Quality evaluation of functional chicken nuggets incorporated with ground carrot and mashed sweet potato

This study was envisaged to evaluate the effect of ground raw carrot (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) and mashed sweet potato (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) as functional ingredients on the quality of chicken meat nuggets. The products were evaluated for physicochemical quality, proximate composition, nutritive value, sensory quality as well as color and texture profile analyses. Additions of either raw carrot or mashed sweet potato represent an improvement in the nutritional value and have some beneficial effects due to the presence of dietary fibers and β-carotene. They were also found to be effective in sustaining the desired cooking yield and emulsion stability. Treated samples showed lower (p > 0.05) protein, fat and ash contents but higher (p < 0.05) moisture content than control. There were differences among the nugget samples with respect to sensory qualities, and control samples as well as samples with 10% added carrot/sweet potato had higher overall acceptability scores. Hunter color values (L*, a* and b* values) were higher (p < 0.05) for both the formulated products, while their textural parameters were nearly unchanged. In conclusion, carrot and sweet potato at 10% added level have greater potential as good source of dietary fibers and β-carotene and may find their way in meat industry.