Utilization of Corn Silk in Low Fat Meatballs and Its Characteristics

Corn silk is considered as waste in the production of sweet corn and discarded by most industrialized food manufacturers. The objectives of this study were to enhance its utilization and evaluated its physico-chemical and sensory characteristics over the meatballs. Moreover, this study helped to add its value on top of meatball production process as well. The use of corn silk in low fat meatballs at many levels of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% were tested while conducting this experiment. It was found that moisture contents of meatballs decreased when the amount of corn silk increased. Meatballs made of addition of 4% corn silk had the highest crude fiber and ash contents. Adding corn silk resulted lower L* (lightness) and cooking yield. However, the result of this adding caused higher a* (redness), b* (yellowness), juiciness and shrinkage. Texture analysis indicated the cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness of meatball increased when the amount of corn silk increased. Sensory evaluation revealed that increasing corn silk to the meatballs, sensory scores were decreased in all of sensory attributes (appearance, color, flavor, taste, texture and overall acceptability). (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.