Abstract
Crispy pork rind, called Kaeb Moo in Thai, is a typical and very popular food in the northern region of Thailand. It is made from deep frying pork skin, previously cut in slices. There are basically two different types of Kaeb Moo, the first one consisting only of the skin layer and the second one where subcutaneous fat is also present. Kaeb Moo may undergo rapid change of quality, as rancidity, after it has been processed. However, little has been done so far for quality assessments and certification of the Thai crispy pork rind. In this research, investigations on chemical, physical and sensorial aspects of Kaeb Moo were performed in order to determine the quality parameters of this product. Samples were purchased from well-known local producers of Chiang Mai province, or prepared in-house. The average hardness of each sample ranged from 15.0 to 40.0 kgf, while moisture and fat contents were 0.3 - 2.3 and 20.0 - 36.5%, respectively. The degrees of lipid oxidation were in the range of 0.10 - 2.57 μg malondialdehyde g-1. Volatile compounds were investigated by headspace-solid phase microextraction technique and GC-MS. The following compounds were found: propanal, hexanal, heptanal, 2-eptanone, 2-pentyl furan, heptane, octane, and 4-methyl octane. Descriptive analysis profiling was used to express the sensorial attributes and 18 important attributes of Kaeb Moo were described by 12 trained panelists. Finally, consumer acceptance test (n = 400) using 9-point hedonic scale was carried out in respect to colour, odour, taste, crispness, and overall-liking.