The Effect of Batter Characteristics on Protein-Aided Control of Fat Absorption in Deep-Fried Breaded Fish Nuggets.

Lulu Cui,Jiwang Chen,Youling L Xiong,Yuhuan Wang

doi:10.3390/foods11020147

Lulu Cui, Jiwang Chen + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020147

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Abstract

Soy protein (SP), egg white protein (EP), and whey protein (WP) at 6% w/w were individually incorporated into the batter of a wheat starch (WS) and wheat gluten (WG) blend (11:1 w/w ratio). Moisture adsorption isotherms of WS and proteins and the viscosity, rheological behavior, and calorimetric properties of the batters were measured. Batter-breaded fish nuggets (BBFNs) were fried at 170 °C for 40 s followed by 190 °C for 30 s, and pick-up of BBFNs, thermogravimetric properties of crust, and fat absorption were determined. The moisture absorption capacity was the greatest for WS, followed by WG, SP, EP, and WP. The addition of SP significantly increased the viscosity and shear moduli (G″, G′) of batter and pick-up of BBFNs, while EP and WP exerted the opposite effect (p < 0.05). SP, EP, and WP raised WS gelatinization and protein denaturation temperatures and crust thermogravimetry temperature, but decreased enthalpy change (ΔH) and oily characteristics of fried BBFNs. These results indicate that hydrophilicity and hydration activity of the added proteins and their interactions with batter matrix starch and gluten reinforced the batter and the thermal stability of crust, thereby inhibiting fat absorption of the BBFNs during deep-fat frying.

Highlights

Fried batter-breaded foods are widely consumed food commodities
The moisture adsorption isotherm represents the correlation between the moisture content and aw at a constant temperature [20], by which the water-binding ability of wheat starch (WS) and the four proteins may be reflected
The moisture absorption capacity was the greatest for WS, followed by wheat gluten (WG), Soy protein (SP), egg white protein (EP), and whey protein (WP) (Figure 1), which may contribute to the moisture content in fried Batter-breaded fish nuggets (BBFNs)

Summary

Introduction

Fried batter-breaded foods are widely consumed food commodities. Aside from the tenderness and juiciness of the core (e.g., poultry, aquatic, and vegetable), the crispness of the crust and its golden yellow color, which depend on the composition of the breading batter (flour or starch, water, seasonings, and protein), are highly regarded by the consumers [1,2,3,4]. The crust formed during deep-fat frying contains significant amounts of fats, reaching one-third of fried batter-breaded foods by weight and in some cases up to 50% [5,6,7,8]. Long-term consumption of high-fat fried batter-breaded foods has the potential of contributing to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and dyslipidemia [5,7,9]. Strategies for creating low-fat fried batter-breaded foods that retain their desirable organoleptic properties are of importance. A batter with high protein content renders a more nutritious coating [13]

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