24 July 2015
Adding lupins to lamb and beef products has the potential to increase consumption by delivering a range of health benefits. This was the finding of an MLA Donor Company (MDC) funded project (MDC projects do not use producer levies) which found the projected gain to the red meat and lupin industry of development of such products was $9.4 million/year by 2017.
A new video on MLA's Youtube channel explains the project, which worked with West Australian grower-owned Lupin Foods , to establish opportunities for the inclusion of lupins - mainly in the form of meal - in lamb and beef meat products.
MLA's Manager Value Chain Capability Michael Lee said the research found adding lupin meal to beef or lamb (either as a crumb or a binder) created a new "superfood".
"Lupin is a natural prebiotic and with the added fibre and range of beneficial vitamins and high protein found in red meat creates good gut health. An added bonus is lupins are gluten free," he said.
Products that were favourably assessed include mince, crumbed beef, beef strips, popcorn beef, lamb strips and meatballs with a range of trial brands developed to gauge health messaging, brand imagery and product positioning now completed.
While on YouTube check out these other MDC-funded meat product innovations:
High pressure processing is akin to Sous vide on speed. This process takes secondary cuts of beef and lamb and using high pressure quickly turns them into tender and flavoursome meat products - ideal for curries, casseroles and braises.
Extrusion is a process, similar to that used to create Twisties for the snackfood market, that has been used to create meat products using secondary cuts and makes them ideal for food service - think pizza toppings, sandwich fillings and canapé ingredients.
