Journal of Culinary Science & Technology

ISSN: 1542-8052 (Print) 1542-8044 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcsc20

Quality and Sensorial Evaluation of Beef

Hamburger Made with Herbs, Spices, and Reduced
Sodium Content

Camila Barbosa Carvalho, Ana Carolina Pelaes Vital, Emília Maria Barbosa
Carvalho Kempinski, Grasiele Scaramal Madrona, Péricles Martim Reche,
Ana Guerrero, Mariana Garcia Ornaghi & Ivanor Nunes do Prado

To cite this article: Camila Barbosa Carvalho, Ana Carolina Pelaes Vital, Emília Maria Barbosa
Carvalho Kempinski, Grasiele Scaramal Madrona, Péricles Martim Reche, Ana Guerrero, Mariana
Garcia Ornaghi & Ivanor Nunes do Prado (2017): Quality and Sensorial Evaluation of Beef
Hamburger Made with Herbs, Spices, and Reduced Sodium Content, Journal of Culinary Science &
Technology, DOI: 10.1080/15428052.2017.1363108

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2017.1363108

Published online: 29 Aug 2017.

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JOURNAL OF CULINARY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
https://doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2017.1363108

Quality and Sensorial Evaluation of Beef Hamburger Made

with Herbs, Spices, and Reduced Sodium Content
Camila Barbosa Carvalhoa, Ana Carolina Pelaes Vitala,
Emília Maria Barbosa Carvalho Kempinskia,b, Grasiele Scaramal Madrona c
,
Péricles Martim Reched, Ana Guerreroe,f, Mariana Garcia Ornaghie,
and Ivanor Nunes do Pradoe
a
Food Science Post-Graduate Program, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil;
b
Department of Physical Therapy, UNINGA - Centro Universitáro Ingá, Maringá, Brazil; cDepartment of
Food Engineering, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil; dDepartment of Nursing and
Public Health, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil; eDepartment of Animal
Science, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil; fDepartment of Animal Production and
Food Science, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

Strategies aiming to reduce dietary sodium are being imple- Received 26 April 2017
mented based on studies that show that excessive consump- Accepted 31 July 2017
tion of sodium is associated with negative health effects. The KEYWORDS
objective of this study was to characterize hamburgers with Hypertension; market
reduced sodium (NaCl) content by 25% (F25) and 50% (F50). research; meat products;
Microbiology, physico-chemical composition, and sensory ana- potassium chloride; sodium
lysis (for non-hypertensive and hypertensive consumers) were chloride
performed. In addition, a market survey was conducted.
Sodium reduction affected the hamburger firmness; F50 pre-
sented the highest value. Microbiological aspects were ade-
quate. The acceptability of hyposodic hamburgers remained
over 70%. Hypertensive consumers had great overall accept-
ability and only non-hypertensive consumers detected the
sodium reduction (F50). A market survey showed consumer
interest in acquiring products with sodium reduction. Thus, it
is possible to reduce the amount of sodium in meat products,
which may benefit consumer health due to reduced sodium
consumption.

Introduction
In many industrialized countriessodium ingestion exceeds nutritional recom-
mendations. Excessive sodium intake is associated with hypertension and the
occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. Sodium chloride, its main sodium
source, is associated with an increase in blood pressure when consumed
above 6 g/day/person (Ruusunen & Puolanne, 2005). Epidemiological studies
have shown low rates of arterial hypertension cases in populations who
intake less than 3 g of salt/day and high rates in populations that consume

CONTACT Camila Barbosa Carvalho camilab.carvalho@hotmail.com Av. Colombo, 5.790, 87020-900 -

Maringá - Paraná - Brazil.
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/wcsc.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis
2 C. B. CARVALHO ET AL.

more than 20 g of salt/day (Slobodan & Vesna, 2011). Research in European

countries (Desmond, 2006) has shown that meat and meat products con-
tribute to 20% of sodium intake in the consumer diet. Thus, the development
of meat products with low salt rates is important not only to the hypertensive
part of the population. Sodium chloride plays an important role in products’
conservation and in sensorial characteristics, such as taste intensity, which
decreases when salt is reduced (Ruusunen & Puolanne, 2005).
Several ingredients may be employed as salt substitutes in meat pro-
ducts, including potassium chloride, which presents the same character-
istics of salt and is acknowledged as a safe ingredient. In fact, it may be
replaced without a loss in the product’s functionality. However, due to its
bitter taste, potassium chlorate in meat products is restricted (Collins,
1997). Partial replacement of sodium chloride by potassium chloride with
the addition of aromatic herbs and spices in hamburgers may be an
alternative to maintaining the product’s tastiness (Aliño et al., 2010;
Horita, Morgano, Celeghini, & Pollonio, 2011).
Industries are exploring new alternatives to develop products with reduced
sodium content similar to the standards related to texture and flavor, accord-
ing to consumers habits. The addition of aromatic herbs and spices may also
contribute to the acceptability of products with sodium reduction. The
objective of this study was to investigate the effects of beef hamburgers
made with herbs and spices and reduced sodium content by substituting
with potassium chloride at 25 and 50% on microbiological, physicochemical,
texture, and sensorial analyses.

Materials and methods

Samples
Beef hamburgers (beef + textured soy protein + spices and herbs + cold
water) were produced in the meat laboratory of the food engineering depart-
ment. Hamburger meat was acquired from an abattoir in Maringá, and it was
from animals finished in confinement at Iguatemi Experimental Farm of the
State University of Maringá. Selected meat came from the rib section of the
muscle Multifidi Dorsi, whereas herbs, spices, and textured soy protein were
acquired on the local market. Were used 6 kg of meat for hamburger
production and 25 hamburgers were used for each treatment.

Formulations and processing

Hamburgers were prepared replacing sodium chloride (NaCl) with potassium
chloride (KCl), aromatic herbs, and spices. Three seasonings were prepared:
CON (100% sodium chloride), F25 (reduction of 25% in sodium chloride), and
 JOURNAL OF CULINARY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 3

Table 1. Composition of beef hamburger.

Beef burger
Ingredients (%) CON F25 F50
Beef meat 88.67 88.67 88.67
Textured soybean protein 4.00 4.00 4.00
Cold water 5.00 5.00 5.00
NaCl 2.00 1.50 1.00
KCl 0.50 1.00
Allium sativum 0.20 0.20 0.20
Oreganum vulgare 0.02 0.02 0.02
Bixa orellana 0.10 0.10 0.10
Capsicum frutescens 0.01 0.01 0.01

Figure 1. Flow chart of beef hamburger preparation.

F50 (reduction of 50% in sodium chloride), as described in Table 1. The beef

hamburger formulation was made according to Carvalho et al. (2013).
Hamburgers were made according to Figure 1. During processing, the
meat was weighed (80 g for each hamburger) and molded by a hand cutter
(1 cm thickness). Textured soy protein was hydrated with boiling water.
After cooling, water excess was removed and soy was incorporated into the
process. Beef hamburgers were packed in polyethylene bags and frozen at
−18°C for rear analysis.
4 C. B. CARVALHO ET AL.

Chemical composition
Chemical analyses were performed in triplicate, and moisture and ash con-
tents (AOAC, 1998), total fat (Bligh & Dyer, 1959), crude protein (AOAC,
1998), and carbohydrates by difference were determined. Sodium and potas-
sium analyses were prepared on a dry basis, at 550°C and diluted with nitric
acid following methodology by AOAC (1998). Samples were quantified by an
atomic absorption spectrophotometer AA240FS (Varian, USA), in g per kg of
the product’s mineral, employing standard solutions and analytic curves.

Microbiological analyses
Three samples from hamburger at zero time were used to evaluate the
microbiological quality. Fecal coliforms at 35°C and coliforms at 45°C,
coagulase-positive staphylococcus, sulfate-reducing clostridium at 46°C, and
Salmonella sp. were evaluated, quantified, and detected according to metho-
dology by Silva, Junqueira, and Silveira (1997).

Cooking losses
Samples were thawed at 4°C ± 1°C and thermally processed by conventional
cooking. Samples were previously weighed. Hamburgers were grilled on an
electric grill, Multi-Britania 127V, for approximately 5 minutes up to an
internal temperature of 70°C, verified by the digital thermometer Incoterm
(−50 and 300°C), 145 mm long with a 4 mm diameter. Samples were cooled
up to 25°C and weighed. Losses by cooking were calculated by
%CL ¼ ðThawed weight  cooked weightÞ=ðThawed weightÞ  100

Determination of texture and color

Beef hamburgers’ mechanical characteristics were determined by texture analyzer
Stable Micro Sistemas Taxt Plus (Texture Technologies Corp., UK) and 5.00 kg
charge cell according to the Research Center for Meat of the USDA (Wheeler et al.,
1997).
Each sample weighing approximately 80 g was wrapped in aluminum foil
and grilled on an electric grill, Multi Grill 2 Britânia 127V, up to 70°C, and
measured by an Incoterm thermometer (−50–300°C), with a tube 145 mm
long by 4 mm diameter. Six samples with 1 cm2 were taken.
Color was determined at four points on the surface of the burgers after 30 min
of exposure without packaging (ambient temperature). The L* value (bright-
ness), a* (blue), and b* (yellow) rates were determined by the portable digital
 JOURNAL OF CULINARY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 5

color meter Minolta® CR10, with an integration sphere and 3° angle of vision, or
rather, illumination D3 and illuminating D65, following the CIE (1986) system.

Sensorial analysis and market research

This study was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the State
University of Maringá, by Protocol 21879413.9.0000.0104. Participants
signed a consent form for their participation in the sensorial analysis.
Two groups participated in the sensory analysis. The first group was
composed of 100 non-hypertensive consumers, 60% women and 40% men,
of whom 75% were habitual hamburger consumers, ages: < 30 years = 52%;
31–44 years = 0%; 45–59 years = 17%; over 60 years = 3%. The second group
was composed of hypertensive consumers, 50% women and 50% men, of
whom 60% were usual hamburger consumers, with < 30 years = 0;
31–44 years = 26%; 45–59 years = 16%; over 60 years = 58%. Most of the
population studied in this group over 60 years is justified by hypertensive
disease, having a higher prevalence among the elderly.
Sensorial analysis was performed in two stages with possible consumers.
The first group was comprised of 100 consumers and the second of 30
hypertensive participants in order to compare the acceptability by different
tasters. Tasters evaluated the acceptability of grilled 2 × 2 cm hamburgers
served immediately and randomly after being prepared at 50°C (Macfie,
Bratchell, Greehoff, & Vallis, 1989). Hamburgers were evaluated for taste,
smell, texture, and overall acceptance by a hedonic 9-point scale (9 = I liked
it very much; 1 = I did not like it at all) (Dutcosky, 2011). Buying intention
(3-point scale), age, gender, and consuming habits were added to the ques-
tionnaire. The samples acceptance index was calculated by the following
expression (Dick, Jong, & Souza, 2011):

x  100
IA% ¼
n

where: x = mean of each sample; n = highest score of each sample given by

tasters.
A market survey with 250 participants was performed between April and
May 2013, using Google docs (online) tools for the questionnaires with alter-
native questions to participants in southern Brazil, at random. The interviewed
were asked about their family history of hypertension, consumption of ham-
burgers with sodium reduction, and frequency, type of intake (fried, grilled,
cooked), preparation, seasoning, and price paid for the product.
6 C. B. CARVALHO ET AL.

Costs of formulations
The cost of hamburgers (in US $) was calculated by each specific ingredient,
as provided by manufacturers.

Statistical analyses
Data were assessed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), using Statistics 7.0.
Means and standard deviations of data were calculated. Significant differ-
ences between means were analyzed by Bonferroni at 5% significance level.
Principal component analysis was performed using XLSTAT 7.5.3 in order to
identify relationships between variables. The correlations between attributes
were evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Results
Instrumental and microbiological meat quality of beef burger
As shown in Table 2, the replacement of sodium by potassium did not
change the chemical composition. As the differences between control and
hyposodium beef burgers were not significant, those products presented an
average of 72.72% of moisture, 2.44% of ashes, 22.23% of crude protein, and
2.25% of total fat levels.
Related to the color and cooking losses, the replacement of sodium by
potassium did not have a significant effect (Table 3). L* values ranged
between 28.06 and 29.56, redness (a*) between 8.93 and 11.13, and yellow-
ness (b*) between 10.06 and 11.90. The average cooking loss percentage was
29.55%; however, when texture was evaluated (shearing force), differences
between treatments (p ≤ 0.05) are shown. Hamburgers with 50% of sodium
reduction presented higher values than control and a reduction of 25%.

Table 2. Chemical analysis of beef hamburger.

Beef burger
1
Item CON F252 F503
Moisture (%) 72.43a ± 0.24 72.78a ± 0.69 72.96a ± 0.32
Ashes (%) 2.54a ± 0.14 2.35a ± 0.17 2.35a ± 0.02
Crude protein (%) 22.17a ± 0.15 22.41a ± 0.02 22.13a ± 0.02
Total fat (%) 2.28a ± 0.07 2.22a ± 0.02 2.25a ± 0.03
Sodium (g kg−1) 6.00c ± 10.89 4.45b ± 4.68 3.00a ± 5.56
Potassium (g kg−1) 1.96c ± 1.08 2.44b ± 2.95 3.00a ± 5.99
CON (20 g kg−1NaCl + 2 g kg−1Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1Oreganumvulgare + 1g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g
1

kg−1Capsicumfrutescens); 2F25 (15 g kg−1NaCl + 5 g kg−1KCl + 2 g kg−1Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1

Oreganumvulgare + 1 g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g kg−1Capsicumfrutescens); 3F50 (10 g kg−1NaCl + 10 g
kg−1KCl + 2 g kg−1Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1Oreganumvulgare + 1 g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g
kg−1Capsicumfrutescens).
 JOURNAL OF CULINARY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 7

Table 3. Color (L, a* e b*), cooking loss (CL) and texture (N) of beef hamburgers.
Beef burger
1
Item CON F252 F503
L 28.06a ± 1.02 29.56a ± 3.38 28.80a ± 1.34
a* 8.93a ± 1.10 11.13a ± 1.58 9.63a ± 0.81
b* 10.06a ± 1.10 11.90a ± 1.12 10.33a ± 1.30
LC (%) 28.06a ± 0.19 28.67a ± 2.29 31.92a ± 2.65
Texture (N) 16.50a ± 0.15 17.32a ± 0.71 19.79b ± 0.47
CON (20 g kg−1NaCl + 2 g kg−1Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1Oreganumvulgare + 1g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g
1

kg−1 Capsicumfrutescens); 2F25 (15 g kg−1NaCl + 5 g kg−1KCl + 2 g kg−1Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1

Oreganumvulgare + 1 g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g kg−1Capsicumfrutescens); 3F50 (10 g kg−1NaCl + 10 g
kg−1KCl + 2 g kg−1Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1Oreganumvulgare + 1g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g
kg−1Capsicumfrutescens).

Results of microbiological analyses showed coliform rates at 45°C and 35°C < 3
(NMP/g), coagulase-positive staphylococcus < 1x102 (UFC/g), absence of
Salmonella spp. in 25 g, sulfate-reducing clostridium counts < 10 (UFC/g), in
accordance with Brazilian regulation (RDC no. 12 2001).

Sensorial perception and costs of formulations

As shown in Table 4, in the non-hypertensive consumer group, there were
statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05) in the acceptability of all studied attributes
between the control hamburger and F50 group, except for smell.
Acceptability of hamburgers T25 did not present statistical differences com-
pared to the control group in any attribute evaluated and was also at the

Table 4. Sensory analysis by consumers for beef hamburger with sodium reduction.
Beef burger
CON1 F252 F503
Non-hypertensive consumer
Smell 7.46a ± 1.57 7.00a ± 1.70 6.96a ± 1.68
Taste 7.55a ± 1.67 7.03a ± 1.69 6.22b ± 2.14
Texture 7.43a ± 1.66 7.28ab ± 1.47 6.85b ± 1.87
Overall acceptance 7.86a ± 1.37 7.29ab ± 1.46 6.77b ± 2.03
Purchase intention 2.51a ± 0.67 2.33a ± 0.72 2.01b ± 1.12
I.A.4 87.33% 81.00% 75.22%
Hypertensive consumer
Smell 8.10a ± 1.37 8.07a ± 1.31 8.06a ± 1.17
Taste 8.06a ± 1.22 8.33a ± 0.92 8.06a ± 1.20
Texture 8.16a ± 1.34 8.20a ± 1.06 8.30a ± 1.11
Overall acceptance 8.26a ± 1.04 8.36a ± 0.92 8.30a ± 1.02
Purchase intention 2.53a ± 0.68 2.76a ± 0.50 2.66a ± 0.60
I.A.4 91.77% 92.88% 92.22%
CON (20 g kg−1NaCl + 2 g kg−1Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1Oreganumvulgare + 1g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g kg−1
1

Capsicumfrutescens); 2F25 (15 g kg−1NaCl + 5 g kg−1KCl + 2 g kg−1Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1

Oreganumvulgare + 1 g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g kg−1Capsicumfrutescens); 3F50 (10 g kg−1NaCl + 10 g
kg−1KCl + 2 g kg−1 Alliumsativum + 0.2 g kg−1Oreganumvulgare + 1g kg−1Bixaorellana + 0.2 g
kg−1Capsicumfrutescens). Means followed by different letters on the same line for each meat are different
(p < 0.05). 4I.A. = index of product´s acceptability.
8 C. B. CARVALHO ET AL.

same statistical level as the F50 group for texture and overall acceptance.
There were no statistical differences in any attribute evaluated by hyperten-
sive consumers between the different hamburger formulations. Scores given
by non-hypertensive consumers were lower (respectively, 6.77 and 6.22 for
F25 and F50) than those of hypertensive consumers (respectively, 8.30 and
8.06) when general acceptability and the taste of the hamburgers were
evaluated. The data shown in Table 4 indicate a perception of potassium in
taste by non-hypertensive consumers (F50). In this case, the intention to buy
the product decreased and differs for the control and F25. Principal compo-
nents analysis (PCA) (Figure 2) showed that sensorial answers of non-
hypertensive and hypertensive consumers were different according to
Table 4. The three different treatments evaluated by hypertensive consumers
were on the right side of PC1, and closer to the acceptability of all evaluated
attributes; however, the three treatments evaluated by non-hypertensive were
located on the left side of PC1, far from the acceptability attributes, especially
when sodium reduction was at 50%. According to Pearson’s correlation
coefficient obtained, overall acceptability of beef burgers was more related
to taste and texture attributes (r = 0.976 and 0.962, respectively) than smell
(r = 0.956).
Formulation costs were very similar. Control treatment was about US
$4.66 per kg, US $4.68 for F25, and US $4.73 for F50. The prices of
hamburger (80 g) were $0.3728, $0.3744, and $0.3784, respectively, for
control, F25, and F50.

Figure 2. Principal components analysis of sensorial evaluations of hyposodium beef hamburger

by non-hypertensive (N) and hypertensive (H) consumers. CON: Control, F25: 25% sodium
reduction, F50: 50% sodium reduction.
 JOURNAL OF CULINARY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 9

Market survey
Participants’ profile included 68% women and 32% men; 62% people
between 21 and 30 years old; 31% between 10 and 20 years old; 4% between
31 and 40 years old; 3% over 40 years old. Furthermore, 96% alleged being
non-hypertensive and 4% hypertensive. When asked about the presence of
hypertension in their families, 65% answered positively and 35% negatively.
The results of the market survey showed high interest of consumers in
buying beef burgers with less sodium content. When their intention of
consuming beef burgers with less sodium was questioned, 95% of consumers
replied positively and only 5% said they would not like the product. The
frequency in hamburger intake demonstrated that 59% of consumers rarely
eat hamburgers, 26% once a week, 11% twice a week, and 4% did not eat it.
The reasons for eating hamburgers with less sodium were: 43% for health;
25% taste; 24% quality; 5% price; 4% recommendation by another person.
Moreover, 47% of consumers would pay between US $0.44 and 0.87/ham-
burger; 34% less than US $0.44, 18% between US $0.88 and 1.32, and 1% over
US $1.32. Hamburger is consumed more with bread, totaling 90%; 9% like
meat, and only 1% alone; 48% of consumers liked it fried, 39% grilled, and
13% cooked. Moreover, 60% of consumers preferred to eat it with traditional
seasoning used in the current experiment, 23% with barbecue, 9% with
pepper, and 8% with fine herbs.

Discussion
It is known that salt plays an important role in maintaining the character-
istics of fresh and processed meats (He & MacGregor, 2010), and a mod-
ification in the content or composition could affect physical, instrumental,
and sensorial characteristics of the product, which could affect consumer
acceptability and purchase intention. In this study, the replacement of
sodium by potassium at 25 and 50% did not change chemical composition
of hamburgers prepared with beef meat. Results show (Table 2) that ham-
burgers were chemically health-safe when the sodium decrease and fat intake
were taken into consideration. According to the World Health Organization
(WHO, 2003), sodium intake should not exceed 2 g/day and a 50% sodium
chloride reduction in hamburgers boils down to approximately 3 g of sodium
per 1 kg product.
Color is one of the main attributes that consumers evaluate before pur-
chasing meat products. The color of hamburgers was different from beef
meat in natura due to seasoning with urucum (Bixa orellana), which pro-
vided a redder color to the product, with a reduction of luminosity to 28.80.
Normal rates for beef in natura are above 35 (Page, Wulf, & Schwotzer,
2001); however, as demonstrated in other processed meat products such as
10 C. B. CARVALHO ET AL.

sausages, sometimes differences detected by instrumental techniques (CIE lab

scale) are not detected by consumers by visual inspection (He & MacGregor,
2010). Salt plays an important role in relation to the texture of processed
meat, as previously described by Desmond (2006), as it activates proteins,
increases binding properties of proteins, and affects water-holding capacity.
However, the replacement of 25% and 50% of sodium chloride by potassium
chloride did not affect cooking losses, which remained within normal limits
for beef burger with less than 10% fat. According to He and MacGregor
(2010), the substitution did not affect the cooking losses probably because
both treatment formulations had a similar ionic strength for the control
group. The cooking losses contributed to the quality of the developed
product, which presented lower rates compared to the ones found by
Scheeder et al. (2001) for grilled hamburgers, which varied between 30 and
33% in treatments with different fat levels and sources.
On the other hand, shearing force was higher for the treatment with
50% sodium reduction. Although a less tender meat, the values found
(19.79 N) were normal for this type of product without fat addition and
50% sodium reduction. Scheeder et al. (2001) demonstrated similar values
(19.40 N) in control hamburgers. An alternative to reducing this difference
in texture may be the inclusion of fat or phosphate in the formulation.
Ruusunen and Puolanne (2005) remarked that beef meat hamburgers may
be prepared with low sodium and higher yields when phosphate was
included.
The bacteriostatic characteristic of salt has been previously reported
(Garcia, Bolognesi, & Shimokomaki, 2013); however, the replacement did
not affect microbiological results. All groups showed adequate results on the
microbiological analyses developed. Bidlas and Lambert (2008) reported that
KCl may be a direct replacement for common salt related to antimicrobial
control.
Studies have shown a predominant hypertension rate in Brazil around
20%, regardless of gender, with an increasing trend proportional to advanced
age (Passos, Assis, & Barreto, 2006). The results showed that the hypertensive
group did not find differences in acceptability for any evaluated attribute,
with scores given higher than the non-hypertensive group. This fact is
probably associated with the habit of consumption of each group; usually a
person with hypertension changes his or her habits to decrease the consump-
tion frequency of some foods and reduce salt intake. Therefore, it is possible
that the hypertensive group who was habituated to low salt content did not
notice the differences between control and reduced sodium treatments.
However, participants without medical limitations of salt consumption prob-
ably perceived the differences in taste, principally when sodium was replaced
at 50%, as the product was less attractive, which influences the purchase
intention and acceptability index.
 JOURNAL OF CULINARY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 11

In a study with tomato juice prepared with different amounts of sodium,

Bobowski, Rendahl, and Vickers (2014) showed that repeated exposure to a
food with lower sodium content gradually reduced may increase the accept-
ability of the food even in the absence of a diet that is low in sodium.
Carraro, Machado, Espindola, Campagnol, and Pollonio (2012) showed
that 50% KCl in bologna sausage reduced sensorial quality along with a
significant reduction in purchase intent, a rejection of 28% for the product
when sodium was reduced by 50%, and a rejection of 18% when the product
was provided with spices and herbs. In this study, formulations with herbs
and spices also contributed to better results in sensorial evaluation.
Concerning smell, consumers did not report any difference between treat-
ments. This factor is intrinsically linked to the seasoning in the product,
which was the same for all treatments (Table 1). Studies by Dijksterhuis,
Boucon, and Le Berre (2014) report the hypothesis that small variations in
taste may not be significant if the product has a similar appearance, smell,
and texture.
In fact, Brazilian consumers have the habit of consuming foods with high
sodium levels around 8 g kg−1, and hamburgers with 50% sodium reduction
provide only 3 g kg−1. Acceptability higher than 70% may be considered a
high value by the consumers for this type of product. However, for hyper-
tensive consumers, the decrease in sodium was less perceptible, with no
significant differences between the parameters evaluated (Table 4).
Chung et al. (2008) compared adhesion to medicine and dietetic treat-
ment for arterial hypertension and concluded that hypertensive people
accepted efficaciously the use of drugs but failed to reduce sodium intake.
Products with sodium reduction that present a positive acceptance by
hypertensive consumers may contribute to a lower sodium intake and
consequently, a reduction in blood pressure. According to results obtained
from the market survey, meat hamburgers with less sodium obtained a
high index of positive answers in the consumption intention, which was
positive for 95% of interviewees. Products with sodium reduction attended
a significant percentage of consumers who require products for an
improvement or maintenance of blood pressure rates. In fact, the reduced
daily sodium intake can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and
cardiovascular disease (WHO, 2003).
The cost of formulations only varies slightly between treatments. The
impact on the final hyposodium product was low and proportional to the
expectations of consumers looking for a healthy diet. Moreover, the price was
lower than consumers were willing to pay (market survey). It should be
remembered that the highest price for one hamburger (50% sodium chloride
reduction) in this study was approximately US $0.38, and thus, within
consumers’ expectations, 47% of consumers were willing to pay between
US $0.44 and 0.87 per hamburger.
12 C. B. CARVALHO ET AL.

Brazilian policy has planned to make a gradual decrease in the sodium

content of foods. New technologies and formulations were developed for this
new industry requirement, which was adapted to consumers’ tastes. Food
such as hamburgers in fast food and snacks, frequently consumed by vulner-
able health groups, such as teenagers and children, are being study and
reformulated to not prejudicial their health (Nilson, Jaime, & Resende,
2012). There is a need to reduce sodium in processed products to improve
public health. In addition, in relation to culinary science, the supply of
processed meat products with reduced sodium content and the use of
herbs and spices to maintain their flavor could be a differential for the fast
foods and commercial restaurants, attracting not only a specific population
but also those customers who are looking for a healthier diet.

Conclusions
Replacement of sodium by potassium up to 50% did not produce notable
changes on microbiological, chemical, or instrumental characteristics of beef
burgers, and only presented a higher value for texture. Sensorially, replacing
up to 50% of sodium by potassium in beef hamburgers with herbs and spices
is feasible, mainly for hypertensive consumers.

Acknowledgments
This research was funded by Araucaria Foundation of the state of Paraná, Brazil, the National
Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and the Brazilian research
supporting foundation (CAPES).

ORCID
Grasiele Scaramal Madrona http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8837-8424

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