Enhancement of nutritional and textural properties of restructured jerky with duck blood powder for meal kit applications

This study investigated the potential of duck blood powder as a functional ingredient in restructured jerky developed for meal kit applications. The resulting products had water activity values between 0.735 and 0.745 and were classified as semi-dried products. Increasing the duck blood powder to 20% did not significantly alter the moisture content or water activity; however, these parameters notably increased at inclusion levels of 30% and 40%. The results showed that higher duck blood powder concentrations significantly increased protein content, essential amino acids, pH, cooking yield, and rehydration ratio while reducing shear force, thereby improving tenderness. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the addition of duck blood powder induced the formation of irregular, spherical, and gel-like microstructures, which contributed to the textural improvements. These findings demonstrate that duck blood powder can effectively enhance both the nutritional value and physical quality of restructured jerky, highlighting its potential as a valuable ingredient in semi-dried meat products in meal kit formats.