Plant-Based Meat Analogues from Alternative Protein : A Systematic Literature Review

This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of the research performed in the plant-based meat analogues area. Historical, current, and future tendencies are discussed. The paper offers a comprehensive SLR coupled with a bibliometric analysis of the publication from 1972 to January 2022. The articles were obtained using a research string and precise inclusion and exclusion criteria from two prominent databases, Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow technique was used to describe the data screening and selection. In total, 84 publications were selected for further analysis after a thorough literature assessment. From this study, six main themes were identified: (1) objectives of the study; (2) type of plant protein; (3) product type; (4) added ingredients; (5) texturization technique; and (6) quality assessment considered in the studies. Recent trends in publication imply that meat analogue technology is gaining prominence. This review revealed significant research on improving meat analogues via texturization. Even though extrusion is used industrially, the technique is still in its infancy and needs improvement. Future studies should focus more on fiber and protein–protein interactions, macromolecule conformation and mechanisms, diversifying or improving current methods, sensory attributes, and gastrointestinal absorption rate of each novel protein ingredient

Commercial infant cereals contain high concentrations of endotoxins and viable Bacillus spp.

Background: Endotoxin may cause inflammation and increased intestinal permeability in infants with immature immune systems and gut microbiota. This study analysed the presence of endotoxin together with other potentially hazardous agents in commercial infant cereals. Methods: Four porridges and six milk cereal drinks bought in Sweden were analysed for the presence of endotoxins using Endosafe MCS. The quantity of viable bacteria was determined using conventional culturing methods and the isolates were identified with Sanger sequencing. Enterotoxin producing genes were analysed through multiplex PCR and levels of mycotoxins were studied using uHPLC MS/MS. Results: The endotoxin concentration ranged from 1400 to 24200 EU/g powder. Viable bacteria were found in the products, indicating survivability of Bacillus spp in dry powders. No traces of mycotoxins were found. Conclusion: This study indicates that substantial concentrations of endotoxins are present in powdered infant cereal-based foods. Furthermore, the amount of living bacteria ingested with some of the products was high

Development of high-moisture meat analogues with hemp and soy protein using extrusion cooking

The interest in plant-based products is growing in Western countries, mostly due to health and environmental issues that arise from the consumption and production of animal-based food products. Many vegan products today are made from soy, but drawbacks include the challenges of cultivating soy in colder climates such as northern Europe. Therefore, the present study investigates whether industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) could substitute soy in the production of high moisture meat analogues (HMMA). A twin screw co-rotating extruder was used to investigate to what extent hemp protein concentrate (HPC) could replace soy protein isolate (SPI) in HMMAs. The substitution levels of HPC were 20 wt%, 40 wt% and 60 wt%. Pasting properties and melting temperature of the protein powders were characterized by Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC), respectively and the produced HMMA was analysed by determining the texture and colour attributes. The results showed that it is possible to extrude a mixture with up to 60% HPC. HPC absorbed less water and needed a higher denaturing temperature compared to SPI. Increasing the moisture content by 5% would have resulted in a reduction of hardness and chewiness. The lightness (L* value) was found to be significantly higher in SPI product and decreased in the mixture with higher HPC (p < 0.05)

Development and characterization of extrudates based on rapeseed and pea protein blends using high-moisture extrusion cooking

Rapeseed protein is not currently utilized for food applications, although it has excellent physicochemical, functional, and nutritional properties similar to soy protein. Thus, the goal of this study was to create new plant-based extrudates for application as high-moisture meat analogs from a 50:50 blend of rapeseed protein concentrate (RPC) and yellow pea isolate (YPI) using high-moisture-extrusion (HME) cooking with a twin-screw extruder to gain a better understanding of the properties of the protein powders and resulting extrudates. The effects of extrusion processing parameters such as moisture content (60%, 63%, 65%, 70%), screw speed (500, 700, and 900 rpm), and a barrel temperature profile of 40–80–130–150◦ C on the extrudates’ characteristics were studied. When compared to the effect of varying screw speeds, targeted moisture content had a larger impact on textural characteristics. The extrudates had a greater hardness at the same moisture content when the screw speed was reduced. The specific mechanical energy (SME) increased as the screw speed increased, while increased moisture content resulted in a small reduction in SME. The lightness (L*) of most samples was found to increase as the target moisture content increased from 60% to 70%. The RPC:YPI blend was equivalent to proteins produced from other sources and comparable to the FAO/WHO standard requirements

Extrusion of high-moisture meat analogues from hempseed protein concentrate and oat fibre residue

Hempseed protein concentrate (HPC) was extracted from hempseed press cake with a protein content of 85.7% and co-extruded with oat fibre residue (OFR) to produce high-moisture meat analogues (HMMA) at different moisture contents (60, 63, 66%), screw speeds (500, 700, 900) and temperature profiles (40-70-110-130 °C and 40-70-120-150 °C). The effect of extrusion processing parameters such as moisture content, screw speed, and different temperature profiles on the properties of the extrudates was investigated. The produced meat analogues had a fibrous structure and brown colour, which may be due to the derived hempseed protein. The specific mechanical energy (SME) required in this study was low and ranged from 63 to 185 kJ/kg. As moisture content increased, it was discovered that hardness, chewiness, and cutting strength values decreased. Nevertheless, cutting strength values increased when a higher temperature profile was used. By using a higher temperature profile, the protein was completely denatured, leading to the formation of stronger fibres in the meat analogues with a higher quality in terms of texture. The study demonstrated the possibility for both materials from underutilised side-streams to be converted into meat analogues, which would provide variety for the HMMA on the market