Quality of beef burger with addition of wet okara along the storage

ABSTRACT Combining the consuming of agricultural residues with satisfying consumers is a challenge that may result in financial income for the frozen meat industries, besides generating products with different nutritional value and satisfactory technological quality. Thus, we aimed at elaborating and assessing the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of frozen raw and fried beef hamburgers with addition of okara in its wet form throughout their storage over a period of 120 days. The inclusion of okara was proportional to the reduction in the content of protein, and to the increase of the lipid and moisture amount in the fried and raw formulations. Okara increased the luminosity and dimmed along the storage period. In the raw formulations at zero time lower values for b*, a* were observed when compared to the zero time of the fried hamburgers. This leaded to a light brown color and highlighting the clearing of the color due to the inclusion of okara. The fried hamburgers also featured this clearing, but they were darker brown. Chromaticity was greater with the inclusion of okara and with the passage of time. It can be concluded after 120 days storage the levels of protein, lipid and moisture of the formulations were according to the recommended by the Technical Regulation for Identity and Quality of Hamburgers and comply with the requirements of the Brazilian Law for microbiological standards. The brown colour changed with the inclusion of okara but without alterations in the characteristic colour for beef burguers.