Enhancing the quality and value of raw cleaned edible bird nests through cleaning, drying and enzymatic processing
Edible bird's nest (EBN) is renowned for its high nutritional value and medicinal properties. Malaysia exported 105 tons of raw cleaned (RC) EBN to China in 2022, indicating its significance in the market. However, the EBN industry faces challenges related to quality discrepancies arising fr...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118181/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118181/1/118181.pdf |
| Summary: | Edible bird's nest (EBN) is renowned for its high nutritional value and medicinal
properties. Malaysia exported 105 tons of raw cleaned (RC) EBN to China in 2022,
indicating its significance in the market. However, the EBN industry faces challenges
related to quality discrepancies arising from diverse processing methods and drying
techniques, compounded by reliance on skilled labor, hindering efficient product
recovery and market competitiveness. This study aims to address these challenges by
focusing on enhancing the quality and value of RC EBN products. Research objectives
include investigating quality differences among RC EBN products, assessing changes
post-primary processing, and exploring solutions to reduce reliance on skilled labor.
Structural and chemical analyses reveal distinct characteristics among RC EBN
products, emphasizing variations in antioxidant activity and total sialic acid content.
Three primary processing methods were studied, including two commonly used
industry methods (semi-dry and wet methods) and a newly proposed method (semiwet
method) requiring fewer skills. After cleaning, RC EBNs showed significant
reductions in nitrite and nitrate content, while no reduction was observed in antioxidant activity, total sialic acid, total glycoprotein, or total polysaccharide content.
The semi-wet cleaning method demonstrated significantly higher antioxidant activity,
and total sialic acid content compared to the semi-dry method, with equivalent
chemical properties to the wet method but with consistent product recovery.
Additionally, the study investigated three distinct drying methods: continuous cold air
drying, continuous hot air drying, and intermittent hot air drying. Shaping or
compacting fragment EBNs prior to cold air drying was recommended to enhance
product quality. Enzymatic hydrolysis offered an alternative approach for processing
heavy feather RUC EBN and wastage EBN, yielding valuable EBN hydrolysates.
Integration of heat treatment with enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in a remarkable 96%
recovery rate, providing promising avenues for waste utilization and product
enhancement. Overall, this multifaceted approach aims to address critical challenges
in the EBN industry, offering comprehensive insights and innovative solutions to
enhance product quality, value, and market competitiveness. Moreover, the study
highlights the potential transformation of EBN residue into EBN hydrolysate as a
nutraceutical, offering reduced dependency on skilled labor and mitigated product
costs. |
|---|