According to a new study on taste perceptions, ground chicken bone mass improves the taste and overall quality of chicken nuggets and meatballs. More than two-thirds of test subjects chose chicken nuggets and meatballs with bone mass over the ones without it. The researchers flagged that using bone mass also helps produce more food from the same raw material and provides better nutritional value due to increased calcium and collagen content.

Finnish food tech company SuperGround studied consumer attitudes toward ground chicken bone mass, wher over 100 people tasted chicken nuggets and meatballs containing processed bone mass. The study was carried out by sensory experience development and research company Aistila – a company based on the research and expertise of the University of Turku. 

To produce comparable results, the consumers also tasted conventional chicken nuggets and beef and pork meatballs without ground chicken bone mass.

Nuggets with bone mass are preferred 
Three different options were tasted for chicken nuggets, containing 15%, 5% and no bone mass, respectively. 

Overall, nuggets containing ground chicken bone mass were chosen as the best ones by 74% of participants. 

Nuggets containing 15% SuerGround bone mass were preferred in terms of taste, texture, and overall quality, with 40% choosing them as their favored option. 

Consumers described them more often as having a meaty taste and being tasty, salty, soft, and juicier than nuggets without bone mass. Consumers also described it made the nugget texture softer and less dry.

Bone mass in nuggets contributed to a significant increase in overall enjoyment of nuggets. For example, nuggets with 15% bone mass were liked by almost 53% more customers than nuggets with zero bone mass.

Increasing the salty perception of poultry-based foods
Regarding meatballs, three options were tasted, containing 10%, 5% and no bone mass. 

To produce comparable results, participants tasted conventional chicken nuggets and beef and pork meatballs without ground chicken bone mass.The bone mass affected texture, making the meatballs softer and juicier. 

Overall, 68% of test subjects chose chicken meatballs with bone mass as their overall favorites – with 40% selecting the meatballs containing 10% ground chicken bone mass as the best one in terms of odor, texture and taste, reveals the study.

“Bone mass does not affect the liking of the odor, appearance or texture of chicken nuggets or meatballs,” explains Santtu Vekkeli, co-founder of SuperGround.  

“In addition to improved nutritional benefits due to increased vitamin, calcium and collagen content, bone mass can strengthen the taste of saltiness without adding extra salt,” he says. 

“Due to the consumer interest and improved taste, using bone mass in meat products offers huge benefits for food production companies to be at the forefront of innovation and customer pulse – while simultaneously increasing food production efficiency and sustainability,” Vekkeli underscores. 

“Naturally, some people have doubts about bone mass in their food even if it is completely hidden and tastes the same or even better. But it is encouraging that more effective use of animal-based raw material and better nutritional value, among other reasons, are valued.” 

Use of raw materials boosts consumer interest 
According to the study, consumers are “somewhat divided in accepting products containing softened chicken bone.”

One-third of participants would buy, one-third might buy, and one-third wouldn’t be likely to buy them. Male participants were more positive toward meat products containing softened ground chicken bones than female participants. In addition, students were more positive than worker-level employees.

The test subjects were also asked how different factors affect their interest in buying meat products containing softened chicken bones. More effective use of animal-based raw material was listed as the top reason by 69% of the participants. 

This was followed by better nutritional value due to increased calcium and collagen content (63%) and increased sustainability due to lower environmental impact (58%).