Add Citrus Fiber to Meatballs to Improve Nutritional Quality

Author: University of Missouri-Columbia
Published: 2013/10/15 - Updated: 2025/04/28
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Informative
Topic: Fitness and Nutrition - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: This article highlights an innovative approach to addressing the widespread dietary fiber deficiency in American diets. Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered that adding citrus fiber to ground beef products, particularly meatballs, can significantly increase their nutritional value without compromising taste or texture. This finding is important because it offers a practical solution to incorporate more fiber into a popular food item, potentially helping consumers meet their daily fiber requirements more easily. The study demonstrates that a small amount of citrus powder can add approximately 5 grams of fiber to a serving of meatballs, which traditionally contain no fiber. By improving the nutritional profile of commonly consumed foods, this research could contribute to better overall health outcomes, including weight management, improved digestion, and reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

Many American diets fall short of meeting nutritional guidelines resulting in burgeoning obesity rates and health problems across the nation. Statistics show that most Americans consume only half of the daily recommended amount of dietary fiber. Now, a research team at the University of Missouri is addressing the fiber deficit by including citrus fiber in ground beef while retaining the quality and taste of the meat.

Focus

What is Citrus Fiber?

Citrus fiber based ingredients have been around as long as citrus fruits have been harvested. Although an orange contains 85% moisture, of the remaining dry matter, two thirds is soluble sugars and 13.3% is fiber. In the edible portion of an orange, the commonly eaten fibrous components are the juice sacs and segment membranes. One of the more common edible uses of orange peel is in marmalade.

The key benefits of formulating with highly expanded citrus fiber is its ease of hydration and neutral impact on taste, texture, and cost in a formulation while improving nutrition and/or the quality of the finished food product. A relatively new form of citrus fiber ingredient, referred to as highly expanded citrus fiber, was introduced within the past couple years and has been shown to be effective at binding large amounts of water to improve both product quality and nutrition in a wide variety of foods. The composition of the highly expanded citrus fiber is roughly 70% total dietary fiber and of that, roughly half is soluble fiber and the other half is insoluble. This citrus fiber is also low fat at roughly 1% total fat and contains no trans fatty acids.

High Fiber Food Chart: Foods High in Dietary Fiber.

The Study Test

Ayca Gedikoglu, a doctoral student studying food science in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and Andrew Clarke, associate professor of food science, recently completed the first test on a citrus meatball recipe.

The test consisted of three batches of meatballs, with varying percentages of the meat substituted with citrus powder, to see how much of the sweet and tangy powder could be added without adversely affecting the meatballs' texture and cooking characteristics. The test used 1 percent, 5 percent and 10 percent increments.

Gedikoglu discovered that the citrus fiber increased the cooking yield of the meatball recipe, and that the texture and color of the meatballs remained acceptable when keeping fiber at the 1 or 5 percent levels.

A restaurant-sized serving of Gedikoglu's citrus meatballs, containing 2 percent citrus powder, contains approximately five grams of fiber. Traditionally, meatballs contain no fiber.

The health benefits of dietary fiber, mainly found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, include helping maintain a healthy weight, preventing or relieving constipation, and reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Soluble fiber, found mainly in whole grains and some fruits, is particularly beneficial for diabetics, because fiber slows sugar absorption and improves blood sugar levels.

Fiber tends to make a person feel full faster and stay full longer because it is less "energy dense," which means the product contains fewer calories. Gedikoglu suggests citrus powder as a replacement for bread crumbs in meatball recipes. Citrus powder, made from citrus peels, can be purchased online at a relatively inexpensive price.

Based on her initial test, Gedikoglu also thinks that adding citrus powder to some hamburger recipes would capitalize on the tangy citrus flavor. Next, Gedikoglu intends to conduct a series of taste tests. She also will study the potential antioxidant benefits of citrus powder. Citrus fruits, particularly their peels, are rich with flavonoids, a nutrient in plants that can help prevent diseases in humans such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Gedikoglu presented her study at the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) conference. AMSA, the foremost association of meat science professionals, fosters community and professional development in the meat science field.

How to Bulk Up on Fiber to Clean Colon and Intestines: How to add the best fiber to your diet to bulk up stools and help clean your colon and intestines.

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by University of Missouri-Columbia and published on 2013/10/15, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, University of Missouri-Columbia can be contacted at missouri.edu NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.