inulin and the presence of the foam, which helps to retain water
during cooking. These samples revealed the highest cooking yield,
suggesting that fiber has the ability to create hydrogen bounds with
water and in this way, it could retain moisture and keep meat from
drying out during cooking. This effect could be enhanced by the
ability of whey protein present in the protein foam to interact both
with fiber and with water. These results are in line with other works
on beef patties containing fibers (Trout et al., 1992). The ability of
fiber to retain water and the less cooking yield of these samples
makes them more succulent. Samples that have lost more water
during cooking (CNTR andIN-9-WS) were assessed as less juicy and
less tender. These findings are also recorded in sausages (Caceres
et al., 2004), thus suggesting that the addition of prebiotics fiber
improved the cooking characteristics of the investigated burgers.