Application of protein-based edible coatings for fat uptake reduction in deep-fat fried foods with an emphasis on muscle food proteins

Background: Deep-fat frying is a common cooking method where fat or oil is used as the heat transfer medium, in direct contact with the food at a temperature above the boiling point of water. During the deep fat frying method, oil not only serves as a heating medium but also absorbs into food, increasing the total fat content. As a result, consumption of deep-fat fried foods has been associated with coronary heart diseases, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Selection of an appropriate food coating before frying may act as a barrier to moisture loss, which is important commercially, and also reduce fat uptake during frying. Scope and approach: This paper succinctly reviews different protein sources for edible coatings and compare them with muscle food proteins which were used in deep-fat fried foods. Key findings and conclusions: Protein-based coatings have been explored as potential coating materials in fat-uptake reduction. Comparatively, proteins are able to form films with better mechanical and barrier properties than polysaccharides. Application of muscle food proteins (myofibrillar proteins) as coatings, which are rich in these proteins, is novel and could be product-friendly for deep-fried muscle foods.