COMPOSITION, TEXTURE, AND COOKING PERFORMANCE OF HYBRID BEEF BURGERS WITH IRRADIATED AND NON-IRRADIATED TENEBRIO MOLITOR FLOUR

Using Tenebrio molitor flour (TMF)—an ingredient rich in proteins and other nutritionally significant components—enables the development of hybrid meat products with distinct compositions and technological properties. In this context, partially replacing beef and gamma-irradiating the flour can alter the interactions among constituents of the meat matrix, affecting the texture and technological performance of products. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporating non-irradiated and irradiated TMF on the proximate composition, technological properties (cooking loss and shrinkage), and instrumental texture profile (TPA) of beef burgers. Four treatments were evaluated: two controls—CO (no flour added) and NI8.5 (partial replacement of lean meat with 8.5% non-irradiated TMF)—along with two experimental treatments—T7.5kGy8.5% (replacement of meat with 8.5% TMF irradiated at 7.5 kGy) and T10kGy12% (replacement of meat with 12% TMF irradiated at 10 kGy). Incorporating TMF increased protein content (p<0.05) from 14.15% in the CO to 16.76% in the T10kGy12%; the latter also had lower moisture content (p<0.05) (64.14%). This outcome may be attributed to flour composition and the proportion used for replacement. Lipid content was lower in NI8.5% (10.05%) and T7.5kGy8.5% (10.61%) than in the control (11.83%), while ash content was higher (p<0.05) in the control (CO). Regarding technological properties, the incorporation of Tenebrio molitor flour (TMF) significantly reduced (p<0.05) shrinkage and cooking loss percentages compared to the control treatment. Cooking loss decreased progressively across treatments, with T10kGy12% showing the lowest loss and, consequently, the highest yield. This reduction may be associated with the hydration capacity of T. molitor proteins and their participation in interactions with myofibrillar proteins during heating, which modifies the organization of the meat matrix and promotes water and fat retention. The lower cooking loss in T7.5kGy8.5% than in NI8.5% suggests that irradiation may influence the flour's functional properties—a hypothesis that requires further investigation. In the texture analysis, treatments containing TMF exhibited greater hardness (12.58–13.21 N) than the control (10.93 N) and lower cohesiveness (p<0.05). Chewiness was higher in the 8.5% TMF treatments, while the control (CO) did not differ (p>0.05) from T10kGy12%, which also showed lower springiness. These alterations may reflect changes in interactions among constituents, affecting resistance to deformation and structural recovery. Incorporating TMF—whether irradiated or not—altered the proximate composition and texture profile of hybrid burgers, increasing protein content and hardness while reducing cohesiveness, cooking losses, and shrinkage. These results highlight the technological potential of TMF in reformulating meat products, particularly for improving yield and dimensional stability during cooking; however, the resulting textural changes must be considered when determining the proportions to incorporate.

Funding Agencies: Financier of Studies and Projects (FINEP) (PROTINA nº 01.23.0776.00)