Acceptability of batter-coated squid rings prepared without industrial pre-frying

Abstract  A panel of 50 consumers was recruited to study the sensory acceptability of batter-coated squid rings prepared by an innovative method that eliminates the pre-frying step through the addition of a cellulose derivative and, compared with traditional batter-coated squid rings, reduces oil absorption during the final frying stage. Three tasting sessions were used to study the effect of providing nutritional information (fat content), before or after a familiarisation period of 7 days home use, on the assessment of appearance, crispness, batter thickness, taste and global product acceptance. The results indicate that, in general, scores for the innovative low-fat product rose after the familiarisation period. Nutritional information provided before the familiarisation period did not give rise to significant differences in the rating of the innovative batter-coated squid rings.