taste. Additionally, they provide moisture when heated. This allows the disc shape without breaking apart easily. The vegetables also provide nutrients with the addition of some vitamins and minerals. Dry ingredients Adding dry ingredients, such as oats, flours, nuts, or breadcrumbs, can absorb excess moisture and liquid, which results in the patty sticking together tightly. This could turn the moist veggie patties into a sticky consistency, which also helps the patties shape easily. Dry ingredients provide proteins and fiber, which add nutritional value to the veggie patty. Dry ingredients, such as walnuts and almonds, are also rich in energy, vitamins and minerals. Stabilizers Tapioca starch and vegetable gum are two common ingredients used as stabilizers in veggie burger. Tapioca starch is often used as a thickening agent for manufactured foods due to its cheaper price. It gets sticky once it is wet, which helps to hold the burger patty tightly together. This prevents the patty from breaking apart. Vegetable gum provides negligible nutrients, but it also helps to hold everything together in the patty. Oils Oils, such as safflower, coconut, and olive oil, can lubricate the grain mix, and allow further cooking processing when the wheat is added. This facilitates the Maillard reaction and makes the veggie patty taste better by bringing out its flavors. Oils can also prevent the ingredients from sticking to the mixing machine, thus allowing them to be mixed well and heated together. Preservatives Salt is typically used for flavor, but may be used as a preservative in veggie burgers. With the use of salt, the water activity of the food is reduced. This helps prevent the growth of micro-organisms and prolongs the shelf life of the food. Naming In October 2020, the EU rejected an amendment proposed by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development which, if passed, would have resulted in companies being forced to call veggie burgers by the term "veggie discs". Gallery See also References Further reading External links Veggie Burger Recipes Fast food American sandwiches British sandwiches Meat substitutes Vegan cuisine Vegetarian cuisine Hamburgers (food)