Hybrid and analog chicken burgers with Agaricus bisporus: technological performance, sensory perception and gastronomic potential

This study evaluated the effects of Agaricus bisporus (AB) mushroom as a partial and total substitute for chicken meat in burgers, considering physicochemical, technological, and sensory characteristics. Four treatments were prepared: control (FC) and burgers with 35% (F35), 50% (F50), and 100% (F100) replacement of chicken meat with AB. Increasing mushroom levels resulted in higher moisture and lower protein and lipid contents. After cooking, there was a significant reduction of over 30% in lipid content in the hybrid treatments (F35 and F50) and a 67.4% reduction in F100 (meat analog burger) than FC. F50 and F100 showed reduced cooking loss and shrinkage, greater moisture retention, and darker color than control (P<0.05). These effects are likely associated with the combined functionality of mushrooms, plant proteins, dietary fibers, green banana biomass, and hydrocolloids. Texture profile analysis revealed progressive reductions in hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness with increasing substitution levels. Sensory evaluation showed that FC (8.42) and F35 (7.99) achieved the highest overall liking scores and did not differ significantly (P>0.05). In contrast, acceptance progressively decreased for F50 (7.37) and F100 (4.86), the latter of which was associated with negative sensory descriptors, including strange appearance, strange flavor, and dark color, in the CATA analysis. At higher substitution levels (F100), the combined effects of mushroom incorporation and structural ingredients altered flavor, appearance, and product familiarity, negatively affecting consumer acceptance. Agaricus bisporus demonstrated potential for hybrid chicken burger development at moderate substitution levels (35%), contributing to improved technological properties while maintaining satisfactory sensory acceptance.