Exploiting Egyptian dates waste extract as a preservative to improve the quality and safety of chilled chickens

Abstract

Egypt is one of the richest countries in the world producing Phoenix dactylifera fruit. Phoenix dactylifera fruit wastes are not yet extensively utilized in the industry. Chicken safety and quality are prerequisites for current meat production and a basic requirement for consumers. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of 2% date seed extract on the safety and quality of the chicken meat marketed in Port-Saied markets, Egypt using chemical and bacteriological parameters. A total of forty chicken carcasses were equally divided into two groups. The first group was treated by dipping the carcasses in 2% date seeds extract for 15 mins, while the second group was kept as a control. Chicken samples were evaluated after one hour of treatment, as on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th days of storage at 3±1°C. The obtained results revealed that pH, total volatile nitrogen (mg/100 g), and Thiobarbituric Acid reactive substances (mg-MDA/kg) values of treated samples were 6.4, 13.6 and 0.303 respectively on the 9th day of chilled storage. The treatment of chicken samples with 2% date seeds extract showed significantly (p<0.05) lower total volatile nitrogen and Thiobarbituric Acid reactive substances values, as compared with control ones due to their content of antioxidants and phenolic compounds. Additionally, treatment with 2% date seed extracts significantly reduced the aerobic bacterial counts and extended the shelf-life of stored chicken meat to the 9th day of storage. Furthermore, using 2% date seed extract effectively improved the safety of the chicken meat as Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. were not detected in treated samples. It could be concluded from this study that additional studies are recommended to investigate the nature of the preservative materials in dates seeds extract to expand its use on an industrial scale to ensure the safety and quality of chilled chicken meat.