USING VEGETABLE PROTEINS IN HYBRID RESTRUCTURED BREADED MEAT PRODUCTS: TECHNOLOGICAL EVALUATION

The growing demand for healthier and more sustainable foods has driven the development of hybrid products that combine animal and plant proteins. This study investigated the effects of partially replacing chicken meat with plant proteins from soy (textured and concentrated – FS) and pea (textured and isolated – FE) at levels of 25% (FS25 and FE25) and 50% (FS50 and FE50) and characterized restructured breaded meat products. The breaded products were prepared using ground chicken breast and pre-hydrated plant proteins, molded, and manually coated in three stages: pre-dust, batter, and breader. After frying, the samples were frozen and analyzed for proximate composition (moisture, protein, fat, ash, and carbohydrates), oil absorption, pH, instrumental color (L*, a*, b*, whiteness index), shear force texture, pick-up,and microstructure via scanning electron microscopy. The physicochemical analysis revealed that FS25 exhibited superior performance, with firmness comparable to the control and the lowest oil absorption (3.12%), indicating higher moisture retention and lower lipid uptake during frying. Color analysis showed that treatments containing pea protein had lower whiteness index values, resulting in darker internal coloration. Soy-based formulations demonstrated stronger interactions with breading components, yielding thicker coating layers and lower moisture retention. In the texture analysis, although no statistically significant differences were observed compared to the control (p>0.05), FS25, FE50, and FS50 showed reduced firmness values, with FS25 being the closest to the control. Microstructural observations indicated that samples with plant proteins had greater porosity and irregular surface topography, particularly in soy-based formulations, while the control (chicken only) exhibited a more homogeneous and compact structure. In conclusion, 25% substitution of chicken meat by soy protein is a promising strategy for developing hybrid products with satisfactory physicochemical properties, whereas pea protein requires formulation optimization to improve structural integrity, moisture retention, and overall appearance.