Nutritional and Health-Promoting Value of Poultry Meatballs with the Addition of Plant Components

The aim of the study was to use plant additives in the form of a mixture of seeds (linseed, amaranth and hemp) to increase the nutritional value and health-promoting values of poultry meatballs. Meatballs with 24% addition of wheat roll and three variants of meatballs: M(1), M(2), M(3), with 24% addition seeds were tested. In the meatballs from group M(1), the percentage of linseeds was 6%, amaranth 10%, and hemp 8%, respectively; in group M(2) it was 8%, 8%, and 8%; and in group M(3) it was 10%, 6%, and 8%. When assessing the meatballs quality, the traits taken into account included nutritional value, physical and microbiological traits, and sensory quality. It was found that meatballs enriched with a mixture of seeds were characterized by increased nutritional value (higher content of protein and methionine, polyunsaturated fatty acids, more favorable ratio of n-6 to n-3 acids (3:1), higher content of vitamin E and fiber), brighter color, inferior tenderness compared to meatballs with the addition of wheat roll, and at the same time, desirable sensory traits and acceptable taste. The introduction of a mixture of linseed, amaranth and hemp seeds made it possible to obtain a product targeted at a wide group of consumers, including those on a gluten-free diet.