Potassium chloride as partial salt substitute in plant-based burgers

• Salt substitute (70% KCl, 30% NaCl) does not affect hardness, color and cooking loss • No significant sensory differences were detected with NaCl substitution • NaCl substitution enables “reduced sodium” (50% substitution) claim • NaCl substitution enables “source of potassium” (75% substitution) claim This study evaluated the effect of partially replacing sodium chloride (NaCl) with a commercial potassium chloride-based substitute (70% KCl and 30% NaCl) in plant-based burgers. Five substitution levels were formulated (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% substitution) and burgers were pan-fried. The cooking loss, texture, color parameters, and sensory attributes were analyzed. Sodium reduction in the products ranged from 0% to 59.2%, while potassium increased up to 403 mg/100 g. Cooking loss, hardness and color did not show significant changes with the use of the commercial substitute at any of the replacement levels tested. Neither general acceptability nor saltiness perception differed significantly among formulations. These results indicate that a partial substitution of NaCl with KCl is a viable strategy to improve the nutritional profile of plant-based burgers without compromising their quality.