Spinach was baked in steam-assisted hybrid ovens, natural and forced convection ovens, and saturated steam ovens at different temperatures and baking times. The moisture content, water activity, peroxidise activity, colour, ascorbic acid, and chlorophyll content were determined for each baking time and kinetic analysis of thermal degradation of the colour, chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid were evaluated. Degradation of green colour, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid in spinach leaves during the baking process was considered as first order reaction kinetics and temperature dependency of degradation was described by the Arrhenius equation. Baking in steam-assisted hybrid ovens resulted in the highest rate of reaction for both colour change and chlorophyll degradation, followed by forced convection and then natural convection ovens. The existence of steam in the baking chamber resulted in an acceleration of the baking process and better ascorbic acid retention in spinach was determined by baking in steam-assisted hybrid ovens. Degradation kinetics could allow definition of optimum baking temperatures and times in different types of ovens and shorter baking times should be preferred in steam-assisted hybrid ovens if fresh appearance (high greenness) is desired.
ARTICLE HISTORY
Beef (Semitendinosus muscle) was cooked in natural convection, forced convection and steam assisted hybrid oven and saturated steam oven at different oven temperatures until the geometric center of samples reached different end temperatures. Heterocyclic amine (HCA) compounds formation, soluble protein degradation kinetics, cook value, changes in fat content, surface colour and overall acceptance of cooked beef were determined. Soluble protein degradation of beef was considered as first order reaction kinetics and the reaction rate constants, k, were determined in the range of 0.014-0.052 min −1 . In steam assisted hybrid oven had higher reaction rate constants compared to that of the convection ovens. The effect of cooking temperature on soluble protein degradation for natural convection, forced convection and steam assisted hybrid oven followed the Arrhenius type of equation with activation energies of 12.45, 14.57 and 60.16 kJ/mol, respectively. Lower HCAs contents, shorter cooking times, lower cook values and lower fat retention were obtained by steam assisted hybrid oven cooking. Steam assisted hybrid cooking could be considered as an alternative cooking method to obtain a healthier product without compromising the eating habits of conventional methods due to better appearance (moderate burned surface) than saturated steam oven samples and a product retaining the most of the nutritional values.
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