Measurement of Dielectric Properties of Intact and Ground Broiler Breast Meat over the Frequency Range from 500 MHz to 50 GHz

The dielectric properties of food greatly influence its interaction with Radio Frequency (RF) and Microwave (MW) electromagnetic fields and subsequently determine the absorption of microwave energy and consequent heating behavior of food materials in microwave heating and processing applications. Microwave heating is usually recommended for further processed meats to reduce cooking losses. Ground muscle is a common ingredient in further processed meats. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in dielectric properties between broiler whole muscle and ground muscle over a broad frequency range of 500 MHz to 50 GHz and to examine any correlations between meat functionality and the dielectric properties of the muscle. Dielectric properties were obtained utilizing an Agilent 85070E open-ended coaxial-line probe connected to an N5230C PNA L-Network Analyzer. Measurements were collected at 501 frequencies on a logarithmic scale from 500 MHz to 50 GHz on whole and ground chicken breast meat. Color, pH and water holding capacity were also measured. Ground muscle exhibited lower dielectric properties than the whole muscle overall (p<0.05). Dielectric properties from whole muscle showed no apparent correlations with quality parameters. However, the dielectric properties of ground muscle had a stronger relationship with the sample’s water holding capacity (p<0.05).