Characteristics of low-fat beef burgers as influenced by various types of wheat fibres

Hydrated wheat fibres (bran and white and red beeswings) were added at three levels (50, 100 and 150 g kg(-1)) to beefburger as replacement for fat and evaluated for chemical and physical properties, energy content and sensory traits. Uncooked and cooked beefburgers formulated with wheat fibres had higher (P less than or equal to 0.05) moisture, protein and carbohydrate contents and lower (P less than or equal to 0.05) fat contents than that of the control. However, ash content was increased (P > 0.05) by the addition of wheat fibres. The cholesterol content of uncooked and cooked beefburgers decreased as level of wheat fibres increased or fat content decreased. The addition of wheat fibres reduced the cholesterol content from 6 to 45% for uncooked and cooked beefburgers. The energy content of uncooked and cooked beefburgers was lower (P less than or equal to 0.05) than that of control by between and 6 and 41%. The cooking yield and reduction in diameter of beefburgers were significantly (P less than or equal to 0.45) improved by the addition of wheat fibres. The addition of red and white beeswings showed an improvement in the texture trait. Colour traits, tenderness, juiciness, connective tissue amount, beef flavour intensity and overall palatability were not affected by the addition of wheat fibres to beefburgers. Hydrated wheat fibres can be used successfully as a fat substitute in ground meat products. (C) 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.