Screening Physicochemical Properties of Rabbit Nuggets Enriched with Chickpea Flour: A Plackett-Burman Design Approach

Abstract

Rabbit meat is valued for its outstanding nutritional profile, characterized by high protein and low-fat content. However, price constraints and restricted processing alternatives have hindered its widespread usage. The addition of plant-based extenders, such as chickpea flour, has possibilities for boosting the texture and economic feasibility of rabbit meat products. This study aims to screen significant ingredients affecting the physicochemical parameters of rabbit nuggets enriched with chickpea flour using Plackett-Burman Design (PBD). Minitab software (version 21.1) was utilized to generate 12 experimental formulations. The study investigated the influence of ingredient composition on four key responses: pH, fat content, moisture content, and hardness. Pareto analysis was employed to identify statistically significant factors (p<0.05), followed by a response optimizer technique to obtain the optimal ingredient values. Results demonstrated that chickpea flour and textured vegetable protein (TVP) significantly influenced product pH (p<0.05), while ice content was a significant factor for hardness (p<0.05). Notably, no factors showed a statistically significant effect on fat and moisture content within the tested ranges. The multi response optimizer determined the optimal formulation composition (g/100 g) to be: rabbit meat (65.00), shortening (4.90), TVP (5.00), ice (4.30), tapioca starch (3.21), and chickpea flour (2.73) with a composite desirability (D) of 0.83. These findings demonstrate the possibility of developing quality-enriched rabbit nuggets using a systematic screening design.