Sodium carboxymethylcellulose–sodium caseinate complex hydrocolloid enhances the oil barrier properties of batter‐coated deep‐fried pork
Xinru Yan, Qiuya Ji, Hao Zhang, Yongsheng Ni, Han Tao, Baocai Xu, Ran Feng, Bao ZhangAbstract
BACKGROUND
The rising prevalence of chronic diseases has driven consumer demand for low‐fat deep‐fried foods. Understanding the oil barrier mechanism of batter‐coated deep‐fried pork is essential for developing healthier products.
RESULTS
This study evaluated the effects of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CN), sodium caseinate (SC), and their complex (CN‐SC) on batter properties and the quality of batter‐coated deep‐fried pork. CN‐SC (0.6%) increased batter viscosity, which consequently enhanced the batter pick‐up rate to 56.76%. This higher pick‐up rate led to a more uniform crust formation during frying. As a result, compared to the control, fat content decreased by 5.75% in the crust and 4.40% in the meat, while moisture content increased by 16.27% and 17.35%, respectively. The higher moisture content, in turn, reduced chewiness by up to 45%. Furthermore, the CN‐SC complex increased bound water by 1.5% and immobilized water by 4.2%, while reducing free water by 5.8%. This reduced the evaporable water during frying, thereby suppressing pore formation and the subsequent water–oil displacement reaction. Consistently, microstructural observation showed fewer holes and cracks in the crust, confirming that the CN‐SC‐induced three‐dimensional network effectively locked water and blocked oil penetration.
CONCLUSIONS
The CN‐SC complex outperforms single hydrocolloid in reducing oil penetration. The innovation lies in its dual functionality: enhancing batter viscosity and shifting free water to bound/immobilized water, thereby suppressing water–oil displacement reaction. Consequently, 0.6% CN‐SC achieves a ‘low fat–juicy’ balance, solving the dryness issue of low‐fat fried foods. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.