Effects of chitosan nanoparticles incorporation on the physicochemical quality of cellulose coated deep-fried meatballs

The inclusion of chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) into cellulose coatings and consequences for the moisture retention and oil uptake in deep-fried meatballs was investigated. The meatballs were coated with CSNP only, or with methylcellulose (MC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with or without CSNPs prior to frying at 190 °C for 5 min. The coating pickup by the meatballs was affected by the viscosity of coating solutions. No significant changes were observed in pH and color of the raw and fried meatballs, as well as in cooking yield for the different coating formulations. MC and CMC coatings incorporated with CSNPs resulted in the lowest moisture loss and oil uptake in the fried meatballs with a lower hardness. Using CSNPs to develop nanocomposite edible coating is a novel and effective approach in improving the quality of deep-fried meatballs.