Evaluating the use of zein in structuring plant-based products

Abstract

The recent interest in plant-based foods has brought upon the need to develop novel structures using plant-based proteins. However, there is still room for improvement in the development of plant-based meat and cheese alternatives. The rheological properties of self-assembled zein networks were examined to evaluate potential in animal protein replacement. These plant-based protein networks were compared to gluten networks (a common ingredient in current plant-based products), chicken muscle tissue, and cheddar cheese. All samples were analyzed using temperature, amplitude, and frequency sweeps at different time points. Zein networks exhibited unique viscous behaviour (in line with that of an entangled polymer solution), in each amplitude, frequency and temperature sweeps, however only when freshly formed. The results suggest that the bonds and interactions responsible for strengthening zein networks need at least 24 h to fully form. Analysis of the secondary structure by FTIR revealed that zein undergoes a structural reorganization from intermolecular to intramolecular β-sheets during this time, but the substantial content of α-helix structures remains unchanged. Overall, different aspects of zein network rheological behaviour can be compared to either chicken breast, or cheddar cheese, presenting opportunities for zein in plant-based food structuring.

Legumes as basic ingredients in the production of dairy‐free cheese alternatives: a review

“…Rapeseed, soybean, and safflower oils can also be found in the vegan cheese industry. 23,26 Mattice and Marangoni (2020) 9 blended coconut oil (75%) with high oleic sunflower oil (25%) to imitate the ratio saturated over unsaturated fat found in cow milk. Usually, a partially hydrogenated oil is used to make semi-hard cheese while a hydrogenated oil is used to make a hard cheese.…”

Methods for Testing the Quality Attributes of Plant-Based Foods: Meat- and Processed-Meat Analogs

“…Commonly, the moduli of more solid-like materials (e.g., gels) are less frequency-dependent than more liquid-like materials (e.g., fluids or slurries). Thus, frequency sweeps can provide insights into relaxation times, the behavior of the sample under storage and processing conditions, the amount, and types of crosslinks that are present in meat analogs, and are useful to compare the effects of structuring techniques on the protein- and fat-phase [ 6 , 40 ]. Temperature sweeps: During temperature sweeps, the sample is heated and/or cooled while being sheared under constant strain and frequency conditions in oscillatory mode ( Figure 2 ).…”

“…Additionally, samples need to be protected against moisture loss from evaporation by covering their exposed surfaces with silicon oil or by using a solvent trap that is available from most rheometer manufacturers. After placing the sample in the gap, the sample is heated by a Peltier element and, in some cases, a hood that applies convective heat is placed around the geometry [ 6 ]. Depending on the aim of the experiment, the sample may start in a liquid or solid form prior to analysis to detect any thermal events, such as aggregation and gelation.…”

“…Many laboratories use cutting systems, such as different types of corers or similar cutting devices, to obtain defined shapes, which is especially important for normal force measurements. Second, researchers often cover the surfaces of the measurement cells in rheometers with sandpaper to prevent slipping effects, which can cause erroneous results on meat analog samples [ 6 ]. Third, meat analog samples should not be compressed too much before carrying out rheology measurements.…”

“…The increased interest in food products that do not contain animal-based ingredients has resulted in a growth in research and development activity in the area of alternative food products, such as meat analogs. In the class of meat analogs, recent research activity revealed new raw materials, novel structuring techniques, and new product formulations [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. However, there is still a lack of standardized methods to analyze, evaluate, and compare the new structures and foods that have been created.…”