The effect of edible film on oil uptake and moisture retention of a deep-fat fried poultry product

The recent trend in reducing the fat content in fried foods is leading to the development of low-fat products using batter and breading formulations from protein and other hydrocolloids. The functionality of many of these edible ingredients on moisture retention and fat barrier properties during deep-fat frying is not clearly understood. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose edible film coating on chicken balls for moisture retention and fat reduction during deep-fat frying. Two sizes (35 and 47 mm) of uncoated and coated chicken balls were fried in peanut oil at 175C for five different frying periods ranging from 30 to 180s for small and 30 to 300s for large balls. The moisture and fat content from the surface layer and core were determined. In comparison to the control, moisture retention up to 16.4% and fat reduction up to 33.7% were observed.