Development of enrobed fish products: Improvement of functionality of coated materials by added aquatic polymers.

Abstract

The study was aimed at evaluating three polymer hydrocolloids from aquatic sources in batter composition for developing enrobed fish fingers with less oil uptake and improved coating properties. Alginate, chitosan, and fish gelatin were incorporated at 1% (wt/wt) level in batter mix and coating parameters such as coating pickup, adhesion degree, frying loss, and cooked yield were studied. Proximate composition, chemical quality parameters, and oil absorption/oil reduction due to hydrocolloids were studied, and the results indicated that chitosan-treated fish fingers are found to have better coating functions, biochemical quality with lower total volatile basic nitrogen value (6.02 mg/100 g), peroxide value (0.05 meq O2/kg), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (0.15 MDA/kg fat) than alginate and gelatin treated samples. The results indicated that lowest fat uptake (3.73%), lowest hardness value, and highest fat reduction were observed in fish finger coated with chitosan containing batter. Among the three aquatic polymers evaluated, chitosan was found to be more effective in oil reduction and physicochemical quality improvement as compared to alginate and fish gelatin.