Burghardt, K.; Craven, T.; Sardar, N.A.; Pearce, J.M. Towards Sustainable Protein Sources: The Thermal and Rheological Properties of Alternative Proteins. Foods 2024, 13, 448, doi:10.3390/foods13030448.
Burghardt, K.; Craven, T.; Sardar, N.A.; Pearce, J.M. Towards Sustainable Protein Sources: The Thermal and Rheological Properties of Alternative Proteins. Foods 2024, 13, 448, doi:10.3390/foods13030448.
Burghardt, K.; Craven, T.; Sardar, N.A.; Pearce, J.M. Towards Sustainable Protein Sources: The Thermal and Rheological Properties of Alternative Proteins. Foods 2024, 13, 448, doi:10.3390/foods13030448.
Burghardt, K.; Craven, T.; Sardar, N.A.; Pearce, J.M. Towards Sustainable Protein Sources: The Thermal and Rheological Properties of Alternative Proteins. Foods 2024, 13, 448, doi:10.3390/foods13030448.
Abstract
Reducing meat consumption is better for the environment. Unfortunately, commercial plant-based meat substitutes are often more expensive than meat and thus have not seen widespread adoption. This paper analyzes commercially-available spirulina, soy, pea, and brown rice protein isolates characteristics to provide data for non-meat protein cost reductions. Thermal and rheological properties, viscosity, density, and particle size distribution are analyzed for further study on alternative protein-based food processing. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis produced dry amorphous-shaped curves and paste curves with a more distinct endothermic peak. Extracted linear temperature ranges for processing in food production for spirulina was 70-90ºC; soy protein was 87-116ºC; pea protein was 67-77ºC; and brown rice protein was 87-97ºC. Viscosity analysis determined each protein material was shear-thinning and that viscosity increased with decreased water concentration, with rice being an exception to the latter trend. The obtained viscosity range for spirulina was 15,100-78,000cP; soy protein was 3,200-80,000cP; pea protein was 1,400-32,700cP; and brown rice protein was 600-3,500cP. The results indicate that extrusion is a viable method for further processing of the protein isolates as this technique has a large temperature operating range and variable screw speed. Data provided here can be used to make single or multi-component protein substitutes.
Keywords
rice protein; spirulina protein; pea protein; soy protein; plant-based diet; thermal properties; rheological properties; protein processing
Subject
Chemistry and Materials Science, Food Chemistry
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
