As more and more meat substitutes find their way into supermarkets, consumers are looking for plant-based alternatives that look, cook and taste like real meat.
To support food producers, Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC) has developed a range of ingredients for plant-based burgers, and research showed that lecithin is a key component that makes all the difference to the eating experience.
A research collaboration between University College Cork (UCC), a leading centre for food and nutrition research, with BLC put lecithin to the test in plant-based burgers. They pan fried different types of meatless burger, with lecithin and without, and invited a test panel of 25 people to taste the products in terms of sensory attributes.
These results were all replicated repeatedly at both UCC’s and Bunge Loders Croklaan’s facilities.
The final results showed that certain types of lecithin in plant-based burgers significantly improved both the juiciness and the flavor of the patties. The technical support staff, who actually fried the burgers for the tasting panel, also report that the sizzling during baking and the browning of the burgers with lecithin was closer to real meat compared to the burgers without lecithin. Even a small amount of the right type of lecithin in a recipe can help improve the overall eating experience of plant-based burgers. By adopting it in the production process at the right time and dosage, food manufacturers can upgrade their products.
Depending on the recipe, 90% of the ingredients for plant-based burgers are available from Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC), including proteins, fats and lecithins to bring it all together. BLC also has the recipe and processing knowledge to combine these components to make or improve its customers’ plant-based burgers to the next level.
BLC is continuously expanding on its knowledge of lecithin and its application in plant-based products. For more information, contact us at https://amea.bungeloders.com/en/contact-us
