The Art and Science of Predusting

Making coatings stick – and taste incredible
Predusting may look like a simple first step in coating, but it’s the secret to why your schnitzel stays crispy, your southern fried chicken clings to every bite, and even a delicate broccoli floret comes out perfectly golden.

When a product is fried or cooked, meat and vegetables shrink. Without predust, the batter and crumb would slide right off. Predusting creates the invisible “glue layer” that binds product and coating together.

How Predust Works

Think of predust as a bridge:

One side loves oil and fat (perfect for meat or fish)
The other side loves water (perfect for batter and crumb)

By lightly coating the surface, predust links these two worlds together.

The key is: always a thin, even layer. Too much predust, and batter runs off, leaving gaps. Too little, and your coating won’t survive the fryer.

Matching Product & Solution

Different products need different approaches:

Whole muscle cuts (chicken fillet, fish portions): Even thickness, one solid piece → needs a flatbed preduster for a fine, even dusting.
Irregular products (e.g. broccoli florets):
Cavities and uneven shapes → tossing is needed to get coverage. Best handled in a drum breader.
Formed products (nuggets, schnitzels, burgers):
Any shape is possible, but needs uniform coverage → again, flatbed preduster is the answer.
Bone-in or portioned chicken (e.g. southern fried chicken):
Requires tossing in flour to cover every surface → drum breader works best.

Three Families of Predust

1. Adhesion predust

Mostly flour and starch.
For fish, salt is essential — especially when working with defrosted fillets — because it helps the coating set before re-freezing.
Modified starches can be heat-treated or chemically adapted for specific needs.

2. Flavour predust

Adds taste right at the start.
Combines seasonings with flour/starch for both adhesion and flavour impact.

3. Effect predust

Creates something special during frying.
Example: Southern fried chicken → bicarbonate in the predust forms tiny bubbles while frying, making that signature crunchy cocoon.
Often includes flavouring too.

Coating & Cooking – Step by Step

Consistency is everything. Each stage matters:

Predust
Batter (viscosity matters – check with a WizzCup)
Crumb or breading
Frying or cooking

Traditionally, products were either fully fried (core ≥ 72 °C) or pre-fried and then oven-cooked.
But innovation has changed the game:

Predust → Steam cook → Coat → Short fry → Freeze

This new method saves energy, locks in more yield, and creates outstanding quality. The trick? A special predust that absorbs moisture during steaming and holds the coating perfectly during the quick fry.

Note: Bone-in chicken must always be fully cooked (core ≥ 84 °C). Check by breaking the bone — the marrow should be brown, never red.

Predusting may be invisible once on the product, but it’s the foundation of every great bite.

The right predust, the right equipment, and the right cooking process make all the difference between a coating that falls off — and one that makes your product irresistible.

If you have any technology or proces related questions: