Location: Small Grain and Food Crops Quality Research
Project Number: 3060-21650-002-060-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 15, 2024
End Date: Dec 31, 2025
Objective:
The goal of this project is to generate pea and lentil protein isolates with enhanced flavor profile, and improved water solubility and digestibility using a novel, scalable SC-CO2-based drying technology. Specific objectives are: 1) Develop and optimize an SC-CO2 drying approach to create porous pea and lentil protein isolates with enhanced functional properties and a bland aroma, 2) Determine the digestibility and sensory attributes of the SC-CO2-dried pea and lentil protein isolates, and 3) Conduct economic feasibility analysis of the developed SC-CO2-based drying technology.
Approach:
Dry peas and lentils have exceptionally high amounts of proteins (i.e., 20-30% proteins) and are gluten-free crops that are sustainable to grow and safe for people with celiac disease. Dry peas and lentils are also abundant and inexpensive, making them great candidates for food applications. Particularly, dry peas and lentils can be an attractive protein source for meeting the increasing demand for plant proteins by the alternative protein industry, which is projected to grow by 150% in the next five years. However, these proteins have undesired flavor and functionality issues, such as poor water solubility, limiting their utilization in food products. The overall goal of this project is to generate pea and lentil protein isolates with improved flavor profile, and improved water solubility and digestibility using a novel, scalable supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2)-based drying technology. Specific objectives are to (1) develop and optimize an SC-CO2 drying approach to create porous pea and lentil protein isolates with enhanced functional properties and a bland aroma, (2) determine the digestibility and sensory attributes of the SC-CO2-dried pea and lentil protein isolates, and (3) conduct economic feasibility analysis of the developed SC-CO2-based drying technology. The proposed approach will create porous pea and lentil protein particles via SC-CO2 drying, and at the same time, extraction of polar and nonpolar off-aromas will improve the proteins’ profile. This research will increase the use of SC-CO2-dried pea and lentil proteins in the alternative protein industry. The proposed approach improves the functional properties of pea and lentil proteins and their flavor profile, enabling their incorporation into various foods for enhanced health and wellness.
