Texture improvement of restructured

frozen poultry products with Swelite®

March 2012, ©Cosucra/MPSM01E1

By : Guillaume Colmant, Product Manager Pea Ingredients

 
In developed countries, many factors (economics, lifestyle, health and environmental reasons,…) are leading
consumers to poultry meat. It remains indeed an affordable and convenient option perceived as healthy and
sustainable; furthermore, its versatility makes it an appealing option for food service operations.
The equation to solve for poultry developers and manufacturers is to improve quality of products in terms of tex-
ture, juiciness, nutritional profile, but also to “clean” labels by removing additives and preservatives, and finally
to reduce costs.
Swelite® offers in that perspective an innovative and healthy solution, highly functional and cost-effective.
Swelite® is a natural and fat-free functional ingredient composed of dietary fibres and starch. It is extracted from
yellow peas by physical process and partial separation of starch and cellular walls. Swelite® can be labelled as
“pea fibre, pea starch” or “vegetable fibre, starch”.
Swelite® provides excellent water binding. It binds 10 parts of water by capillary uptake in cold conditions. Ge-
latinisation of the linked starch granules increases the water binding capacity. The link between Swelite® and
water is stable to strong heat treatment and to freeze-thaw cycle. It is not influenced by pH.
Swelite® stabilises fat and water in typical ratios by capillary uptake. In cold emulsions, Swelite® can stabilise
1/5/5 emulsions based on pork fat, poultry fat (or skin) or vegetable oil. The obtained paste is stable, non-sticky
and easy to incorporate. During heat treatment the paste becomes firmer (no gel-texture).

Texture improvement of restructured poultry products with Swelite®

In emulsified and restructured products, Swelite® gives a tender and juicy texture. It also helps to reduce cook-
ing losses, thanks to its water binding properties.
In formulations high in meat (60-80% meat), Swelite® is incorporated in the brine which is added to the ground
meat or it is added dry to meat after addition of the water. Salt and the other dry ingredients are added after
Swelite® is well dispersed.
In formulations low in meat (50% meat), a cold 1/5/5 pre-emulsion of Swelite® and poultry skin can be added at
the end of the recipe preparation.
Depending on the researched functionality and quality, Swelite® can be used at 0.5 to 2.5% in the final product.

                     

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Comparison between Swelite® and reference in poultry nuggets

To illustrate the texture improvement of restructured poultry products with Swelite®, we have compared in lab
Swelite® in nuggets with a reference of poultry nuggets.

System description:

Ingredients Reference Swelite®

Chicken breast (Kidney plate ) 30,0% 30,0%
Chicken breast (5 mm ) 26,5% 22,0%
Turkey breast (5 mm) 25,0% 25,0%
Poultry skin 3 mm 9,0% 9,0%
Iced water 9,0% 12,0%
Swelite® 0,0% 1,5%
Salt 0,3% 0,3%
Seasoning + anti oxidant 0,2% 0,2%
TOTAL 100,0% 100,0%

Swelite® was added without and with pre-emulsion.

Analytical results:

Cooking losses and size reduction versus

reference (= 100%)

120

100
% of reference

80

60
40

20

0
Reference Sw elite® w ithout pre- Sw elite® w ith pre-
emulsion emulsion

Cooking losses Size reduction

Swelite® used by dry addition allows the reduction of the cooking losses. Shrinkage after cooking with Swelite®
is not significantly different than the reference.
When a pre-emulsion with Swelite® is used, the reduction of the cooking losses is slightly lower and the shrink-
age is slightly bigger than for the reference.

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Texture of the products:

Texture of poultry nuggets is measured with TA-XT2 Texture Analyser with a conical probe (45°C).
Nuggets with Swelite® (with and without pre-emulsion) are significantly harder than the reference.

Hardness of the nuggets (without batter) versus reference (=100%)

140
Force (% of reference)

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Reference Swelite® without pre- Swelite® with pre-
emulsion emulsion

Nuggets elasticity is very similar for all the samples, except for the trial using Swelite® in the pre-emulsion which
is slightly more elastic.

Sensory analysis:

A blind taste panel has been realised to compare the reference to the trials with Swelite® .

Sensory profile of poultry nuggets

Off-flavour
8
6
Notation 4 Spicy

2
0

Shape Juiciness
Reference
Swelite®
Hardness

People generally prefer poultry nuggets with Swelite®, because of their juiciness. Instrumental measurements of
the hardness are not confirmed as people detected nuggets with Swelite® as being softer than the reference.
This may be due to the “sponge effect” of Swelite®. Nuggets with Swelite® are also more regular than the others
samples: they keep their shape after processing and frying.

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In conclusion, Swelite® improves the processability, stability, texture and yield of the final product. Moreover,
it can replace 50 to 100% of a protein source while improving juiciness.
Furthermore, Swelite® can also be used to replace poultry skin and reduce the fat content, or to introduce
more thigh meat and whiten colour in thigh emulsion.

Clean labelling, Swelite® is the solution:

• naturally-sourced from locally grown peas
• free from common allergens & intolerances
• gluten-free
• non-dairy & lactose-free
• GMO-free
• suitable for vegetarians
• Kosher & Halal certified

Swelite® is definitively an innovative and clean-labelled solution for poultry producers

to improve quality and reduce costs.

Cosucra has been processing natural ingredients since 1852. But we are not just a supplier. We partner with our cus-
tomers, providing market expertise, extensive clinical research, and experience in regulatory affairs to help them im-
prove existing products and develop new ones. Partnerships with more than 400 food manufacturers and more than
1,000 product references worldwide demonstrate that Cosucra works alongside clients from idea to launch and from
seed to food.

For more information, please visit our website www.swelite-cosucra.com

or contact us at sales@cosucra.com or on +32 69 44 66 00

The information presented herein is believed to be true and accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, all statements are made and all information is provided
without guarantee, express or implied, on our part. We disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantabil-
ity, fitness for a particular purpose and freedom from infringement and disclaim all liability in connection with the use of the products or information contained
herein. All such risks are assumed by the purchaser/user. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.This information is for professional use
only, not intended for consumers.