Low-sodium beef patties: Enhancing quality and health benefits through salt substitution

The demand for meat products with reduced salt content is increasing due to health concerns associated with excessive sodium consumption. This study aims to evaluate the effects of replacing sodium chloride with potassium chloride (0, 15, 30, and 50%) on the quality attributes of beef patties. The evaluation criteria included color attributes (L*a*b*, C*, and ΔE values), total metmyoglobin, lipid oxidation, texture characteristics, cooking loss, proximate analysis, and sensory traits. Regardless of salt substitution and considering the pooled effect of cooking, cooked patties exhibited significantly lower lightness (L-values) and redness (a-values) than uncooked patties. Additionally, b-values* increased after cooking. The L* values of cooked samples were affected by potassium chloride replacement; lighter patties were produced at higher substitution amounts. There was a significant reduction in pH at the 50% replacement level. Chroma values (C*) increased significantly at higher replacement levels which improved color intensity. At 50% replacement, the percentage of moisture was slightly decreased, but the percentages of protein, fat, and ash were statistically unchanged. There was no significant difference in cooking loss across treatments. The findings indicated that partial substitution of KCl for NaCl had no significant impact on oxidative stability and metmyoglobin levels. Texture properties, particularly hardness and cohesiveness, were significantly affected by sodium chloride substitution with potassium chloride. In conclusion, reducing the sodium content of beef patties by replacing sodium chloride with potassium chloride was feasible up to a certain level without compromising sensory acceptability.