COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHICKEN AND MEAT ANALOGUE PATTIES: EVALUATING PHYSICOCHEMICAL, COOKING, TEXTURAL, MICROBIAL, AND SENSORY ATTRIBUTES

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and evaluate meat analogue patties using soy protein isolate (SPI) and whey protein isolate (WPI) in varying ratios (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% WPI), comparing them to a traditional chicken patty (T_X). Enzymatic crosslinking with microbial transglutaminase and high-moisture extrusion were employed to develop textured non-meat patties. The physicochemical, cooking, textural, microbial, and sensory attributes of the patties were assessed. Results indicated that increasing WPI content significantly influenced moisture retention, cooking loss, and textural properties. The chicken patty (T_X) exhibited the highest initial moisture content (73.52%) and final moisture retention (63.14%), along with the highest cooking yield (78.50%). The pure soy-based patty (T₀) showed the greatest cooking loss (27.70%) and diameter change (8.50%). WPI incorporation increased hardness, ranging from 13.20N (T0) to 15.90N (T3), and cohesiveness, from 0.44 (T_X) to 0.48 (T₃). Final findings revealed that cooked patties with 15% WPI (T₃) had the highest hardness (16.50N) and cohesiveness (0.38), which was attributed to a denser cross-linked structure in patties containing WPI. Color analysis showed that chicken patties exhibited the highest lightness (L*), while increasing WPI led to greater redness (a*). pH values were slightly acidic for all patties, with chicken patties showing the lowest (most acidic) pH. Sensory analysis revealed that patties with optimized WPI content (T₂ and T3) achieved higher overall acceptability than both pure soy (T₀) and chicken (T_X) patties, particularly in appearance and color. Microbial analysis showed a decrease in total plate count (TPC) from 3.32 log CFU/g (T_X) to 3.03 log CFU/g (T₃) initially, with a further reduction after cooking to 2.86 log CFU/g (T_X) and 2.48 log CFU/g (T₃). This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing soy and whey protein blends to create meat analogues with comparable and, in some aspects, superior qualities to chicken patties, offering a sustainable and nutritious alternative.