, the turkey was not chilled, and the slices were held hot for 60 minutes or less.