MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DEEP-FAT FRIED BREADED CHICKEN NUGGETS USING X-RAY MICRO-COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

X-ray micro-computed tomography imaging technique was applied to study microstructural characteristics of deep-fat fried chicken nuggets. The results obtained showed a significant (P < 0.05) influence of frying conditions on microstructural properties of the deep-fat fried breaded chicken nuggets. The porosity of the breading coating increased while that of the core remained relatively unchanged with frying time. The number of pores also increased with frying. The chicken nuggets coating and core pores showed a decreased interconnectivity after frying. The shapes of the samples' pores were between rod-like and spherical structure. The pore size distribution for the coating and the core parts showed an increase in pores with diameter <100 mu m in terms of volume and number count. Some correlations were observed between the sample's (coating and core) porosity and frying time, fat content and moisture loss.