Nutritional enrichment of beef burgers by adding components of non-conventional food plants

Abstract Some non-conventional food plants (NCFPs) such as Yacon potato, Moringa, and Ora-pro-nobis have been studied to identify their constitution and health-promoting substances. The purpose of this study was to enrich the beef burger with unconventional food plant and to evaluate its physical, chemical and sensorial properties. Ten formulations were prepared, being one formulation for the conventional burger (with soy protein and without addition of NCFPs) and nine formulations with variations of 2%, 4% and 6% of flour of each of the NCFPs. Addition of NCFPs flours improved nutritional burger properties and resulted in an increase in protein, ash, and dietary fiber content, a slight reduction in fats and significant reduction in carbohydrates. The burgers produced using 2% and 4% of Yacon flour had the lowest differences in these parameters as compared to those of the conventional burger, and also presented acceptance rates that were similar to that of the conventional burger. Both formulations showed the greatest similarity to the conventional burger during sensory analysis, which could be well accepted by consumers who are looking for healthier foods.