A systematic review of natural toxins occurrence in plant commodities used for plant-based meat alternatives production

The chemical and microbiological safety of emerging alternative protein sources and derived analogues: A review

Climate change and changing consumer demand are the main factors driving the protein transition. This shift toward more sustainable protein sources as alternatives to animal proteins is also reflected in the rapid upscaling of meat and dairy food analogues. Such changes could challenge food safety, as new food sources could result in new and unexpected food safety risks for consumers. This review analyzed the current knowledge on chemical and microbiological contamination of emerging alternative protein sources of plant origin, including soil-based (faba bean, mung bean, lentils, black gram, cowpea, quinoa, hemp, and leaf proteins) and aquatic-based (microalgae and duckweeds) proteins. Moreover, findings on commercial analogues from known alternative protein sources were included. Overall, the main focus of the investigations is on the European context. The review aimed to enable foresight approaches to food safety concerning the protein transition. The results indicated the occurrence of multiple chemical and microbiological hazards either in the raw materials that are the protein sources and eventually in the analogues. Moreover, current European legislation on maximum limits does not address most of the "contaminant-food" pairs identified, and no legislative framework has been developed for analogues. Results of this study provide stakeholders with a more comprehensive understanding of the chemical and microbiological safety of alternative protein sources and derived analogues to enable a holistic and safe approach to the protein transition.

Microbial community structure of plant-based meat alternatives

A reduction in animal-based diets has driven market demand for alternative meat products, currently raising a new generation of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). It remains unclear whether these substitutes are a short-lived trend or become established in the long term. Over the last few years, the trend of increasing sales and diversifying product range has continued, but publication activities in this field are currently limited mainly to market research and food technology topics. As their popularity increases, questions emerge about the safety and nutritional risks of these novel products. Even though all the examined products must be heated before consumption, consumers lack experience with this type of product and thus further research into product safety, is desirable. To consider these issues, we examined 32 PBMAs from Austrian supermarkets. Based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, the majority of the products were dominated by lactic acid bacteria (either Leuconostoc or Latilactobacillus), and generally had low alpha diversity. Pseudomonadota (like Pseudomonas and Shewanella) dominated the other part of the products. In addition to LABs, a high diversity of different Bacillus, but also some Enterobacteriaceae and potentially pathogenic species were isolated with the culturing approach. We assume that especially the dominance of heterofermentative LABs has high relevance for the product stability and quality with the potential to increase shelf life of the products. The number of isolated Enterobacteriaceae and potential pathogens were low, but they still demonstrated that these products are suitable for their presence.

Determination of Mycotoxins in Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMAs) and Ingredients after Microwave Cooking

In this study, we investigate the role of microwave cooking in reducing mycotoxin contamination in plant-based food matrices, with a focus on veggie burgers (purchased and home-made) and their ingredients (soybean, potatoes, zucchini, carrots). Two different conditions were studied (Max-Min) that were 800 W for 60 s and 800 W for 90 s, respectively. The degradation patterns of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2), fumonisins (FB1, FB2, FB3), trichothecenes (T2, HT2, ZEA), and ochratoxin A (OTA) were studied. The extraction procedures were conducted with the QuEChERS extraction, and the analyses were conducted with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that degradation under microwave cooking varies considerably across different food matrices and cooking conditions. This study provides valuable insights into the degradation of mycotoxins during microwave cooking and underscores the need for more research in this area to ensure food safety.

Structuring meat analogs by citrus fiber with reduced salt intake

In this study, we investigated the effect of addition of citrus fiber (CF; 5% and 10%, which consists mainly of soluble pectin and insoluble cellulose) on physical properties and microstructure of meat analogs based on soy protein isolate and wheat gluten using high-moisture extrusion. Layered structure or microstructure of meat analogs was observed by scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope. Compared to the control (without CF), meat analogs with CF addition showed disorder layered microstructure, which was interconnected with smaller fibers. Rheological measurements (strain sweep and frequency sweep) show that the incorporation of CF resulted in meat analogs with softer texture. The moisture content of meat analogs increased significantly upon the addition of CF, which was also correlated with juiciness. Sensory evaluation and dynamic salt release results confirm that the saltiness of meat analogs with CF addition was enhanced due to the structural changes of phase-separated structures, achieving salt reduction by 20% and showing a saltiness similar to the control sample. This research provides a novel approach to modulate the saltiness perception of meat analogs by modifying the phase separation of protein/polysaccharides. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Citrus fiber is added to the plant protein matrix to prepare meat analogs with high moisture content and enhanced saltiness perception via modifying the phase separation of protein/polysaccharides. This work provided a potential target for the meat industry to produce the meat analogs with less salt intake. Further research can be conducted using modified fibrous or inner structure of meat analogs to improve its quality.

Label-Free Quantification by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry of the Kunitz Inhibitor of Trypsin KTI3 in Soy Products

The greater awareness of consumers regarding the sustainability of food chains has shifted part of the consumption from animal protein sources to vegetable sources. Among these, of relevance both for human food use and for animal feed, is soy. However, its high protein content is unfortunately accompanied by the presence of antinutritional factors, including Kunitz's trypsin inhibitor (KTI). Now there are few analytical methods available for its direct quantification, as the inhibitory activity against trypsin is generically measured, which however can be given by many other molecules and undergo numerous interferences. Therefore, in this work, a direct label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method for the identification and quantification of trypsin Kunitz inhibitor KTI3 in soybean and derivative products has been developed. The method is based on the identification and quantification of a marker peptide, specific for the protein of interest. Quantification is achieved with an external calibration curve in the matrix, and the limit of detection and the limit of quantification of the method are 0.75 and 2.51 μg/g, respectively. The results of the LC-MS method were also compared with trypsin inhibition measured spectrophotometrically, highlighting the complementarity of these two different pieces of information.