Effect of Sterilization Methods on the Storage Quality of Soybean Protein-based Crisp Meat and its Shelf Life Prediction

This study utilized soybean protein as a raw material to develop a plant-based precooked dish with crispy meat. The study compared the effects of microwave sterilization and water bath sterilization on the total number of colonies, and investigated the impact of different storage temperatures on the physical and chemical properties and texture characteristics of the product. The Q₁₀ model was utilized to obtain the shelf life model of plant-based crispy meat precooked dish based on the TVB-N value, and predicted its shelf life at 4 ℃ storage temperature. The results indicated that the optimal parameters for microwave sterilization were 540 W and 6 min, while for water bath sterilization they were 100 ℃ and 25 min. Compared to water bath sterilization, microwave sterilization had a better preservation effect, which could delay the color darkening, texture characteristics, and pH decrease of small crisp meat. The shelf life of small crisp meat calculated by the TVB-N safety limit was more reliable. The predicted shelf life of microwave and water bath sterilization at 4 ℃ was 16 days and 15.45 days, with errors of 6.67% and 3%, respectively. This study provides a theoretical reference for the product development of soy protein meat in the field of precooked dishes.