Improving the Aromatic Profile of Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: Effect of Myoglobin Addition on Volatiles

• Published in: Foods Vol. 11; no. 13; p. 1985
• Main Authors: Devaere, Jolien, De Winne, Ann, Dewulf, Lore, Fraeye, Ilse, olji?, Irena, Lauwers, Elsa, de Jong, Andy, Sanctorum, Hermes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-07-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Alcohol; Aldehydes; aroma; Communication; Composition; Cooking; Food science; Gas chromatography; Headspace; Health aspects; HS-SPME-GC-MS; Hydrocarbons; Lipids; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Meat; Myoglobin; Myoglobins; Oxidation; PCA-analysis; Phenols; Plant-based foods; plant-based meat alternatives; Principal components analysis; Properties; Proteins; Pyrazines; Retention; Sensory properties; Solid phase methods; Solid phases; Supply and demand; Testing; Vegetarianism; VOCs; Volatile compounds; Volatile organic compounds; Volatiles; Belgium; United States > US
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods11131985

Market demand for palatable plant-based meat alternatives is on the rise. One of the challenges is formulating products with sensorial characteristics similar to conventional meat. In this study, the effect of myoglobin on the aromatic profile of plant-based meat alternatives was assessed. Plant-based burgers were made with soy-textured protein, supplemented with three levels of myoglobin (0, 0.5 and 1.0%, the latter two mimicking endogenous myoglobin levels in meat), and grilled for 12 min at 250 °C. To evaluate the aromatic profile of the compounds, raw and grilled samples were subjected to headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis was then performed to visualize the interaction between grilling and myoglobin addition, and the effect exerted on the resulting aromatic profile. Myoglobin significantly affected several classes of volatile compounds, either by itself or in conjunction with grilling. A notable increase in aldehydes and a decrease in hydrocarbons were noted after adding myoglobin. As expected, an increase in pyrazines was observed after grilling. The results suggest myoglobin positively influences the aromatic profile of plant-based meat alternatives, contributing to a profile closer to the one of conventional meat.