Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus for optimising the quality, calorie content and cost of burger patties
Herbacel -AQ Plus Citrus for optimising the quality, calorie content and cost of burger patties Advantages of using Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus in burger patties improves binding quality and juiciness reduces fat content improves processing properties and malleability reduces shrinkage due to frying improves the browning process reduces the meat content and thus lowers costs contains no E numbers, labelled as: citrus fibre contains no odour, flavouring or colouring not affected by heating or freezing no surpression of flavour Allergen free (ALBA list) Vegetarian / vegan, suitable for non-meat patties Kosher and halal certified The hamburger continues to be one of the most popular and widespread fast food meals in the world. Despite strong competition in this field, the minced meat sandwich is able to maintain its lead especially on account of its wide variability. The hamburger enjoys great popularity right across the social spectrum, from exclusive 5-star restaurants to global fast food chains. The burger patty is the core element of every hamburger, irrespective of the other ingredients. Whether it contains beef, pork, poultry, fish or vegetables, the patty has a decisive influence on the overall impression the burger makes. Above all, it needs to be juicy and delicious. Burger patties are manufactured industrially for the most part. Along the production chain, the pieces of meat are shaped, deep frozen and then sold to the public in fast food restaurants, or in retail outlets and on the internet. The freezing process used leads to the partial destruction of the meat protein, which may cause more water to escape when the burgers are cooked, meaning they take longer to reach the desired degree of browning. This means there is a risk of the burger patty becoming dry. 2
Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus is a highly functional citrus fibre contributes to an improvement in quality suited for adding texture to burger patties and reducing weight loss when frying them. Due to its very high water-binding capacity (approx. 25 g / g), using even a small quantity has a significant effect on the consistency, the binding quality and the juiciness of the grilled meat. Citrus fibre, which contains no E numbers, not only contributes to an improvement in the quality, but can also reduce the calorie-count and lower the cost of the product. The production of minced meat patties using citrus fibre follows the usual process. The minced meat is blended with the creamy-white, odourless and flavourless citrus fibre plus the other ingredients, with the addition of water; it is then pressed into shape and frozen, and finally fried or grilled to prepare it for eating. In contrast to other hydrocolloids, the use of which often requires an additional step in the process, Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus is simple to handle and can be added directly to the patty mixture as free-flowing powder. Since it is neutral in colour, citrus fibre is also ideal for use with poultry and white fish products. By using Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus, the fat content of the minced meat patties can be reduced and their nutritional value improved. On the one hand, this reduces the cholesterol levels that cause health risks and, on the other hand, it increases the intake of healthy fibre. In this way, citrus fibre can have a doubly positive effect in terms of preventing cardiovascular diseases. This calorie-reduced patty is not only equal in taste to the full-fat version, it is also convincing due to its improved juiciness. Alongside the increased nutritional value, costs are another important factor in producing patties on an industrial level. By using Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus it is possible to reduce the quantity of expensive lean meat used and thus achieve lower costs. The use of citrus fibre also ensures better malleability and consistency of the product, also during the cooking process. Our specialist team has carried out a series of practical tests to examine the relationship, in terms of quantity and quality, concerning the reduction in the percentage of meat in burger patties achieved by using Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus and the properties of the final product. 3
Beef: The test series on the reduction of the percentage of meat in beef patties showed that a 15 % reduction in meat content imply a saving in material costs of up to 4.1 %*. The yield on the final cooked product can be increased by more than 4 % in relation to the quantity of meat used (see Tab. 1 and Fig. 1). The binding quality of the patties is preserved and their juiciness and texture are significantly improved. The patties can be handled in the same way despite the addition of water. The frying process is comparably good; the browning process is scarcely affected and there is a comparable water loss. Tab. 1: Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus for reducing meat content in beef patties Meat reduction Reference - 10 % - 15 % Ingredients % % % Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus - 0.8 1.2 Beef (8 % fat) 99.0 89.0 84.0 Water - 9.2 14.8 Salt 1.0 1.0 1.0 TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 Gross weight loss by frying ** 31.6 35.4 38.5 Net weight loss by frying *** - 3.8 6.9 Yield in relation to the quantity of meat used after frying 69.1 72.6 73.2 Reduction in material costs - 3.9 4.1 100 90 Composition Raw Patty 80 3.9 4.1 Water [%] 70 60 50 40 30 69.1 72.6 73.2 Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus Salt Beef (8% fat) 20 10 0 Reference - 10 % - 15 % Yield in relation to meat used Reduction in material costs [%] Fig. 1: Yield in relation to the material used in beef patties with a reduced meat content using Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus after frying 4
Poultry: Further investigations carried out on patties made of poultry showed that a reduction in meat content of up to 10% allows a saving in material costs of over 7%*. In this case the yield on the final cooked product in relation to the quantity of meat used can be increased by far more than 6% (see Tab. 2 and Fig. 2). At the same time the final product had a high level of juiciness. Tab. 2: Herbacel -AQ Plus Citrus for reducing meat content in patties made of poultry Meat reduction Reference - 5 % - 10 % Ingredients % % % Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus - 0.4 0.8 Turkey thigh 99.0 84.0 84.0 Water - 4.6 9.2 Salt 1.0 1.0 1.0 TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 Gross weight loss by frying ** 28.4 28.9 29.8 Net weight loss by frying *** - 0.5 1.4 Yield in relation to the quantity of meat used after frying 72.3 75.6 78.9 Reduction in material costs - 4.0 7.5 [%] 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 72.3 4.0 75.6 7.5 78.9 Composition Raw Patty Water Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus Salt Turkey thigh 30 20 10 0 Reference - 5% - 10% Yield in relation to meat used Reduction in material costs [%] Fig. 2: Yield in relation to the material used in patties made of poultry with a reduced meat content using Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus after frying 5
Vegetarian: Since it contains no E numbers and is a plantbased texturizer, Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus offers an optimal way of improving the quality of your vegetarian burger patties in terms of their malleability, binding quality, frying features and juiciness. Vegetable-based products, in particular, have poor binding qualities and tend to dry out more during the cooking process due to the fact that they have high water and low protein content. Herbacel - AQ Plus Citrus offers an ideal solution for improving the quality and costs of your burger patties, whether they contain beef, pork, poultry, fish or vegetables! Herbafood Ingredients GmbH Phoebener Chaussee 12 14542 Werder (Havel) Germany Phone: +49 3327 785-202 Fax: +49 3327 785-201 info@herbafood.de * depending on the meat chosen ** Gross weight loss by frying = raw weight - cooked weight *** Net weight loss by frying = raw weight - cooked weight - Gross weight loss by frying of the reference product www.herbafood.com 6