Abstract: The aim of this study was to find the optimum processing conditions for the microwave vacuum puffing of duck breast after hot-air dehydration. Firstly, the one-factor-at-a-time method was used to examine the effects of initial moisture content, microwave intensity, microwave irradiation time and vacuum degree on volume shrinkage, rehydration ratio, sensory score of puffed duck breast. Subsequently, response surface methodology was used optimize initial moisture content, microwave intensity, microwave irradiation time. Results showed that all the above four factors had influences on the quality of puffed duck breast. When the vacuum degree was fixed at 0.08 MPa, the influences of three other factors on volume shrinkage (Y1) and sensory score (Y2) of puffed duck breast from prediction model were in the descending order of microwave intensity > microwave irradiation time > initial moisture content. The optimum processing parameters obtained by superimposition of contours were as follows: 59%–63%, 20.5–24.7 W/g and 6.1–6.6 min for initial moisture content, microwave intensity and microwave irradiation time, respectively. Under these conditions, volume shrinkage rate of puffed duck breast was lower than 34% and sensory score was 4.75 and above. These experimental results can provide a theoretical reference for the industrial production of puffed duck products.

Key words: duck breast, puffing, processing, optimization