Development of chicken nuggets and meat analogue nuggets of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) with added nutritional and functional value by pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) pulp flour

Abstract

The growing consumer awareness about the relationship between good quality food and a healthy life, together with the rapid world population growth, stimulates the development of functional meat products and the search for alternative protein sources to meet the growing demand for meat. In this context, several meat products and meat alternatives have been developed using functional ingredients. The Brazilian Cerrado presents a wide range of native species rich in bioactive compounds, whose fruits can be incorporated into the preparation of functional products, in order to meet the growing demand for healthy eating, as well as to preserve the biome and valuing the small producer. Among the native Cerrado fruits, the pequi stands out for its high nutritional value, peculiar flavor and aroma, and functional appeal. This study aimed to add value to the fruit of the Cerrado, through the elaboration of chicken nuggets and chickpea meat analogue (CMA) nuggets formulated with different concentrations of pequi and submitted to different cooking methods during storage time. For both types of nuggets, the incorporation of pequi flour promoted an increase in cooking yield, texture profile parameters (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness), fiber content, lipids, carotenoids, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)s, saturated fatty acids (SFA), terpenes and esters, and reduced the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The TBARS values for the chicken nuggets increased significantly with increasing the concentration of pequi flour and over storage time. As for chickpea meat analogue, the TBARS values also increased with the increase of pequi flour, however, decreased over storage time. For chicken nuggets, air fryer resulted in higher cooking yield and carotenoids. For both types of nuggets, deep frying exhibited higher polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acid contents and lower saturated fatty acid values. Although the TBARS levels increased, the values were within acceptable limits. In both cases, deep frying w had the highest sensory acceptability, being chosen as the best cooking method for chicken nuggets and chickpea meat analogues nuggets. Inclusion of pequi flour up to 9% can be recommended in the formulation of chicken nuggets and chickpea meat analogue nuggets without affecting the sensory properties. The results confirmed the potential of pequi flour as a promising ingredient in meat and meat analogues products.