Possibility of using cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) flour in Kirklareli meatball production

In this research; the effects of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) flour on some physical, chemical, textural and sensory properties of Kırklareli meatballs were investigated. For this purpose, cowpea flour was added to the traditional Kırklareli meatball formulation in four different proportions (2%, 4%, 6% and 8%). Physical, chemical and textural properties of raw and cooked meatball samples and sensory properties of cooked samples were investigated. In addition, physical and chemical properties of cowpea flour were analyzed. In the meatball formulation, as the cowpea flour proportion increased, the water activity (aw), moisture, fat, free fatty acidity and salt values of the samples decreased; it was determined that pH, protein, ash, carbohydrate, total dietary fiber and texture values increased. Oleic acid (35,82%-36,96% in the raw samples; 36,89%-37,92% in the cooked samples) had the highest value in the fatty acid composition of meatball samples, followed by palmitic (25,88%-27,08% in the raw samples; 25,92%-27,50% in the cooked samples) and stearic (22,11%-23,89% in the raw samples; 23,62%-23,91% in the cooked samples) acids. The addition of cowpea flour resulted in significant differences (p<0,05) in the color (L* value 43,40-53,88 and b* value 13,92-18,11), pH (5,83-5,94), water activity (0,96-0,98), moisture (44,03%-50,63%), protein (17,70%-21,89%), fat (19,49%-22,97%), carbohydrate (6,77%-12,11%), salt (1,28%-1,74%) and total dietary fiber (2,81%-5,08%) values of the raw Kırklareli meatball samples and the color (a* value 5,64-9,44 and b* value 9,77-18,06), moisture (39,27%-45,24%), protein (19,92%-23,45%), fat (23,08%-26,19%), carbohydrate (5,92%-11,30%) and total dietary fiber (3,28%-5,40%) values of the cooked Kırklareli meatball samples. On the other hand, the use of cowpea flour did not make a statistically significant difference (p>0,05) in the weight loss, ash, free fatty acidity, texture and sensory analysis values of the meatball samples. In the sensory analysis, meatballs with 4% cowpea flour received the highest acceptability score among the samples with added cowpea flour. According to the data obtained that cowpea flour can be added up to 4% without affecting the textural and sensory properties of Kırklareli meatballs.