Eur Food Res Technol (2004) 218:318–322 DOI 10.1007/s00217-003-0854-5 ORIGINAL PAPER Bilge Altunakar · Serpil Sahin · Gulum Sumnu Functionality of batters containing different starch types for deep-fat frying of chicken nuggets Received: 22 September 2003 / Published online: 3 February 2004 # Springer-Verlag 2004 Abstract The effect of various starch types (amylomaize, corn, waxymaize, pregelatinized tapioca) on quality attributes (texture, moisture content, oil content, color, coating pick up, cooking yield, volume and porosity) of deep-fat fried chicken nuggets were studied. Chicken samples, 0.04 m in diameter and 0.015 m in thickness, taken from the breast portion, were coated with batters composed of a 3:5 solid to water ratio by immersion. The solid content of batter formulations contained equal amounts of corn and wheat flour, 5.0% starch, 1.0% salt and 0.5% leavening agent. As control, batter without starch addition, was used. Samples were fried at 1800C for 3, 6, 9 and 12 minutes. Crispness and oil content of chicken nuggets increased, whereas moisture content decreased with increasing frying time. Starch addition to the formulations increased crispness of the product significantly at the last stages of frying. The highest porosity and oil content was obtained when corn starch was used. Pregelatinized tapioca starch was found to provide a product with the lowest oil content, the highest moisture content, coating pick up and volume. Keywords Frying · Chicken nuggets · Batter · Starch · Physical properties Introduction Deep fat frying is defined as a process of cooking and drying through contact with hot oil and involves, there- fore, simultaneous heat and mass transfer. During deep fat frying several chemical and physical changes occur such as starch gelatinization, protein denaturation and crust formation. The chemical browning reactions taking place between reducing sugars and protein sources, the absorp- tion of frying oil, density of the fried product as well as the temperature and frying period lead to color develop- ment during the frying process [1]. Fried products are judged by their functional proper- ties. Crispness is typically a textural parameter for fried products which depends upon the ingredients, formulation (proper balance among ingredients), and processes (mix- ing and frying) [2]. Moisture and oil contents are important properties in determining fried food product quality. Porosity and oil uptake was found to increase with frying time during frying of tortilla chips [3]. Higher initial solid content resulted in lower oil uptake in potato chips [4]. Batters are liquid mixtures comprised of water, flour and seasoning into which food products are dipped prior to frying. Usage of coatings in deep fat frying is common since they act to improve appearance, flavor and texture by reducing dehydration, aiding browning and giving a crisp texture to the fried parts [5]. The batter coating apparently functions to reduce water loss during frying which, in turn, lessens oil absorption [6]. Many factors affect oil uptake and moisture retention, including oil quality, frying temperature and duration, product shape, composition, porosity, pre-frying treatments and coating. The recent trend in reducing the fat content in fried foods is the development of batter formulations with specific ingredients. Both wheat and corn flours play an important role in puff/tempura frying batter systems. Because of their higher water binding capacities, hydrocolloids de- velop viscosity in batter systems helping to trap gas released by fast-actioning leavening agents. This results in higher volume and improves texture [7]. Very little has been published in scientific literature about the comparison of starches affecting the quality of battered and deep fat fried products. Ahamed et al. [8] blended different types of starches with soya flour in deep fat fried snacks and observed that the oil content of fried products decreased with increased starch content. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of various starch types used in batter formulations on quality B. Altunakar · S. Sahin ( ) ) · G. Sumnu Department of Food Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara, Turkey e-mail: serp@metu.edu.tr Tel.: +90-312-2105627 Fax: +90-312-2101270