Characterization of vegetable fiber and its use in chicken burger formulation.

ABSTRACT: Vegetable fibers have been used lately as ingredients in popular meat products in order to increase its nutritional value. The objective of this study was the physical-chemical characterization of six vegetable fibers in order to apply them in chicken burger formulations as animal fat substitutes. The studied fibers showed moisture content below 14 %, low content of fat, protein and ash, and high levels of carbohydrates. The oat, wheat and bamboo fibers showed the highest content of total dietary fiber. All fibers presented good results of technological characterization, but bamboo, pea and wheat fibers showed the best hygroscopic property results, good emulsifying stability, and color compatible for application in meat products. The use of vegetable fibers in chicken burgers resulted in lower or equal hardness values when the experiments were compared to the control sample. Most samples showed elasticity, adhesiveness, cohesiveness and chewiness values significantly equal to the control sample. The sensory analysis results indicated that all samples had good acceptability. The use of vegetable fibers in chicken burgers proved to be a promising alternative for food manufacturers to combine products deemed unhealthy with functional ingredients that are more appealing for consumers.