Adhesion in fried battered nuggets: Performance of different hydrocolloids as predusts using three cooking procedures

Batter systems have to turn into a crisp crust after frying and they have to adhere to food substrate surfaces which are sometimes very smooth. As a result, treating the substrate with a predust is highly recommended. Predust agents act by absorbing the moisture on the substrate surface, creating a rough outer surface on the substrate and ensuring optimal binding between substrate and batter. Normally, the same wheat flour used in the formulation of the batter is used for dusting. In this study, three different hydrocolloids were used as predusting materials for battered fish nuggets and their performances in three different cooking procedures were evaluated. Oxidised starch, xanthan gum and HPMC were compared with wheat flour (control), using deep frying, conventional oven and microwave oven. Image analysis, an innovative method in this area, was used to quantify adhesion. The performance of the hydrocolloids used as predusting agents depended on the cooking procedure.