Dispersive mixing of oil in plasticized starch by extrusion processing to design functional foods

This study aims at developing a mechanistic insight into the dynamics of dispersive mixing in extrusion processing of plasticized starch with respect to the incorporation of lipophilic bioactives into directly expanded ready-to-eat foods. The research approach utilized is based on first fractionation of the overall goal into logical interrelated sections, which can be investigated more thoroughly using various scientific fields, including colloid science, fluid dynamics and rheology

Denaturation Behavior and Kinetics of Single- and Multi-Component Protein Systems at Extrusion-Like Conditions

In this study, the influence of defined extrusion-like treatment conditions on the denaturation behavior and kinetics of single- and multi-component protein model systems at a protein concentration of 70% (w/w) was investigated. α-Lactalbumin (αLA) and β-Lactoglobulin (βLG), and whey protein isolate (WPI) were selected as single- and multi-component protein model systems, respectively. To apply defined extrusion-like conditions, treatment temperatures in the range of 60 and 100 °C, shear rates from 0.06 to 50 s$^{-1}$, and treatment times up to 90 s were chosen. While an aggregation onset temperature was determined at approximately 73 °C for WPI systems at a shear rate of 0.06 s$^{-1}$, two significantly different onset temperatures were determined when the shear rate was increased to 25 and 50 s$^{-1}$. These two different onset temperatures could be related to the main fractions present in whey protein (βLG and αLA), suggesting shear-induced phase separation. Application of additional mechanical treatment resulted in an increase in reaction rates for all the investigated systems. Denaturation was found to follow 2.262 and 1.865 order kinetics for αLA and WPI, respectively. The reaction order of WPI might have resulted from a combination of a lower reaction order in the unsheared system (i.e., fractional first order) and higher reaction order for sheared systems, probably due to phase separation, leading to isolated behavior of each fraction at the local level (i.e., fractional second order)

Blending proteins in high moisture extrusion to design meat analogues: Rheological properties, morphology development and product properties

High moisture extrusion (HME) of meat analogues is often performed with raw materials containing multiple components, e.g., blends of different protein-rich raw materials. For instance, blends of soy protein isolate (SPI) and another component, such as wheat gluten, are used particularly frequently. The positive effect of blending on product texture is well known but not yet well understood. Therefore, this work targets investigating the influence of blending in HME at a mechanistic level. For this, SPI and a model protein, whey protein concentrate (WPC), were blended at three different ratios (100:0, 85:15, 70:30) and extruded at typical HME conditions (55% water content, 115/125/133 °C material temperature). Process conditions, rheological properties, morphology development, product structure and product texture were analysed. With increasing WPC percentage, the anisotropic structures became more pronounced and the anisotropy index (AI) higher. The achieved AI from the extrudates with a ratio of 70:30 (SPI:WPC) were considerably higher than comparable extrudates reported in other studies. In all extrudates, a multiphase system was visible whose morphology had changed due to the WPC addition. The WPC led to the formation of a much smaller dispersed phase compared to the overlying multiphase structure, the size of which depends on the thermomechanical stresses. These findings demonstrate that targeted mixing of protein-rich raw materials could be a promising method to tailor the texture of extruded meat analogues

The influence of extrusion processing on the gelation properties of apple pomace dispersions: Involved cell wall components and their gelation kinetics

By-products of fruits and vegetables like apple pomace can serve as techno-functional ingredients in foods. Due to their physicochemical properties, e.g., viscosity, water absorption, or oil-binding, food by-products can modify the texture and sensory perception of products like yogurts and baked goods. It is known that, by extrusion processing, the properties of by-products can be altered. For example, by thermo-mechanical treatment, the capacity of food by-products to increase viscosity is improved. However, the mechanism and involved components leading to the viscosity increase are unknown. Therefore, the complex viscosity of apple pomace dispersions and the involved fractions as pectin (a major part of the water-soluble fraction), water-soluble and water-insoluble fraction, were measured. In the investigated range, an increase in the pectin yield and water solubility was observed with increasing thermo-mechanical treatment by extrusion processing. However, pectin and water-soluble cell wall components had only a limited effect on the complex viscosity of apple pomace dispersions. The insoluble fraction (particles) were investigated regarding their swelling behavior and influence on the complex viscosity. An intensification of thermo-mechanical treatment resulted in increasing swelling behavior

Influence of thermomechanical treatment and ratio of β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin on the denaturation and aggregation of highly concentrated whey protein systems

The influence of thermomechanical treatment (temperature 60 °C–100 °C and shear rate 0.06 s$^{−1}$–50 s$^{−1}$) and mixing ratio of β-lactoglobulin (βLG) and α-lactalbumin (αLA) (5:2 and 1:1) on the denaturation and aggregation of whey protein model systems with a protein concentration of 60% and 70% (w/w) was investigated. An aggregation onset temperature was determined at approx. 80 °C for both systems (5:2 and 1:1 mixing ratio) with a protein concentration of 70% at a shear rate of 0.06 s$^{−1}$. Increasing the shear rate up to 50 s$^{−1}$ led to a decrease in the aggregation onset temperature independent of the mixing ratio. By decreasing the protein concentration to 60% in unsheared systems, the aggregation onset temperature decreased compared to that at a protein concentration of 70%. Furthermore, two significantly different onset temperatures were determined when the shear rate was increased to 25 s$^{−1}$ and 50 s$^{−1}$, which might result from a shear-induced phase separation. Application of combined thermal and mechanical treatment resulted in overall higher degrees of denaturation independent of the mixing ratio and protein concentration. At the conditions applied, the aggregation of the βLG and αLA mixtures was mainly due to the formation of non-covalent bonds. Although the proportion of disulfide bond aggregation increased with treatment temperature and shear rate, it was higher at a mixing ratio of 5:2 compared to that at 1:1

Linking expansion behaviour of extruded potato starch/rapeseed press cake blends to rheological and technofunctional properties

In order to valorise food by-products into healthy and sustainable products, extrusion technology can be used. Thereby, a high expansion rate is often a targeted product property. Rapeseed press cake (RPC) is a protein- and fibre-rich side product of oil pressing. Although there is detailed knowledge about the expansion mechanism of starch, only a few studies describe the influence of press cake addition on the expansion and the physical quality of the extruded products. This study assessed the effect of RPC inclusion on the physical and technofunctional properties of starch-containing directly expanded products. The effect of starch type (native and waxy), RPC level (10, 40, 70 g/100 g), extrusion moisture content (24, 29 g/100 g) and barrel temperature (20–140 °C) on expansion, hardness, water absorption, and solubility of the extrudates and extruder response was evaluated. At temperatures above 120 °C, 70 g/100 g of RPC increased the sectional and volumetric expansion of extrudates, irrespective of starch type. Since expansion correlates with the rheological properties of the melt, RPC and RPC/starch blends were investigated pre- and postextrusion in a closed cavity rheometer at extrusion-like conditions. It was shown that with increasing RPC level the complex viscosity |ƞ*| of extruded starch/RPC blends increased, which could be linked to expansion behaviour

High Moisture Extrusion of Soy Protein: Investigations on the Formation of Anisotropic Product Structure

The high moisture extrusion of plant proteins is well suited for the production of protein-rich products that imitate meat in their structure and texture. The desired anisotropic product structure of these meat analogues is achieved by extrusion at high moisture content (>40%) and elevated temperatures (>100 °C); a cooling die prevents expansion of the matrix and facilitates the formation of the anisotropic structure. Although there are many studies focusing on this process, the mechanisms behind the structure formation still remain largely unknown. Ongoing discussions are based on two very different hypotheses: structure formation due to alignment and stabilization of proteins at the molecular level vs. structure formation due to morphology development in multiphase systems. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to investigate the mechanism responsible for the formation of anisotropic structures during the high moisture extrusion of plant proteins. A model protein, soy protein isolate, is extruded at high moisture content and the changes in protein–protein interactions and microstructure are investigated. Anisotropic structures are achieved under the given conditions and are influenced by the material temperature (between 124 and 135 °C). Extrusion processing has a negligible effect on protein–protein interactions, suggesting that an alignment of protein molecules is not required for the structure formation. Instead, the extrudates show a distinct multiphase system. This system consists of a water-rich, dispersed phase surrounded by a water-poor, i.e., protein-rich, continuous phase. These findings could be helpful in the future process and product design of novel plant-based meat analogues

Effect of oil content and oil addition point on the extrusion processing of wheat gluten-based meat analogues

High-moisture extrusion is a common process to impart an anisotropic, meat-like structure to plant proteins, such as wheat gluten. The addition of oil during the process promises to enhance the sensory properties of the meat analogs. In this study, the influence of oil on extrusion-relevant parameters as well as the structure-related characteristics of extruded wheat gluten was investigated. Oil was added directly to the extruder at different contents (0, 2, 4, 6%) and addition points (front/end of the extruder barrel). Process conditions, complex viscosity, Young’s modulus and oil phase morphology were determined as a function of oil content and oil addition point. With increasing oil content, material temperature, die pressure, and complex viscosity decreased. The addition of oil at the end of the extruder barrel reduced this effect compared to the addition of oil in the front part of the extruder. It was observed that the extrudate’s tensile strength is a function of material temperature, resulting in an increase in tensile strength with increasing material temperature. The oil was dispersed in the gluten matrix as small droplets with irregular shape. As the oil content increased, the size of the oil droplets increased, while the addition of oil at the end of the extruder resulted in a decrease in droplet size

Analysis of the complex rheological properties of highly concentrated proteins with a closed cavity rheometer

Highly concentrated biopolymers are used in food extrusion processing. It is well known that rheological properties of biopolymers influence considerably both process conditions and product properties. Therefore, characterization of rheological properties under extrusionrelevant conditions is crucial to process and product design. Since conventional rheological methods are still lacking for this purpose, a novel approach is presented. A closed cavity rheometer known in the rubber industry was used to systematically characterize a highly concentrated soy protein, a very relevant protein in extruded meat analogues. Rheological properties were first determined and discussed in the linear viscoelastic range (SAOS). Rheological analysis was then carried out in the non-linear viscoelastic range (LAOS), as high deformations in extrusion demand for measurements at process-relevant high strains. The protein showed gel behavior in the linear range, while liquid behavior was observed in the nonlinear range. An expected increase in elasticity through addition of methylcellulosewas detected. The measurements in the non-linear range reveal significant changes of material behavior with increasing strain. As another tool for rheological characterization, a stress relaxation test was carried out which confirmed the increase of elastic behavior after methylcellulose addition

Comparison of the Rheological Properties of Plant Proteins from Various Sources for Extrusion Applications

Plant proteins in foods are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. However, their application in extruded products remains a major challenge, as the various protein-rich raw materials (e.g., from different plant origins) exhibit very different material properties. In particular, the rheological properties of these raw materials have a distinct influence on the extrusion process and must be known in order to be able to control the process and adjust the product properties. In this study, process-relevant rheological properties of 11 plant-based protein-rich raw materials (differing in plant origin, protein content, and manufacturer) are determined and compared. The results demonstrate distinct differences in the rheological properties, even when plant origin and protein content are identical. Time sweeps reveal not only large differences in development of viscosity over time, but also in magnitude of viscosity (up to 15-fold difference). All materials exhibit gel behaviour and strain thinning behaviour in the strain sweeps, whereas their behaviour in the non-linear viscoelastic range differs greatly. Typical relaxation behaviour of viscoelastic materials could be observed in the stress relaxation tests for all materials. Comparison of the maximum achieved shear stress, which correlates with the elastic properties, reveals an up to 53-fold difference. The results of this study could serve as a starting point for adapting raw material selection and composition to process and product design requirements and help to meet the challenge of applying plant-based proteins in food extrusion