# Fermented cashew-apple flour changes texture and sensory scores in meatballs

> A laboratory study tested juice-processing residue in soy-based and beef-based formulations. The authors selected different promising substitution levels, while sensory scores and texture depended on the product.

URL: https://foodradar.org/fermented-cashew-bagasse-flour-tested-in-plant-based-and-hybrid-meatballs
Language: en
Author: FoodRadar Editorial
Published: 2026-10-15T20:50:05.019775+00:00
Updated: 2026-10-24T18:30:48.057Z
Source publication date: 2026-09-21
Category: Sustainability
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## A juice by-product was tested in two types of meatball

A study published in the Journal of Food Science on 21 September 2026 examined flour made from cashew-apple juice residue fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. Researchers tested the protein-enriched flour in soy-based meatballs and hybrid meatballs containing beef, combining instrumental measurements, tasting panels and an image-based assessment of emotions.

Each product category had a control and formulations labelled as 10%, 20% and 30% replacement of soy protein or beef. These were the study's replacement levels for the base ingredient. The soy-based recipes also changed the amounts of water and soybean oil. Products were prepared in two independent batches.

## Protein content remained similar, while moisture and pH fell

Within each product category, protein content did not differ significantly among formulations. The authors report that protein content was maintained as soy protein or beef was replaced, despite describing the flour itself as protein-enriched. Moisture and pH decreased with flour incorporation in both categories.

Instrumental texture results differed between the two product types. Hardness and gumminess did not differ significantly among the soy-based samples. In the hybrids, the formulation labelled 30% replacement was significantly harder and gummier than the control and the 10% and 20% formulations.

## Elasticity and volatile profiles also depended on the formulation

Soy-based samples containing the flour had lower elasticity than their control, without significant differences among the three replacement levels. Hybrid samples at 10% and 20% had lower elasticity than the control, whereas the 30% hybrid did not differ significantly from the control. The authors state that the mechanisms behind matrix-dependent changes were not directly investigated.

Volatile analysis was restricted to the soy-based 20% and hybrid 10% formulations and their respective controls. Using headspace extraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, the authors reported 74 volatile compounds across those samples. They described a more pronounced fermented character in the soy-based formulation and additional ester compounds in the hybrid formulation.

## Small tasting panels identified different promising replacement levels

The free-choice descriptive panels included 26 adults for soy-based products and 24 for hybrids, with some participants taking part in both. A separate panel of 20 adults carried out the preferred-attribute assessment. That stage tested controls and 10% and 20% formulations; the 30% versions had been excluded after preliminary sensory and instrumental assessments.

The soy-based products showed no significant loss of acceptability across the parameters assessed at up to 20% replacement. For hybrids, mean overall-impression scores on the nine-point scale were 7.95 for the control, 6.25 at 10% and 5.25 at 20%. Both flour-containing hybrids scored significantly below the control for overall impression; the two replacement levels did not differ significantly from each other on that measure.

The authors nevertheless identified the soy-based 20% and hybrid 10% formulations as the most promising substitution levels in their study. In hybrids, texture and flavour acceptance were significantly lower at 20% than in the control. The descriptive assessment generated 19 attributes, including seasoning, juiciness, fermented notes and fibrous texture.

## The emotion assessment used images without tasting

A separate assessment asked adult participants to select food-related emojis in response to product images and the proposed incorporation of the fermented ingredient. No tasting took place in this stage. The authors interpreted the responses as showing surprise and questioning toward the ingredient rather than rejection, with the ingredient concept having more influence than the plant-based or meat-based category.

The researchers did not directly assess participants' previous familiarity with plant-based, hybrid or upcycled foods, which they acknowledge limits that interpretation. They conclude that use of the flour requires balanced formulation and call for further studies on processing strategies, combinations of by-products and alignment with sensory and emotional responses.

## Sources and rights

- [Sensory Perceptions, Evoked Emotions, and Instrumental Parameters of Plant‐Based and Hybrid Meatballs Added With Fermented Cashew Apple Waste: A Multifactorial Approach](https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71462?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=fermented-cashew-bagasse-flour-tested-in-plant-based-and-hybrid-meatballs-en). Journal of Food Science. Natália Ferreira Negreiros, Rogério Silva de Almeida, Tatiana Colombo Pimentel, Mercia de Sousa Galvão, Tânia Beatriz Santos Cândido, Leila Moreira de Carvalho, Normando Mendes Ribeiro-Filho, Lary Souza Olegario, Taliana Kênia Alencar Bezerra, Marta Suely Madruga and Fábio Anderson Pereira da Silva (2026). Sensory Perceptions, Evoked Emotions, and Instrumental Parameters of Plant-Based and Hybrid Meatballs Added With Fermented Cashew Apple Waste: A Multifactorial Approach. Journal of Food Science 91, e71462. Published 21 September 2026. DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.71462. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Food Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists. CC BY 4.0. FoodRadar edited and translated the text. [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=fermented-cashew-bagasse-flour-tested-in-plant-based-and-hybrid-meatballs-en-license).

Adapted by FoodRadar.

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