Rice Bran Oil Oleogel as Functional Animal Fat Replacer in Beef Burgers

Abstract

Growing health concerns regarding saturated animal fats necessitate the development of healthier alternatives in meat products. The study examined the impact of replacing animal fat with a stabilized rice bran oil (SRBO)-oleogel, structured with 9% beeswax, at 50%, 75%, and 100% substitution levelsin beef burgers. In raw burgers, moisture content ranged from 53.64% in the control to 54.12% in the 100% SRBO-oleogel group, and protein content remained stable across treatments (36.15 - 36.6%). Ether extract (fat) showed a minor decrease from 42.5% in the control to 42.37%in the 100% SRBO-oleogel sample, while total carbohydrates increase from 17.2% to 17.3%. In cooked burgers, the highest moisture was observed in the 100% SRBO-oleogel sample (49.2%), and the lowest in the control (46.4%). Cooking loss decreased from 27.5% in the control to 19.8% in the 100% SRBO-oleogel group, while cooking yield increased from 72.5% to 80.2%. Shrinkage and diameter reduction were minimised with higher SRBO-oleogel levels. Texture profile analysis for cooked beef burgers showed that hardness increased from 36.1 N/cm² in the control to 43.8 N/cm² in the 75% SRBO-oleogel sample, and gumminess and chewiness also increased with higher substitution. Colour analysis revealed that cooked burgers with 100% SRBO-oleogel had lower lightness (L* = 31.82), higher redness (a* = 12.32), and higher yellowness (b* = 27.14) compared to the control. Sensory evaluation indicated that Sensory evaluation demonstrated that a 100% substitution of animal fat with SRBO-oleogel successfully maintained flavor, texture, and overall acceptability, while partial substitution levels led to only minor reductions in color and appearance. These results demonstrate that SRBO-oleogel is an effective fat replacer, improving nutritional and technological properties of beef burgers while maintaining desirable sensory quality.