Physicochemical composition and nutritional properties of foal burgers enhanced with healthy oil emulsion hydrogels

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of animal fat replacement by oil mixture emulsion hydrogels on quality characteristics of foal burgers. Three batches were manufactured: control (CON) -100% of pork fat; treatments 1 and 2 (T1 and T2)- pork fat was totally replaced using oil mixture emulsions, avocado (T1) or pumpkin seed (T2) mixed with algal oil. These fat replacements were accompanied by a significant decrease in fat content (P < 0.001) and colour parameters (P < 0.05). Any significant differences in texture were observed in reformulated patties, except for gumminess (P < 0.05) and chewiness (P < 0.001). Moreover, a healthier fatty acid profile was reached (P < 0.001), saturated fat decreased, mono- (T1) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (T2) increased and an improvement of all health indices was observed. However, the sensory acceptability of burgers was unaffected (P > 0.05). Thus, these fat reformulations represent a promising strategy to obtain healthier foal burgers with improved nutritional characteristics without affecting sensory properties. © 2021 Institute of Food Science and Technology