Physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory characteristics of soy- and lentil-based patties analogous to meat

The rising demand for plant-based alternatives has driven the development of meat analogs that mimic the composition and physicochemical properties of animal-based products. However, these alternatives have not met consumers’ expectations for sensory acceptability. Moreover, there is very limited information regarding the effects of these plant-based products on satiety and hunger levels compared to meat. The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional components, physicochemical properties, sensory acceptance, and satiety levels of lentil-based and textured vegetable protein (TVP)-based patties with traditional beef patties. Formulations were optimized through preliminary trials and evaluated for water activity, moisture content, cooking loss, shrinkage, color, texture profile analysis (TPA), and nutritional composition. Satiety, liking, and purchase intent were measured using self-reported rating scales. Data was analyzed using ANOVA (alpha=0.05). Beef patties showed the highest protein levels and greater cooking loss and hardness, while lentil-based patties had the lowest protein but comparable fat levels due to canola oil additions. TVP-based patties presented intermediate values with lower textural parameters. Regarding satiety, ground beef patties showed the highest percentage increase from baseline (137.8% at 10 min), followed by lentil patties (93.4% at 10 min) and TVP patties (77.8% at 10 min). However, lentil-based patties maintained satiety levels consistently throughout the post-consumption period (score-units: 73.26 at 10 min, 74.38 at 20 min, 74.05 at 30 min), whereas ground beef and TVP patties showed greater variability across time points. Consumer acceptance revealed that beef patties achieved the highest purchase intent (80%), followed by TVP (42.5%) and lentil patties (35%). Sensory evaluation indicated that beef patties received higher acceptance scores (7.00) than TVP (5.78) and lentil patties (5.33), attributed to differences in flavor, taste, and texture attributes. These results provide valuable insights into the distinct physicochemical and sensory profiles of plant-based meat alternatives.