Effect of fermented bamboo shoot on the quality and shelf life of nuggets prepared from desi spent hen

Aim: An investigation was carried out to prepare nuggets from the relatively tough and fibrous meat of desi spent hen using fermented bamboo shoot as a phytopreservative in order to enhance the physico-chemical, microbiological and keeping quality of the nuggets. Materials and Methods: Lean meat of desi spent hen was minced and blended along with other non-meat ingredients and fermented bamboo shoot @10%. The emulsion was filled in metallic moulds and steam cooked and cut into pieces. Ready-to- eat nuggets thus prepared were packed in sterilized LDPE zip bags and stored at 4 [+ or -] 1[degrees]C up-to 15 days for quality evaluation. Emulsion stability (%), cooking yield (%), [a.sub.w] and proximate composition were studied on the day of preparation, while estimation of pH, TBA values, microbial load and sensory evaluation were carried out at 5 days interval and up-to 15th day of storage. Results: The emulsion stability (%), cooking yield (%), moisture (%), crude protein (%) and total ash (%) of FBS treated nuggets differed significantly (p