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 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.

Text 118181.pdf Download (1MB) Official URL or Download Paper: http://ethesis.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/18359

Actions (login required)

View Item