Aroma of peas, its constituents and reduction strategies – Effects from breeding to processing

Peas as an alternative protein source have attracted a great deal of interest from the food industry and consumers in recent years. However, pea proteins usually do not taste neutral and exhibit a distinct flavor, often characterized as “beany”. This is usually contrasted by the food industry's desire for sensory neutral protein sources. In this review, we highlight the current state of knowledge about the aroma of peas and its changes along the pea value chain. Possible causes and origins, and approaches to reduce or eliminate the aroma constituents are presented. Fermentative methods were identified as interesting to mitigate undesirable off-flavors. Major potential has also been discussed for breeding, as there appears to be a considerable leverage at this point in the value chain: a reduction of plant-derived flavors, precursors, or substrates involved in off-flavor evolution could prevent the need for expensive removal later

Impact of spatial distribution on the sensory properties of multiphase 3D-printed food configurations

The rise of 3D-printing technology is opening up new possibilities for arranging two or more sensorily distinct phases in a specific manner, and thus potentially creating new sensory experiences. Particularly interesting is the spatial configuration of multiple phases for adjusting flavor and texture perception without changing the overall composition, as such configuration would represent a step towards individualization. In the present study, different 3D configurations of two rheologically and texturally very distinct phases were investigated as to their effect on mechanical properties and sensory perception. Chocolate and cream cheese masses were arranged three-dimensionally (cube-in-cube; layered) by additive manufacturing and characterized by measuring penetration resistance as well as by hedonic, descriptive, and temporal dominance of sensation (TDS) methodologies. By comparing samples with identical phase ratios, three characteristic texture profiles could be generated. How much the samples were liked depended significantly on perceived mouthfeel/texture and product hardness. The mouthfeel was in turn determined by the 3D configuration of the phases. TDS characterization showed either two or three dominance areas of one of the phases, depending on whether chocolate or cream cheese was perceived initially. While the dominance time of chocolate increased with increasing chocolate fraction in samples with chocolate as the external phase, the dominance time of cream cheese in samples with cream cheese as the external phase hardly changed with increasing phase fraction. This was mainly attributed to the very different rheological phase properties of cream cheese and chocolate. Based on the TDS evolution at the later stages of consumption that is rather independent of the initial configuration, the renewal of the relevant interface in the oral cavity was mainly determined by the mixing kinetics of both phases, and secondarily by what phase was perceived to be dominant before a phase dominance change took place. This study shows that in defining the 3D configuration of phases with differing rheological properties, there is considerable potential for adjusting the sensory properties. This is a step towards broader coverage of consumer needs through 3D product design without the need for formulation adjustments

Local Impedance Spectroscopy: A Potential Tool to Characterize the Evolution of Emulsions and Foams

The potential of local impedance spectroscopy (IS) to access changes in emulsions and foams has been investigated. As test systems we used the separation of a simple oil/vinegar mixture as well as the whipping process of dairy cream. For the latter, IS data were compared to particle size distribution (PSD) measurements. Our measurements show that local IS is indeed a valuable tool to locally study processes in emulsion. On one hand, it seems to be very sensitive to small water quantities in oil thus being a suitable method for process control in water removing processes. On the other hand, concerning fat foams, it seems to be able to detect the evolution of foam structures. Both examples show that local IS could be a helpful tool for process control

Foaming properties of plant protein blends prepared using commercial faba bean and hemp protein concentrates at different faba bean/hemp protein ratios

Faba bean and hemp protein blends offer potential for the formulation of plant-based products due to their complementary amino acid compositions. This study evaluated the chemical composition, particle size, protein solubility and foaming properties of four commercial protein concentrates (two faba bean-based: FBC1 and FBC2, and two hemp-based: HPC1 and HPC2) and their blends at different faba bean/hemp protein ratios. The concentrates consisted mainly of albumins and globulins, some of which could have suffered alterations during processing, especially in HPC2 and FBC2. Both FBCs and HPCs made proportional contributions to the protein solubility observed in the blends. However, FBC1:HPC2 blends consistently demonstrated smaller particle sizes across all investigated ratios than those predicted by linear interpolation. Foaming properties of the four concentrates were comparable, except for HPC2, which did not foam. FBC1:HPC2 blends formed stable foams, whereas FBC2:HPC2 blends resulted in unstable foams. These results suggested that foam-destabilising factors were dominant in HPC2, which were counteracted by foam-stabilising factors in FBC1 and/or dilution effects. FBC1:HPC2 blends exhibited early indications of synergistic interactions, enhancing foam properties. This study demonstrates the potential of faba bean and hemp protein blends for foam-based food applications and the importance of considering their extraction processing history

Comparison of physicochemical properties of commercial UHT-treated plant-based beverages and cow's milk

A comparison of consumer-relevant physicochemical and technofunctional properties was performed between plant-based beverages (PBBs) and cow’s milk treated at ultra-high temperatures. The PBBs’ viscosities and pH values were similar to or higher than those in cow’s milk. The PBBs were less white, and their mean particle sizes were usually considerably larger than those of cow’s milk. Foam heights were quite different, from 41.5 mm to 173 mm at room temperature (milk foam height: 134.8 mm) and 50.9 mm to 203.6 mm at 60 °C (milk foam height: 179.3 mm), with a median bubble size radius (root mean square) of 14.0–149.5 μm (milk bubble size: 18 μm) and 31.0–175.5 μm (milk bubble size: 82.8 μm). Our correlation revealed that phytic acid (PA) might affect foam height at 60 °C, the temperature of interest for the consumption of hot beverages. This may be of interest, as PA might be reduced in these beverages for nutritional reasons

Modulation of sweetness perception in confectionary applications

The development of sugar-reduced food products is a strategy to reduce the high sugar intake, which is aleading cause of global health concerns. Replacement and/or reduction of sucrose often leads to reducedsweetness perception with the consequence of decreased consumeracceptance. The aim of this work isto implement sensory modulation principles in a model confectionery system with the goal of enhancingsweetness perception. By using 3D-printing, confectionary samples were meso-structured by inhomogenousdistribution of sucrose concentrations and assessed, with a trained panel regarding sweetness. All sampleswere made up of a high and low sucrose phase and compared to a homogeneous reference sample. Theoverall sugar content was kept constant at 22.8 % in all samples and sweetness perception was compared.A significant increase of sweetness perception by over 30 % could be noted for samples consisting of a sweetouter shell and an inner less sweet core with a high sucrose gradient between the two phases. Whilst texuraleffects on sweetness perception could not be fully excluded, results can be seen as a strong indication thatsweetness modulation by inhomogenious distribution has a potential to be applied directly in solid foodproducts.

Proteine als Bausteine von innovativen Lebensmitteln

Veränderte Lebensgewohnheiten und neue Lebensstile der Konsumentinnen und Konsumenten haben einen immer stärker werdenden Einfluss auf die Lebensmittelindustrie. Die interdisziplinäre Forschung an der HAFL bemüht sich daher, die Bedürfnisse der Verbrauchergemeinschaft zu verstehen und in neue Konzepte zu übersetzen

Quantitatives Potenzial zur Verwertung von Molke in Lebensmitteln in der Schweiz

Aus der Käseherstellung ergeben sich in der Schweiz jährlich 1 300 000 t Molke. 24 % davon werden bereits für Lebensmittelzwecke genutzt, 31 % zu höherwertigen Futtermitteln verarbeitet und noch 45 % direkt an Schweine verfüttert. Eine stärkere Verwendung der Molke in Lebensmitteln ist wünschenswert, wird jedoch durch das dezentrale und damit transportintensive Anfallen vergleichsweise kleiner Molkenmengen erschwert. Je nach Käseherstellungsprozess sind die Molken zudem heterogen zusammensetzt, was verarbeitungstechnische Schwierigkeiten mit sich bringt und die Herstellung von Molkenproteinpulvern mit immer gleichen Eigenschaften erschwert. Dieses Problem könnte durch die Gewinnung «idealer» Molken umgangen werden, dies würde aber Prozessanpassungen bei der Käseherstellung erfordern, zudem ist die ökonomische Relevanz zu prüfen. Bei der Abschätzung der Umweltbelastung zeigt sich, dass diese positv oder negativ ausfallen kann, abhängig vom Ausmass der Proteinkonzentrierung beziehungsweise des Laktoseentzugs. Insgesamt liegen nur wenige Kenntnisse darüber vor, welche Assoziationen der Begriff Molke beim Konsumenten hervorruft und wie eine geeignete Strategie aussehen könnte, um die verzehrte Molkenproteinmenge zu erhöhen

Extruded snacks enriched with açaí berry: physicochemical properties and bioactive constituents

This work aimed to develop extrudates enriched with açaí and evaluate the effect of this fruit on their physicochemical properties and bioactive constituents of these foods. Rice/corn (2 : 1) extrudates containing 0, 2, 4, and 6% of freeze-dried açaí were prepared using a twin-screw extruder and characterized towards proximate composition, the concentration of anthocyanin and carotenoids, and typical process-related extrudate characteristics. The addition of açaí increased the total anthocyanins (from 0 to 20.1 mg 100 g-1) and total carotenoid content (from 1.6 to 6.2 μg g-1). Açaí enrichment elevated the protein and mineral content by 6.3% and 32.2%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the samples regarding the expansion index. Higher incorporation of açaí resulted in crispier snacks extrudates and high total color difference (ΔE). Therefore, açaí (up to 6%) can be regarded as stable in the extrusion conditions applied and be used in extrudates to enhance their bioactive and nutritional properties, providing color and suitable physical characteristics. Açaí extrudates can serve as an alternative for consumers interested in convenience food with bioactive constituents