Wheat batter on chicken nuggets with Benecel modified cellulose

FOOD TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Ashland Specialty Ingredients
ashland.com
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FTR-023-1
Wheat Batter on Chicken Nuggets
With Benecel™ modified cellulose
Introduction
Various hydrocolloids such as Benecel modified cellulose (which can be either hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, HPMC, or
methylcellulose, MC), can be used in a fried-food matrix to reduce oil content. It is believed that the thermal gelation
property of Benecel HPMC or MC products are the cause of this oil reduction. This study examines moisture loss, oil
uptake, pore formation, and sensory properties in fried products using Benecel HPMC or MC and determines the
most effective grades for reducing fat. This study also compares the performance of Benecel HPMC or MC to a
modified corn starch specific to frying applications.
Methods
Chicken nuggets were prepared then coated with batter to compare Benecel HPMC or MC with a control. Each of the
samples was evaluated for fat content and moisture.
Formulations for the chicken nuggets and batter are shown in Tables 1 and 2, accompanied by their preparation
instructions.
Table 1. Typical chicken nugget formula
Ingredient
Ground White Meat
Water
Salt
Total Percent
96.5
3
0.5
Preparation.
1. Dissolve salt into the water.
2. Add water and salt to chicken meat and mix in a stand-up mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping
down after 1 minute.
3. Pipe 15 gram balls of chicken then flatten slightly to form a patty.
4. Place chicken in an airtight container and freeze.
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representation, express or implied, for which Ashland assumes legal responsibility. ®Registered trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries. ™Trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various
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Rev. 9-2014
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Table 2. Wheat batter formulas
Control
Ingredient
Dry Percent
Test
Total Percent Dry Percent
Total Percent
Flour
91.5
39.8
90.6
39.4
Hydrocolloid
0.0
0.0
0.9
0.4
Baking powder
3.0
1.3
3.0
1.3
Salt
5.5
2.4
5.5
2.4
Water
0.0
56.5
0.0
56.5
Preparation.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mix dry powders in a stand-up mixer on low for 1 minute.
Add water and mix on low for 2 minutes.
Pour batter into a beaker and dip frozen nuggets into batter.
Pull the nuggets out of batter and allow excess batter to drip before placing in the fryer.
Fry chicken nugget at 180˚C for 40 seconds, allowing the excess oil to drip before placing par-fried nugget in
an airtight container and freezing.
6. Fry the par-fried frozen chicken nuggets at 180˚C for 5 minutes and allow excess oil to drip for 30 seconds
before removing from the fry basket.
Table 3 shows the formulation of batter using the modified corn starch. The batter was made using starch at the level
Benecel™ HPMC or MC is used (test 1) and at the level starch is typically used in batters (test 2).
Table 3. Wheat batter formulas with starch
Test 1
Test 2
Dry Percent
Total Percent
Dry Percent
Total Percent
91.5
0.9
39.8
0.4
85.8
5.7
37.3
2.5
Baking powder
3.0
1.3
3.0
1.3
Salt
5.5
2.4
5.5
2.4
Water
0.0
56.5
0.0
56.5
Ingredient
Flour
Starch
Preparation.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mix dry powders in a stand-up mixer on low for 1 minute.
Add water and mix on low for 2 minutes.
Pour batter into a beaker and dip frozen nuggets into batter.
Pull the nuggets out of batter and allow excess batter to drip before placing in the fryer.
Fry chicken nuggets at 180˚C for 40 seconds, allowing the excess oil to drip before placing par-fried nuggets
in an airtight container and freezing.
6. Fry the par-fried frozen chicken nuggets at 180˚C for 5 minutes and allow excess oil to drip for 30 seconds
before removing from the fry basket.
Results and Discussion
The chemical compositions across Benecel HPMC or MC types are quite different, which results in different
functionalities (see Figure 1). A types, which are MC, have the lowest gel point, while K types, which are HPMC, have
the most hydroxypropyl and least methoxyl content. A types are less salt tolerant than the HPMC E, F and K types. As
the methoxyl content increases, the molecule becomes more hydrophobic, although it is still water soluble. As
hydroxypropyl content increases, hydrophilicity increases.
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35
30
Wt. % Hydroxypropyl
Benecel™ K type HPMC
25
Benecel A type MC
Benecel E type HPMC
20
Benecel F type HPMC
15
10
5
0
15
20
25
Wt. % Methoxyl
30
35
Figure 1. Range of substitutions for Benecel MC or HPMC
Oil Uptake. All the tested Benecel HPMC or MC grades reduce oil uptake versus control. Benecel E and K grades
(HPMC) provide more drastic results than Benecel A grades (MC) and F grades (HPMC), but the final choice for
which Benecel HPMC or MC product to use will ultimately come down to texture preference. Figure 2 shows the
results of testing the oil content of the chicken nuggets with time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR)
analysis and shows the differences between individual Benecel HPMC or MC grades.
25
Percentage of oil
20
17.8%
Reduction
27.3%
Reduction
15
54.7%
Reduction
10
59.9%
Reduction
5
0
Control
Benecel™ Benecel A4M Benecel K4M Benecel E4M
F4M HPMC
MC
HPMC
HPMC
HPMC or MC grade
Figure 2. Oil content results comparing Benecel HPMC or MC grades at
the same viscosity in solution
Moisture Retention. Oil uptake and moisture are very closely related; in our work there is a strong negative
correlation (R = −0.98) between oil and moisture. In other words, the more moisture that remains in the crust, the
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lower the oil content. This is because as the heat of the oil cooks the food the water evaporates, creating pores in the
surface of the coating. When the batter-coated chicken nugget is removed from the hot oil there is a pressure
differential between the outer layer of the crust and the center; this draws oil into the pores created by the escaping
moisture (Figure 3). Up to 80% of the oil may be absorbed this way. Benecel™ HPMC or MC is unusual in its thermal
gelation property, which forms a gel at temperatures above 50–80°C (depending on grade) to immobilize the water
while the food is frying. This additional water has minimal effects on crispness and water activity. W hen the
food is removed from the oil, the gel prevents additional oil from being drawn in.
Figure 3. Thermal gelation mechanism for reduced oil uptake during cooking (top) and after
cooking (bottom)
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Figure 4 shows how moisture content is affected by the difference in Benecel™ HPMC or MC grades. Moistures are
calculated by weight loss after desiccation and confirmed with a moisture balance.
70
60
Percent moisture
50
40
30
20
10
0
Control
Benecel™ Benecel A4M Benecel E4M Benecel K4M
F4M HPMC
MC
HPMC
HPMC
HPMC or MC grade
Figure 4. Moisture in chicken nuggets after frying; comparing Benecel
modified cellulose grades at the same viscosity
Adding Benecel HPMC or MC increases batter viscosity compared with the control. In order to compensate for this,
batters were made with the same dry mix, but increased water so the batter viscosity matched the control. The water
increased from 1.3 to 1 wet to dry to 1.55 to 1 wet to dry. The added water decreased the efficacy of Benecel HPMC
or MC in terms of oil uptake, but still showed less oil uptake than the control. Figure 5 shows the differences
between the control, a Benecel HPMC batter with higher water content to match the viscosity of the control and a
Benecel HPMC batter with the same amount of water as the control.
25
Percentage of oil
20
15
10
5
0
Control 1.3 to 1
Benecel™ K4M HPMC
1.55 to 1
Batter formulation
Benecel K4M HPMC
1.3 to 1
Figure 5. Benecel HPMC in fried batters at various viscosities
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Starch Comparison. Figure 6 shows the wheat battered chicken nugget oil uptake results for the control, Benecel™
HPMC or MC products and modified corn starch at two levels: one at the same dosage as Benecel HPMC or MC
and another at a typical dosage rate for starch.
18
Percent oil uptake
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Batter additive
Figure 6. Oil uptake of Benecel HPMC or MC grades compared with starch
Conclusion
Any of the Benecel HPMC or MC grades will help to reduce oil pickup in a battered fried food. Formulators have a
wide range of products to choose from when creating a batter. Although all Benecel HPMC or MC products create a
crisp coating, there are slight variations in the bite between grades so it will come down to preference for the ideal
product. Oil reduction not only has health benefits by reducing calories, but also it can reduce costs spent on oil.
Ashland’s technical experts can assist formulators in choosing the best product for fried batter.
Additional Resources
Annapure, U., R. Singhal & P. Kulkarni. “Screening of Hydrocolloids for the Reduction in Oil Uptake of a
Model of Deep Fat Fried Product.” European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology. 101.6 (1999): 217–221.
García, M., C. Ferrero, N. Bértola, M. Martino & N. Zaritzky. “Edible Coatings from Cellulose Derivatives to Reduce
Oil Uptake in Fried Products.” Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 3.4 (2002): 391–397.
Mallikarjunan, P., M. Chinnan, V. Balasubramaniam & R. Phillips. “Edible Film Coatings for Deep-fat Frying of Starchy
Products.” LWT—Food Science and Technology, 30.7 (1997): 709–714.
Mellema. M. “Mechanism and Reduction of Fat Uptake in Deep-fat Fried Foods.” Trends in Food Science &
Technology, 14.9 (2003): 364–373.
Primo-Martin, C., T. Sanz, D. Steringa, A. Salvador, S. Fiszman & T. van Vliet. “Performance of Cellulose Derivatives
in Deep-fried Battered Snacks: Oil Barrier and Crispy Properties.” Food Hydrocolloids, 24.8 (2010): 702–708.
Sahin, S. and S. Sumnu. Advances in Deep-fat Frying of Foods. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2009. Print.
Salvador, A., T. Sanz & S. Fiszman. “Performance of Methyl Cellulose in Coating Batters for Fried Products.” Food
Hydrocolloids, 22.6 (2008): 1062–1067.
Singthong, J. & C. Thongkaew. “Using Hydrocolloids to Decrease Oil Absorption in Banana Chips.”
LWT—Food Science and Technology, 42.7 (2009): 1199–1203.
Key Words: Benecel, HPMC, MC, thermal gelation, E464, E461, fried food

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