Oxysterols, physicochemical properties, and sensory attributes of NaCl‐substituted beef patties fortified with date fruit powder.

BACKGROUND: Salt substitutes can reduce sodium content in meat products but may impact their sensory quality, necessitating flavor enhancers to maintain it. The effects of date fruit powder (DFP) and salt blends on oxysterols, physicochemical properties, and sensory attributes of beef patties were assessed. Beef patties were formulated with either 20 g kg−1 sodium chloride (NaCl, DFP‐0), 20 g kg−1 NaCl + 100 g kg−1 DFP (DFP‐1), 15 g kg−1 potassium chloride (KCl) + 5 g kg−1 NaCl +100 g kg−1 DFP (DFP‐2) or 15 g kg−1 potassium citrate (C6H5K3O7) + 5 g kg−1 NaCl +100 g kg−1 DFP (DFP‐3), and oven‐cooked at 200 °C for 20 min. RESULTS: Sodium content, and the concentration of 22R‐hydroxycholesterol, 25‐hydroxycholesterol, 7‐hydroperoxycholesterol, 7α‐hydroxycholesterol were lower in DFP‐2 and DFP‐3 patties than in DFP‐0 and DFP‐1 patties (P < 0.05). The DFP‐0 patties had greater carbonyl and malondialdehyde contents compared with other patties (P < 0.05). DFP addition enhanced total dietary fiber and lowered the color coordinates, hardness, and chewiness of beef patties (P < 0.05). Cooking loss was higher in DFP‐2 and DFP‐3 patties compared with DFP‐0 and DFP‐1 patties. The DFP‐1 patties received higher sensory ratings than the other patties (P < 0.05), while the sensorial qualities of DFP‐0, DFP‐2, and DFP‐3 patties did not differ. CONCLUSION: Partial replacement of NaCl with KCl and C6H5K3O7 reduced the sodium content and selected oxysterols in beef patties. DFP supplementation increased dietary fiber and improved oxidative stability in NaCl‐substituted beef patties, while DFP‐1 received the highest sensory ratings. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]