Plant-Based Alternatives to Cheese Formulated Using Blends of Zein and Chickpea Protein Ingredients

The effect of pH shifting on the calcium-fortified milk analogue with chickpea protein

Milk alternative attracts more attention due to nutrition benefits, but the low solubility and the calcium deficiency of plant protein hinder the development of milk alternatives. Therefore, pH shifting was optimized to improve chickpea protein solubility and calcium fortification while ensuring good digestibility. The results showed that pH shifting reduced the particle size from 2197.67 ± 178.2 nm to 80.2 ± 2 nm, and increased the net ζ potential from -0.48 ± 0.24 to -21.27 ± 0.65 due to the unfolding of secondary protein structure, by which chickpea protein bring better solution stability. Additionally, the whiteness of the solution with chickpea protein increased. The calcium addition kept the solution stable with small particle size despite a slight increase. The microstructure of chickpea protein during digestion was well disrupted even with fortifying calcium. This study provides proof of the positive effect of pH shifting on chickpea protein stability and calcium fortification.

Processing to improve the sustainability of chickpea as a functional food ingredient

Chickpea is a field crop that is playing an emerging role in the provision of healthy and sustainable plant-based value-added ingredients for the food and nutraceutical industries. This article reviews the characteristics of chickpea (composition, health properties, and techno-functionality) and chickpea grain that influence their use as whole foods or ingredients in formulated food. It covers the exploitation of traditional and emerging processes for the conversion of chickpea into value-added differentiated food ingredients. The influence of processing on the composition, health-promoting properties, and techno-functionality of chickpea is discussed. Opportunities to tailor chickpea ingredients to facilitate their incorporation in traditional food applications and in the expanding plant-based meat alternative and dairy alternative markets are highlighted. The review includes an assessment of the possible uses of by-products of chickpea processing. Recommendations are provided for future research to build a sustainable industry using chickpea as a value-added ingredient. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Replacing animal proteins with plant proteins: Is this a way to improve quality and functional properties of hybrid cheeses and cheese analogs?

The growing emphasis on dietary health has facilitated the development of plant-based foods. Plant proteins have excellent functional attributes and health-enhancing effects and are also environmentally conscientious and animal-friendly protein sources on a global scale. The addition of plant proteins (including soy protein, pea protein, zein, nut protein, and gluten protein) to diverse cheese varieties and cheese analogs holds the promise of manufacturing symbiotic products that not only have reduced fat content but also exhibit improved protein diversity and overall quality. In this review, we summarized the utilization and importance of various plant proteins in the production of hybrid cheeses and cheese analogs. Meanwhile, classification and processing methods related to these cheese products were reviewed. Furthermore, the impact of different plant proteins on the microstructure, textural properties, physicochemical attributes, rheological behavior, functional aspects, microbiological aspects, and sensory characteristics of both hybrid cheeses and cheese analogs were discussed and compared. Our study explores the potential for the development of cheeses made from full/semi-plant protein ingredients with greater sustainability and health benefits. Additionally, it further emphasizes the substantial chances for scholars and developers to investigate the optimal processing methods and applications of plant proteins in cheeses, thereby improving the market penetration of plant protein hybrid cheeses and cheese analogs.