Hybrid fish products represent an emerging category of value-added seafoods that integrate animal and plant derived proteins to achieve superior nutritional, functional, and sensory qualities while addressing consumer demand for sustainable and health-oriented alternatives. This study optimized hybrid fish balls by incorporating plant-based proteins from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) in combination with tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) meat. The approach sought to improve upon the conventional formulation methods, which predominantly employ corn starch as a binding agent, by substituting it with nutrient-dense plant ingredients possessing inherent functional and health-promoting properties. This substitution was intended not only to enhance the protein quality, dietary fiber content, and micronutrient profile of the product but also to contribute to clean-label and sustainable formulation practices.
Systematic optimization was achieved by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to evaluate the influence of sweet potato and chickpea concentrations on key product characteristics viz., texture (hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness), cooking yield, fat uptake, protein content, and sensory acceptability. Validation studies were conducted to confirm the robustness and reproducibility of the optimized formulation.
The experimental results revealed that variations in plant ingredient proportions had a statistically significant (p < 0.05) impact on product quality. Chickpea incorporation markedly influenced the nutritional and processing parameters by contributing to enhanced protein content, improved coating adhesion, and reduced oil absorption during frying. However, higher chickpea levels (>35%) resulted in excessive firmness and reduced sensory appeal due to denser protein matrix formation. Conversely, sweet potato addition improved moisture retention, reduced hardness, and enhanced mouthfeel and flavor balance, attributed to its starch and fiber content. Nevertheless, excessive sweet potato concentration led to increased fat uptake and a softer, less cohesive texture.
Optimization through RSM predicted an ideal formulation comprising 50% replacement of fish meat with a combination of 16% sweet potato and 34% chickpea. The optimized hybrid fish balls demonstrated superior sensory scores (8.4 ± 0.2 on a 9-point hedonic scale), moderate fat uptake, and higher protein content. The optimized formulation was subsequently validated through reproducibility trials and comparative assessments, confirming consistency in physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory parameters across batches.
Overall, the study highlights the feasibility of developing hybrid fish-based functional foods that combine aquatic and plant proteins to deliver enhanced nutritional value, improved sensory attributes, and economic sustainability. These findings substantiate the potential of hybrid fish products as next-generation value-added seafoods contributing to the diversification and sustainability of the fish processing sector.