Wageningen University & Research, a public university in the Netherlands, is collaborating with industry partners to improve consumer appeal and acceptance of plant-based foods by “enabling the use of fewer and more familiar ingredients”.
To compensate for the lower functional quality of many sustainable proteins in structuring and texturising, plant-based food products contain a relatively large number of additives, often with long ingredient lists. In these long ingredient lists, researchers say, is an abundance of highly refined ingredients, with consequent reduction in the benefits derived from plant-based foods. The use of multiple refined ingredients also increases the energy and water costs associated with food production. Consumer goods manufacturers report a desire to use less refined ingredients but acknowledge they cannot do so, as they lack the knowledge needed to create desired structures from complex components.
The required scientific knowledge can be roughly divided along two key lines, according to the researchers. The first part relates to phase behaviour of a range of plant proteins, and the second addresses synergy between plant proteins and between other naturally occurring ingredients in proteins sources. The university has produced two fundamental work packages aimed to deliver scientific insights in these domains, which will be applied in a separate application-focused work packages designed for four different model systems of dairy and meat alternatives.
The presence of partners across the supply chain is hoped to ensure practical applicability. Equipment manufacturers will provide access to existing and emerging protein separation technologies while ingredient manufacturers will translate findings toward a next generation of less-refined ingredients. A partnership with a flavour house is aimed to solve sensory challenges that arise. Enzyme suppliers will deliver bioconversion solutions for extraction efficiency and high-functional protein modifications. Finally, consumer goods manufacturers plan to provide continuous feedback to the researchers, allowing them to prioritise work with the highest impact in the real world.
