Changes in Nutritional Composition and Flavor-Related Compounds of Pan-Grilled Conventional Meat-Based and Plant-Based Meat Analog Meatballs

초록

Consumer demand for plant-based foods has grown in response to increasing interest in sustainable food choices; however, concerns remain regarding their nutritional quality and flavor characteristics. This study compared the nutritional and flavor components of meat-based meatballs (MMs) and plant-based meatballs (PMs) after pan-grilling. MMs contained significantly higher levels of crude protein, collagen, nucleotides, and oleic acid than PMs and, as expected, contained meat-specific bioactive compounds, including carnosine, anserine, and taurine, absent in PMs. In contrast, PMs had significantly higher levels of carbohydrates, minerals, and essential amino acids, such as threonine, isoleucine, leucine, histidine, lysine, and arginine, as well as umami-free amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Pan grilling reduced the moisture and histidine contents of MMs and PMs, but increased sodium and iron contents. VOCs exhibited distinct pan-grilled flavor profiles of both meatball types, and tridecane, decanal, octanal, and (E)-2-decenal contributed to key differences. Sensory evaluation showed no significant differences between MMs and PMs in sensory attributes other than taste, though MMs had a significantly higher taste score. These findings provide a scientific basis for improving the nutritional quality and flavor characteristics of plant-based meatball products.

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