The direct addition of dry tomato peel (DTP) to hamburgers may be useful both to obtain a new product
enriched in lycopene and for providing a use for this by-product from the tomato industry. In this study,
different amounts of DTP (0–6.0% w/w) were added to raw and cooked hamburgers, and the effects on the
meat’s physico–chemical and sensorial characteristics were studied. The maximum DTP concentration
compatible with good sensory acceptability and high lycopene content was determined. Addition of
DTP increased the colour parameters a and b of raw and cooked hamburgers, and modified all textural
properties probably because of the presence of fibre. The hardness values of cooked samples was
significantly higher in the batch containing 6% DTP (67.6 N) than in a control batch (50.9 N, p < 0.05).
The addition of DTP to 4.5% results in hamburgers with good overall acceptability and a lycopene content
of 4.9 mg/100 g of cooked hamburger.