Psyllium gel combined with a micronized NaCl-KCl-glutamate system for simultaneous fat and sodium reduction in pork burgers.

This study evaluated psyllium gel (PG) combined with micronized NaCl, KCl, and monosodium glutamate (MKG) to reformulate fat- and sodium-reduced pork burgers. Fifty percent of pork backfat was replaced with PG prepared at 1:2, 1:4, and 1:6 psyllium:water ratios. In sodium-reduced formulations, 2.0% NaCl was replaced with 1.8% MKG (micronized NaCl:KCl:monosodium glutamate, 1:0.5:0.3). PG incorporation reduced fat content by 33.6-43.8% and saturated fatty acids by approximately 34-44%, increased cooking yield by 13.5-21.6% compared with MKG, and reduced hardness by 43.5-65.3% and chewiness by 65.7-83.8% compared with the Control. Compared with the Control, MKG-containing treatments had approximately 43% less sodium and 87.6-96.3% more potassium, reducing the molar Na/K ratio from 4.69 to 1.36-1.42. PG-containing formulations met the European criteria for the "reduced fat" and "reduced saturated fat" claims, whereas MKG-containing formulations met the criterion for "reduced sodium"; consequently, PG + MKG formulations met all three nutritional claims. pH differed among treatments (5.44-5.81), whereas redness was not significantly affected and some PG-containing formulations showed lower lightness than the Control. In the trained-panel descriptive sensory analysis, PG1:4 + MKG was associated with tenderness and juiciness, whereas PG1:6 + MKG was more closely associated with salty taste despite its lower sodium content. These findings demonstrate the technical feasibility of combining PG and MKG for simultaneous fat and sodium reduction in fresh pork burgers at a fixed 50% backfat replacement level. Storage stability and consumer acceptance should be evaluated before the practical applicability of this reformulation strategy can be established.