Application of Ultrasound Technology and Batter Formulated Based on Egg White Solution to Develop Low-Fat Fish Nuggets and Improve Quality Attributes

This study is aimed at assessing the impact of ultrasound (US) parameters, specifically power levels of 100 and 400 W for durations of 5, 10, 15, and 20 min, on the egg white solution (EWS) utilized as a postbreading batter. The research focused on examining oil absorption and the quality attributes of fried fish nuggets. The results revealed that the 10-min treatment at 100 W (referred to as US3) exhibited the most significant reduction in oil absorption compared to the control sample (p < 0.05), reducing oil absorption by 12.02%. Additionally, US3 showed the lowest express water content (5.33%) and the highest product yield (86.7%) (p < 0.05). Moreover, color and texture profile of samples were changed by ultrasonication processes. However, the US3 treatment displayed the lowest values for these parameters. Prolonged ultrasonication for 15 and 20 min led to undesirable changes in the taste of the fish nuggets. Overall, the US3 treatment outperformed the control and other treatments in terms of overall acceptance and other sensory evaluation parameters. These findings suggest that using US in the batter preparation has the potential to develop and enhance the quality of low-fat fish nuggets.