Formulating low-fat beef burger with fenugreek seed gum: Impact on texture, chemistry, and sensory characteristics

Abstract

SummaryCalorie-dense materials like fats and oils can be substituted with hydrocolloids, resulting in wholesome, reduced-fat, or fat-free foods that may exhibit nearly similar quality. Fenugreek seed gum (FSG), with applicable water-holding capacity (574%) and oil-holding capacity (986%) may provide essential fat-like functions. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of FSG at different concentrations (0.05%, 0.25%, and 0.5%) on the physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties of low-fat hamburgers, in comparison to their high-fat counterparts. The reduction in fat content and the inclusion of FSG resulted in a notable increase in fat retention, while there was a slight reduction in moisture retention when compared to the control group. Remarkably, the low-fat formulations containing 0.05% and 0.25% FSG displayed a significant 57% reduction in cooking shrinkage (P < 0.05). Acceptable texture-related attributes (decreased hardness, higher juiciness, and less springiness) were observed for the cooked FSG-treated patties (P < 0.05). Moreover, raw beef patties processed with a high replacement level of FSG showed the lowest yellowness (P < 0.05) with no significant changes in the L* and a* values (P > 0.05). Sensory evaluation revealed no significant difference among all the treatments, but the low-fat formulations supplemented with 0.25% FSG showed the highest score of overall acceptability.