Comparative evaluation of texture wheat ingredients and soy proteins in the quality and acceptability of emulsified chicken nuggets.

Chicken nuggets are commonly made with varying levels of textured vegetable proteins, such as soy and wheat, for their ability to bind water and their meat like conformation. This project compared textured wheat proteins and soy proteins at 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% in emulsified chicken nuggets. A total of 3,024 chicken nuggets were evaluated in replications for batter breader pickup (%), par fry yield (%), cook loss (%), L*, a*, b* color value, texture profile analysis, and sensory analysis. The analysis was conducted for all 4 concentrations of wheat and soy treatments then compared to each other and an all white meat chicken nugget control. All data were analyzed with an α < 0.05 using SAS with PROC GLM and Duncan's MRT, except for sensory data, which were analyzed as a complete randomized block design using analysis of variance with a α < 0.05 and was analyzed using SAS with PROC GLM. Chicken nuggets prepared with increasing levels of textured soy and wheat proteins exhibited generally similar properties in terms of yields, color, and objective texture. Trained panel sensory analysis indicated an increased detection of soy flavors over wheat flavors at higher inclusion percentages (30% and 40%); however, these results do not have any implication of consumer acceptance.