Who’s your patty? Consumer acceptance and sensory properties of burger patties made with different types of meat or plant-based products

Having more healthful options at campus eateries is a viable way to meet consumer demand, as well as to promote health on campus. Our study tested three healthier alternatives (low-fat beef, turkey, and soy/rice burgers) against the conventional full-fat hamburger patty (control). We examined consumer acceptance of the four burger patties with 48 untrained student panelists. A 9-point scale hedonic test was used to measure consumer acceptance. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was also conducted with six trained panelists to evaluate the intensity of sensory properties. Analysis of variance was used to detect significant differences among the treatments. Consumer acceptance mean scores for full-fat beef, lean beef, turkey, and soy/rice patties were 5.98, 6.68, 5.50 and 5.56, respectively, with no preference of the control patty over turkey or soy/rice, but a significant preference of the lean beef over turkey and soy/rice. QDA results showed flavor, spiciness, and elasticity significantly varied across the treatments. Panelists rated lean beef as significantly more elastic than all other patties. It is uncertain whether those sensory attributes contributed to consumer acceptance. In conclusion, our research indicates that college consumers may accept these healthier substitutes for traditional full-fat beef patties. Consumer acceptance of healthier patty substitutes should be further investigated in primary and secondary schools as well. With proper marketing, healthier alternatives to the conventional, full-fat hamburger patty could become competitive choices

Who's your patty? Consumer acceptance and sensory properties of burger patties made with different types of meat or plant-based products

Abstract Having more healthful options at campus eateries is a viable way to meet consumer demand, as well as to promote health on campus. Our study tested three healthier alternatives (low-fat beef, turkey, and soy/rice burgers) against the conventional full-fat hamburger patty (control). We examined consumer acceptance of the four burger patties with 48 untrained student panelists. A 9-point scale hedonic test was used to measure consumer acceptance. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was also conducted with six trained panelists to evaluate the intensity of sensory properties. Analysis of variance was used to detect significant differences among the treatments. Consumer acceptance mean scores for full-fat beef, lean beef, turkey, and soy/rice patties were 5.98, 6.68, 5.50 and 5.56, respectively, with no preference of the control patty over turkey or soy/rice, but a significant preference of the lean beef over turkey and soy/rice. QDA results showed flavor, spiciness, and elasticity significantly varied across the treatments. Panelists rated lean beef as significantly more elastic than all other patties. It is uncertain whether those sensory attributes contributed to consumer acceptance. In conclusion, our research indicates that college consumers may accept these healthier substitutes for traditional full-fat beef patties. Consumer acceptance of healthier patty substitutes should be further investigated in primary and secondary schools as well. With proper marketing, healthier alternatives to the conventional, full-fat hamburger patty could become competitive choices