Colour Transition Dynamics of Commercial Plant- and Animal-Based Meat Analogues

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sensory Science
• Materials Science

Background:

• Consumer acceptance of plant-based burgers (PB) is limited by their visual appeal, particularly color.
• Understanding color transition dynamics during cooking is crucial for improving PB product development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively profile color transition dynamics in plant-based (PB) and animal-based (AB) burgers at various internal temperatures.
• To identify key color differences and gaps for enhancing PB burger visual attributes.

Main Methods:

• Color profiling of four commercial PB and six AB burgers at uncooked, 35°C, 55°C, 75°C, and 85°C.
• Quantitative analysis of color parameters (L*, a*, b*, c*, h°) and color differences (Δa*, Δb*, Δc*, ΔE*).
• Correlation analysis between color attributes and burger type/temperature.

Main Results:

• Raw beef burgers exhibited higher redness (a*) compared to most PB burgers.
• Impossible PB burgers showed the closest color transition to beef burgers.
• Color differences (ΔE*) and browning intensity varied significantly with internal temperature and burger composition.

Conclusions:

• Color transition mapping during cooking is essential for identifying PB product development gaps.
• Targeting specific color dimensions through natural colorant combinations can enhance PB burger visual appeal.
• Improving visual sensory attributes is key to increasing consumer acceptance of PB burgers.