Preparation of gluten-free crab nugget (Ucidescordatus) with added fiber

ABSTRACT: Crab meat is rich in nutrients such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Its catch is one of the most important fishing modalities in the North Brazilian state of Pará; however,crab is under utilized in the food industry and mainly sold as fresh meat. The study aimed to develop three formulations of gluten-free crab nuggets with added fiber. To reduce the cost of the final product, three formulations(F1, F2, and F3) were developed by the addition of rice flour at 0% (F1), 15% (F2), and 30% (F3) as a partial replacement of crab meat. Physicochemical and microbiological analyses were performed according to the legislation. In sensory intent analysis, F1 and F2 stood out in relation to F3, butall formulations were well accepted. The cost per unit of the formulations was 0.37 Brazilian reals (R$) for F1, R$ 0.27 for F2, and R$ 0.24 for F3; the formulations obtained a 90.47% yield. For fibers, the same result (0.96 g-dry basis) was obtained for all three formulations.