Combination of hot air drying and deep-fat frying to reduce the oil content in chicken nuggets

• Published in: International journal of food science & technology Vol. 45; no. 10; pp. 2101 - 2107
• Main Authors: Martínez-Ávila, M, Vélez-Ruiz, J.F, Sosa-Morales, M.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Air drying; Biological and medical sciences; Bulbs; Chickens; Drying; Drying oils; Fat industries; Food industries; Frying; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Meat and meat product industries; Scanning electron microscopy; Topography; Uptakes; Heat treatment; Deep-frying; Air drying; Oil content; Meat product; Fat; Chicken meat
• ISSN: 0950-5423; 1365-2621
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2010.02390.x

The combination of hot air drying and frying to reduce oil uptake in chicken nuggets was analysed. Two air velocities (2 and 4 m s⁻¹) and two dry bulb temperatures (44 and 61 °C) were employed in the drying process, as a treatment before or after deep-fat frying at 160 °C for 90 s in fresh soybean oil. The lowest fat content was obtained by frying followed of drying at 61 °C with air velocity of 2 m s⁻¹. When drying was applied before frying, mass transfer (moisture loss) during the drying process was modelled according to Fick's second law; diffusion coefficients ranged between 1.03 and 3.33 x 10⁻⁶ m² s⁻¹. When drying was applied after frying, a constant rate period was observed during drying process, with velocities between 0.002 and 0.02 kgwater/kgdry solids·min. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) allowed to observe differences in the topography of chicken nuggets obtained from frying or the combination of frying and drying.