A sustainable approach to new generation food thickeners

At the 8th Environment Action Programme, the EU agreed on an environmental policy up to
2030 with a zero-emission ambition. The food production sector is credited with a significant impact on
environmental pollution: e.g. agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater use. Therefore, it is extremely
important to promote technological solutions that reduce the negative impact of food production to an absolute
minimum. A perfect example of a sustainable approach is a patented method that uses extrusion to produce
functional food fibres that act as food thickeners. The possibilities of using the apple fibre preparation (Lutkala
Multifunctional) are wide. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of apple fibre preparation on selected
physical properties of beef, pork, and vegetable pea protein burgers. The following methods were used:
the gravimetric method to calculate weight loss and shape stability during heat treatment, texture profiling
according to Texturometer TA.XT2, and colour measurement. The use of Lutkala in meat and vegetable
burgers gives a number of benefits: technological (reduced water loss during thermal processing), organoleptic
(obtaining a more delicate consistency), health (increased fibre content and reduced calories), and also gives
the advantage of a clean label product and has a positive impact on the environment. The addition of apple
fibre preparation reduced the hardness of beef burgers, making them more tender, while the plant-based
substitute had the lowest cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness. The inclusion of apple fibre preparation
in the formulation composition of burgers significantly differentiated the surface colour parameters of the
products. Based on the results obtained, it has been determined that the inclusion of Lutkala Multifunctional
in the burger mixture, as per the prescribed recipe composition, should not surpass a maximum limit of 1.5%.
The use of apple fibre preparation in burgers is an excellent example of the benefits of using next-generation
sustainable hydrocolloids in the food industry.