Location: Small Grain and Food Crops Quality Research
Project Number: 3060-21650-002-061-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 15, 2024
End Date: Dec 31, 2025
Objective:
The outcome of this project will be an applied approach to alter pulse ingredients to be made into healthful foods using high pressure homogenization (HPH) and heat treatments to form protein-fiber adducts between pulse proteins and exogenous soluble fibers (i.e., polysaccharides, Table 1). Our overall hypothesis is that (1) HPH will reduce protein aggregate particle size and catalyze protein-fiber noncovalent interactions to form novel, more functional structures, which, (2) when coupled with thermal treatments, will result in protein-fiber covalent bonding through Maillard reaction-related pathways. By determining how exogenous soluble fibers improve pulse protein functionality and how HPH and thermal treatment can improve the functional performance of protein-fiber adducts, we aim to expand the market value of pulse-based ingredients with demonstrated functional and nutritional benefits (Fig. 1). To achieve these outcomes, we will complete the following objectives: 1) Identify pulse protein-fiber combinations that improve protein solubility and gelling, 2) Optimize HPH and thermal treatments to produce enhanced solubility, stability, and gelling properties of protein-fiber combinations, 3) Characterize the effects of the protein-fiber combinations on quality and nutritive value of model systems (beverage and gel), and 4) Demonstrate the financial value of selected protein-fiber products with techno-economic analysis against potential overall market demand.
Approach:
While pulses in their native form have desirable nutritional properties like high protein and fiber contents, they are not highly functional as food ingredients without technological advancements. Specifically, pulse-based ingredients are not particularly soluble, nor do they form gels comparable to other protein-rich ingredients. Further, they tend to form large aggregates, which negatively impact mouthfeel and stability. We propose to improve the solubility, stability, and gelling properties of pulse-based ingredients using high pressure homogenization (HPH) coupled with specific thermal treatments. Our overall hypothesis is that HPH will reduce protein aggregate particle size and catalyze protein-fiber noncovalbonding through Maillard reaction-related pathways to form novel structures. We aim to expand the market value of pulse-based ingredients with demonstrated functional and nutritional benefits. To achieve these outcomes, we will complete the following objectives: 1) Identify pulse protein-fiber combinations that improve protein solubility and gelling. We will process pea and lentil protein isolates and a range of exogenous soluble fibers to produce conjugates and determine the effects of these conjugations on protein solubility, stability, and gelling properties. Select samples will be further assessed to probe protein-fiber interaction mechanisms. 2) Optimize HPH and thermal treatments to produce enhanced solubility, stability, and gelling properties of protein-fiber combinations. We will define the most critical processing parameters to improve protein solubility, stability, and gelling properties. Experiment 1 will focus on optimizing the ratio of protein to fiber. Experiment 2 will focus on optimizing HPH and thermal treatment parameters. 3) Characterize the effects of the protein-fiber combinations on quality and nutritive value of model systems (beverage and gel). We will produce a beverage and a gel model system with the protein-fiber conjugates and evaluate their quality, stability, digestibility, and sensory properties. The purpose is to demonstrate that pulse-based beverages and gels can have quality attributes comparable to their conventional dairy counterparts and be good sources of protein and fiber. 4) Demonstrate the financial value of selected protein-fiber products with techno-economic analysis against potential overall market demand. In complement, we will determine the economic feasibility of such ingredients in dairy mimetics as a means of increasing the market for pulse-based ingredients.
