THE USE OF VEGETABLE FIBER IN THE TECHNOLOGY OF MEAT PATES AS A FACTOR IN INCREASING THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND STABILITY OF THE PRODUCT

<ns0:p>The relevance of the conducted research is determined by the growing demand for products with enhanced nutritional value, enriched with plant-based ingredients. Combining non-traditional raw materials with conventional formulations enables the creation of products with enhanced functional and technological properties. Particular scientific interest is focused on the production of meat pâtés as composite food products.The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a mixture of plant fiber and guar gum on the functional and technological properties of baked meat pâtés. To achieve this aim, model pâté formulations were developed, containing beef (Grade I), chicken breast meat, a blend of hemp and sunflower oils (60:40), and onion. The content of the plant fiber mixture (PFM), consisting of flaxseed (40 %), pumpkin seed fiber (30 %), and milk thistle fiber (30 %), was varied at levels of 5, 6, and 7 %. The amounts of guar gum, used as a structure-forming agent, were 1.0, 0.5, and 0.2%, respectively.The results showed that the addition of plant fiber improves the functional and technological characteristics of pâtés. The sample containing 5% fiber and 1% guar gum exhibited the highest water-holding capacity – 77.23% before and 76.44% after baking. The replacement of part of the meat raw material with plant ingredients did not significantly affect pH, which remained stable within the range of 5.93–5.98 after thermal treatment. Evaluation of oxidative stability revealed that the sample with 5 % fiber had the lowest peroxide (0.028 %J₂) and acid (2.32 mg KOH/g) values on the fifth day of storage. However, increasing the fiber content to 6–7 % accelerated oxidation processes.The obtained results confirm the feasibility of using a plant fiber mixture in meat pâté formulations to enhance their functional and technological properties, as well as extend shelf life.</ns0:p>