Impact of high-pressure processing on technological properties of hybrid plant-beef patties

Consumer interest in hybrid meat/plant-based products is growing. Optimizing technological properties of these novel alternatives is an essential step to ensure products meet expectation to closely match the attributes of meat-based counterparts. This study investigated technological properties of four hybrid beef-plant-based patty (HBP) formulations at 30% plant-protein substitution for beef; faba bean protein/blend of pea and wheat protein (each in concentrate and texturized formats) modulated with high-pressure processing (HPP) treatment at 200 MPa or 500 MPa. Significant interactions between HPP treatment and plant-based formulation were observed for a range of product attributes including pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), colour, chewiness, springiness, and lipid oxidation. HBP exhibited higher lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) compared to beef patties. Redness (a*) increased at 200 MPa but decreased at 500 MPa. Compared to beef patties, HBP showed reduced cooking loss and improved WHC, although WHC decreased at higher pressure. Both plant protein incorporation and HPP treatment reduced lipid oxidation in most formulations. Among all HBP, patties containing 30% faba bean protein 2 (F2) treated at 200 MPa had desirably technological functionality, while F2 treated at 500 MPa most closely matched the control – untreated beef patties. Overall, moderate HPP (200 MPa) enhanced the redness and textural properties of HBP, offering potential in new product development in this format.