EFFECT OF CARRAGEENAN AND OAT FLOUR ON STORAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF FRIED MUTTON KOFTA

Abstract

Low-fat high-fiber mutton kofta containing minced meat and optimized quantities of refined wheat flour (8.5%), oat flour (8.0%) and carrageenan (0.5%) was prepared. The product with wheat flour (9.0%) and fat (8.0%) and without oat flour and carrageenan was treated as control. The product was deep fat fried, packed under air or nitrogen and stored at 4 ± 2C. Inclusion of oat flour and carrageenan resulted in substantially lower contents of fat and higher moisture content compared with control. The carrageenan-containing product was softer in texture and juicier than control. Color traits b and L values of the product were affected by addition of carrageenan and oat flour in the formulation, whereas the value of a was unaffected. Decrease in pH, chewiness and other sensory attributes were noticed in kofta stored for 6 weeks. Products stored in nitrogen had better keeping quality and were sensorily acceptable up to 6 weeks. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Growing awareness of the risk between diet and health is changing consumer habits fast, so that there has been an increasing demand for foods with health-enhancing properties such as high-fiber and low-fat meat products. The apparent relationship between dietary fat and development of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity has prompted consumers to be aware of and concerned about the amount of fat in their diet. A major problem in the acceptability of low-fat processed meat products is the decline in palatability with fat reduction. Incorporation of carrageenan and oat flour in the development of low-fat high-fiber meat kofta improved the product quality without affecting the sensory profile of the product.