Quality Characteristics of Freeze-Dried, Irradiated or Freeze-Dried-Irradiated Cooked Hamburger Patties Formulated with a Novel Fat Substitute and Plum Extract for the International Space Station

The effect of adding fat substitute or plum extract on quality characteristics of frozen, freeze-dried, irradiated, or freeze-dried and irradiated cooked beef patties were determined to enhance the quality characteristics of ready-to eat (RTE) hamburger beef patties for NASA astronauts. Non-irradiated and irradiated controls (none added), 10% fat substitute Fantesk^TM-added and 2% plum extract-added treatments were prepared and irradiated frozen at 0 or 44 kGy using a Linear Accelerator. Lipid oxidation, volatile profiles, color, texture, proximate analysis and sensory characteristics of cooked hamburger beef patties were determined after 0 and 30 days of storage at -20°C (for frozen samples) or room temperature (for freeze-dried and irradiated samples).

Cooked beef patties added with fat substitute or plum extract had higher moisture content and carbohydrate, but lower lipid content than that of control treatment. Addition of plum extract improved the stability (TBARS values) of cooked beef patties during the 30-day storage, but the effects of processing treatments were stronger than that of lipid content. The volatile profiles of all cooked beef patties with different additive treatments were similar at day 0, but changed dramatically after 30 day storage depending upon processing treatments. Addition of 10% fat substitute did not influence the sensory characteristics of RTE hamburger beef patties, but juiciness was increased by plum extract. Processing treatments, however, were more important in the quality of cooked hamburger patties than additive treatments.