Effects of the Addition of Pecan Nuts on the Nutritional Properties and Final Quality of Merino Lamb Burgers

Abstract

This paper attempts to analyse lamb burgers from meat cuts of lower commercial value to which various amounts of freeze-dried pecan nuts (5%, 10% and 15%) were added to study the influence of the addition of pecans on the quality of the burger. One hundred eight burgers were evaluated by means of physicochemical, sensory and microbiological analyses. The addition of pecan nuts mainly affected the meat’s fatty acid profile. Fat content was higher as the amount of pecan nuts was increased, and the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels also increased (p < 0.001), whereas the saturated fatty acid content decreased (p < 0.001). Pecan nuts also proved able to increase the antioxidant capacity of the product, significantly reducing the oxidation values of lipids (p < 0.001) and proteins (p < 0.05). In general, no significant differences were identified in the sensory attributes under study. In conclusion, we found that the use of pecan nuts improves the nutritional content of the hamburgers without negatively affecting the technological or sensory properties.