Effects of the addition of collagen and degree of comminution in the quality of chicken ham

Gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen are commonly obtained from collagen. A new ingredient that is currently being studied is collagen fiber, which is obtained from the inner layers of bovine hide. In this study, we evaluated the effects of adding a mixture of 50% collagen fiber and 50% collagen fiber powder (0.75 to 1.25%) with isolated soy protein (0 to 2.0%) and the effects of the particle size of the meat (8 to 22 mm) on the quality of chicken ham (an alternative to traditional ham) using a 2(3) factorial design. The best results were obtained for the formulation with raw material of a smaller particle size, without the addition of soy protein and a lower collagen concentration. In the histological evaluation, we observed the presence of collagen and the comminution differences in the product structure. The addition of collagen proved to be a viable alternative for the production of chicken ham without the addition of vegetable proteins and also for maintaining a good level of sensory acceptability.