Consumer's perceptions of chicken meatballs with partial fat replacement by whole precooked pearl millet flour / Percepção dos consumidores sobre almondegas de frango com substituição parcial de gordura por farinha de milheto integral pré-cozida

Innovations in the processed meat products have focused on healthier reformulations, especially improving the nutritional quality by reducing fat content. This work aimed to develop reformulated chicken meatballs with partial fat replacement by whole precooked pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) (WPPM) flour and to understand the consumer's acceptance and perceptions using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) questionnaire. Texture Profile Analysis (TPA), cooking loss, and color were also analyzed. All products were well accepted by consumers but the highest concentrations of WPPF interfered negatively with the sensory quality of the meatballs. A fat substitution of 3% promoted the best market potential, with associations by consumers with CATA terms "flavor of grilled chicken," "juicy," "gold color," and "soft when chewing". Pearl millet flour is a promising ingredient to reformulate chicken meatballs with less fat and should be better exploited by meat-processing industries.