Effect of green tea extract and microwave pre-cooking on the formation of acrylamide in fried chicken drumsticks and chicken wings

Abstract

Since 2002, it has been well-known that carbohydrate-rich foods have a high level of acrylamide (AA). Some researchers have drawn attention on the formation of AA in coated and fried chicken meat products in recent years. From this viewpoint, the purpose of the present study was to mitigate acrylamide formation in fried chicken drumsticks (CDs) and chicken wings (CWs) using green tea extract (GTE) alone or combined with microwave pre-cooking (MPC) by decrease frying time. In brief, CDs and CWs marinated for one day were divided into eight groups. Four of those were first covered with batter and breading, including 0%, 0.5%, 1.5% and 3% GTE and deep fried in fat for 8.5min for CDs and 3.5min for CWs at 175°C and 8psi of pressure. In the second step, the remainder of the marinated CDs and CWs were subjected to MPC for 7min and 5min, respectively. Then, they were covered with batter and breading including 0%, 0.5%, 1.5% and 3% GTE and deep fried in fat for 5.5min for CDs and 2.5min for CWs at 175°C and 8psi for pressure. With increasing levels of GTE, the AA concentration decreased gradually in CDs and CWs. In addition, MPC also decreased AA formation in CWs due to the shorter frying time. Moreover, MPC was more efficient at reducing AA formation in CWs when it was combined with GTE. A lighter and more yellowish color was measured in CDs as a consequence of the shorter frying time. It is crucial to state that the incorporation of GTE into the breading or MPC did not negatively affect the sensory properties of CDs and CWs, while it reduced AA formation. In conclusion, it can be stated that GTE alone or combined with MPC is an effective and practical mitigation strategy for AA formation.