Effect of Wheat Flour Substitution with MOCAF and Breadfruit Flour on the Quality of Chicken Nuggets

Wheat flour is commonly used as a binder in chicken nuggets; however, interest in reducing gluten consumption has encouraged the development of alternative binding ingredients that maintain product quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of substituting part of the wheat flour with modified cassava flour (MOCAF) or breadfruit flour on the moisture content, fat content, and tenderness of chicken nuggets. An experimental design comprising two treatments was applied: 62.5 g wheat flour blended with 62.5 g MOCAF and 62.5 g wheat flour blended with 62.5 g breadfruit flour. Each treatment consisted of ten replications, and the data were analyzed using an independent-samples t-test at a 5% significance level. The results showed that flour type significantly affected moisture content (p < 0.05), whereas fat content and tenderness did not differ significantly between treatments (p > 0.05). Nuggets containing the wheat flour–MOCAF mixture had higher moisture content than those containing the wheat flour–breadfruit flour mixture. However, the moisture content of both treatments complied with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) for chicken nuggets. These findings indicate that MOCAF and breadfruit flour can be used as partial alternatives to wheat flour in chicken nuggets, with differences in moisture content but no statistically significant differences in fat content or tenderness under the conditions of this study.