Inclusão de farinha de peixe no revestimento de nuggets de Tilápia-do-Nilo

Abstract

Studies have been conducted to innovate and bring a healthier profile to breaded products and, in this sense, the use of fish meal in the coating can improve the nutritional profile and add value to the by-product of the fish processing industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fish meal in the coating of Nile tilapia nuggets on their physicochemical and sensorial characteristics. Initially, fish meals were produced by cooking, pressing and drying the mechanically separated meat (MSM) of tilapia. Nuggets were prepared using tilapia MSM as raw material. For breading, all nuggets were pre-dust with wheat flour, and then dipped in breading liquid. In the final stage of the coating, the nuggets were distributed in four treatments, corresponding to the four types of coating (0, 20, 40 and 60% of inclusion of fish meal in the PANKO coating flour). Afterwards, the nuggets were submitted to pre-frying, frozen and later submitted to complete frying, to carry out analyzes of centesimal composition, caloric value, color, yield, shrinkage, shear force, analysis of the texture profile and sensory analysis. In pre-fried nuggets, there was a linear increase in protein, lipid, ash and caloric value; while in the fried nuggets, there was a linear decrease in moisture, and a linear increase in lipids and caloric value, as the levels of inclusion of fish meal increased. In terms of color, there was a decrease in brightness (L*), an increase in the intensities of red (a*) and yellow (b*) in the fried nuggets, as the levels of inclusion of fish meal increased. In pre-fried nuggets, increasing levels of fish meal in the coating provided a linear decrease in percentage shrinkage and yield. In the Texture Profile Analysis of the fried nuggets, a linear decrease in hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and shear strength was observed, as the levels of inclusion of fish meal in the coating increased. In the sensory analysis, the only attribute affected by the treatments was color, with a polynomial regression equation indicating maximum acceptance for the nuggets with the inclusion of 40% fish meal. Thus, it is concluded that the inclusion of up to 60% of fish flour in the coating of Nile tilapia nuggets is indicated to improve the nutritional profile of the product.