From Surplus Potatoes to Functional Food Ingredients: Developing a Plant-Based Burger Through Circular Food Innovation

Abstract The valorisation of surplus food resources offers opportunities for sustainable food innovation. This case study evaluated surplus UK potatoes as a multifunctional ingredient in plant-based burger development. A 13-formulation iterative process was undertaken with textured soya protein mince (TVP) as the principal protein ingredient. Nutritional modelling through Nutritics software and sensory evaluation informed each successive formulation. Formulations E and F were selected for further analysis based on nutritional profiles, sensory characteristics and formulation performance, with formulation 1 retained as the reference for comparison. Nutritional composition, moisture, texture profile, and sensory acceptability were assessed, with differences between formulations evaluated using one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s HSD test ( p < 0.05). Formulations E and F, each containing whole potato mash, had lower protein contents (13.03 and 13.53 g/100 g, respectively) than the reference (19.57 g/100 g), although the difference was not significant ( p > 0.05). Fat content was also lower in E and F (44.17 and 45.78 g/100 g, respectively) than in the reference (56.80 g/100 g), with significant differences among formulations ( p < 0.05). They had higher moisture contents (54.65 and 52.96 g/100 g, respectively) than the reference (41.65 g/100 g), and higher overall acceptability scores (6.73 and 6.70/9, respectively) than the reference (5.51/9). Hardness decreased from 3891.45 N in the reference to 3145.92 N (E) and 3398.23 N (F), while chewiness decreased from 2055.51 g to 796.51 g (E) and 1140.10 g (F). These changes in texture may reflect hydration and gelatinisation of potato starch during heating. The findings demonstrate the potential of surplus whole potatoes to modify the nutritional, textural and sensory characteristics of plant-based burgers, while highlighting the need to balance potato utilisation with protein density, storage stability and environmental considerations. Information © The Author 2026