Sunsweet Amaz!n Plums -- Formulating Premium Burgers, Meatballs and Sausages (November 2017) - 2

denatures too quickly due to a rapid drop in pH, it will
decrease the functionality of the protein, causing the
meat matrix to crumble or not retain its desired form.
Yet while some ingredients can adversely impact the
texture of formed meat products, others can enhance
it. While using puree from prune plums has been
shown to increase the ﬂavor and juiciness of sausages,
Sunsweet Ingredients has also found that other prune
plum ingredients can assist in the development of a
variety of better-for-you formed meats.
For starters, because prune plum ingredients are
used in small, yet high-effective quantities, they
do not dramatically change the pH of the protein.
Approximately 50% of the weight of a dried prune
plum is sugar, yet unlike most dried fruit, much of
that sugar is sorbitol-a sugar alcohol-that acts as a
humectant. This attribute is one of the reasons that
prune plum ingredients can attract and hold moisture
in meat and poultry, in particular in burgers, meatballs
and sausages. They also contain ﬁber, which absorbs
moisture, holding it in place. This makes them cleanlabel alternatives to phosphates, the traditional
moisture-binding ingredients.

House-made sausages made the National
Restaurant Association's top-20 hottest
food trends for 2017.
Among the National Restaurant Association's
ranking of the top-20 hottest food trends overall for
2017, sausages ranked twelfth. Within the protein
category, it's third, right after new cuts of meat and
sustainable seafood. Gourmet burgers continue to
have momentum, according to the survey. Menu trends
that are cooling down include vegetarian and vegan
cuisines, while concept trends centered on local,
clean and sustainability are growing in popularity.
Overall, the results of the survey indicate that chefs are
continuing to experiment with a broad base of ﬂavors
and from-scratch preparations.
When it comes to sausages, meatballs and burgers,
there are ﬂavor and texture advantages to exploring
the addition of non-meat ingredients, but there
are many variables to consider, too. The pH of the
ingredients must be taken into account. Changes
in acidity can impact color, ﬂavor and texture. For
example, if the ingredients added are highly acidic,
they may drop the pH of the meat matrix. This could
reduce cook yields due to diminished water-holding
capacity. Lower pH can also cause textural issues. This
is because when meat gets comminuted, formed and
cooked, the goal is to denature the protein because
that is what gives the meat its cooked texture and
water-holding capacity. However, if the protein

Prune plum ingredients are a concentrated source
of antioxidant phenolic compounds, which help
prevent the formation of warmed-over ﬂavor in
meat and poultry. This is paramount for heatand-eat products as well as formed meats kept in
warming trays or under heat lamps, such as those
encountered in foodservice. In raw proteins, the high
levels of antioxidants can lengthen the display life by
maintaining desirable color and slowing the growth of
spoilage microorganisms. In some instances, the rich
color of prune plum ingredients eliminates the need
for formulators to use caramel color or other artiﬁcial
additives to enhance appearance.
Prune plum ingredients have also been shown to
accentuate ﬂavor in meat and poultry preparations,
allowing for lower salt and sugar levels. This heightened
taste level makes it possible for formulators to cut
back on total herbs and spices, possibly reducing
cost without lowering impact. Prune plum ingredients
especially complement the hot and spicy trend
currently driving product innovation. They have the
ability to round out ﬂavors while enhancing other herbs
and spices so it's not only heat that is tasted.
Processors recognize that prune plum ingredients
are a whole food, clean-label tool to assist in the
formulation of next-generation burgers, meatballs and
sausages. Depending on the application, the ingredient
and the usage level, Sunsweet Ingredients may
enhance the ﬂavors, appearance, shelf life, nutrition
proﬁle and overall taste experience.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sunsweet Amaz!n Plums -- Formulating Premium Burgers, Meatballs and Sausages (November 2017)

Sunsweet Amaz!n Plums -- Formulating Premium Burgers, Meatballs and Sausages (November 2017) - 1
Sunsweet Amaz!n Plums -- Formulating Premium Burgers, Meatballs and Sausages (November 2017) - 2
Sunsweet Amaz!n Plums -- Formulating Premium Burgers, Meatballs and Sausages (November 2017) - 3
Sunsweet Amaz!n Plums -- Formulating Premium Burgers, Meatballs and Sausages (November 2017) - 4
Sunsweet Amaz!n Plums -- Formulating Premium Burgers, Meatballs and Sausages (November 2017) - 5
Sunsweet Amaz!n Plums -- Formulating Premium Burgers, Meatballs and Sausages (November 2017) - 6
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/sunsweet/taking-plant-based-to-the-next-level-sunsweet-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/sunsweet/2017_11_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/sunsweet/2017_08_01
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com