(MDPI, 2025-02-01) González Peñalver, José Miguel; Martínez Aldaya, Maite; Villaño Valencia, Débora; Virseda Chamorro, Paloma; Beriain Apesteguía, María José; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Hybrid and plant-based products are an emerging trend in food science. This
study aimed to develop three patty prototypes (meat, hybrid, and plant-based) enhanced
with vegetable fat replacement and broccoli extract using a soy allergen-free protein matrix
treated with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and sous vide cooking to create sustainable
and nutritious burger alternatives. The samples were evaluated for microbiological safety,
proximal composition, physicochemical properties, sensory characteristics, and carbon
footprint. The key findings revealed that the plant-based patties had the smallest carbon
footprint (0.12 kg CO2e), followed by the hybrid patties (0.87 kg CO2e) and the meat
patties (1.62 kg CO2e). The hybrid patties showed increased hardness, cohesiveness,
gumminess, and chewiness compared to the meat patties after sous vide treatment. This
improvement likely results from synergies between the meat and plant proteins. Regarding
the treatments, in all the samples, the highest hardness was observed after the combined
HHP and sous vide treatment, an interesting consideration for future prototypes. Sensory
analysis indicated that the plant-based and hybrid samples maintained appealing visual
and odour characteristics through the treatments, while the meat patties lost the evaluator¿s
acceptance. Although further improvements in sensory attributes are needed, hybrid
patties offer a promising balance of improved texture and intermediate carbon footprint,
making them a viable alternative as sustainable, nutritious patties.
