Characterization of okara and rice bran and their application as fat substitutes in chicken nugget formulations

Abstract

This study aimed to prepare and characterize chicken nugget formulations added with two agroindustrial byproducts, okara flour (OF) and rice bran (RB), as substitutes for chicken skin. The control formulation (F1) contained 8 wt% chicken skin, which was replaced with OF (F2), RB (F3), or a mixture of RB and OF in equal proportions (F4). OF and RB contained similar amounts of dietary fiber (∼30 g 100 g−1), but RB had the highest concentrations of lipids and antioxidant compounds and OF the highest content of proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Addition of byproducts to chicken nugget formulations increased the contents of dietary fibers (100%), ashes (35%), and PUFAs (10%) while reducing the contents of lipids (35%), saturated fatty acids (10%), and cholesterol (40%). F4 had the highest phytosterol (0.24 g 100 g−1) and tocopherol (0.19 g 100 g−1) contents and a similar texture profile to F1. F4 had better sensory acceptance and higher purchase intention than F2 and F3, and the scores for appearance, juiciness and texture were similar between F1 and F4. OF and RB are promising fat replacers to improve the nutritional value and cooking properties of chicken nugget formulations, contributing to reducing lipid oxidation rates.