Dry fractionation process operations in the production of protein concentrates: A review

Authors: PULIVARTHI, MANOJ - Kansas State University; BUENAVISTA, RANIA - Kansas State University; BANGAR, SNEH - Kansas State University; Pordesimo, Lester; Bean, Scott; SILVERU, KALIRAMESH - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Trends in Food Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/18/2023
Publication Date: 10/1/2023
Citation: Pulivarthi, M.K., Buenavista, R.M., Bangar, S.P., Pordesimo, L.O., Bean, S.R., Silveru, K. 2023. Dry fractionation process operations in the production of protein concentrates: A review. Trends in Food Science and Technology. 22(6):4670-4697. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.13237.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.13237

Interpretive Summary: With a growing world population and an increasing need to ensure we have adequate protein sources to sustain this population into the future, consumer-based demand for plant-based protein products is growing. Conventionally, plant proteins are produced by wet extraction with harsh chemicals and water, which can have harmful impacts on the environment. The plant-protein market has expanded by almost 200% over the last few years; therefore, it is more important than ever to find alternatives to wet extraction methods to reduce these environmental stresses. This review proposes dry fractionation as an energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly alternative to the wet extraction process and highlights data illustrating that this method does not have negative impacts on final yield or quality of the plant proteins. The review also highlights the roles that different milling methods, separation tactics, and pretreatment approaches for removal of indigestible plant materials can play in protein quality and yield in the dry milling processes. It also summarizes how these tactics can be combined and successfully implemented to increase yield and quality from different grains and pulses, including corn, wheat, sorghum, fava, lentil, and soy.

Technical Abstract: The plant protein market is growing rapidly to such an extent that there was a 200% increase in sales during the covid pandemic of 2020 to 2022. This expanded demand for plant protein based food products may have been due to health concerns in the populace about covid transmission through animal systems and health risks associated with consuming red meat and meat in general during a period of restricted personal activity and movement. Conventionally, plant proteins are produced by wet extraction, which involves the use of harsh chemicals and large amounts of water, that puts a further burden to the environment. It is proposed that dry fractionation is a better alternative because it is an energy-efficient, environment-friendly process for protein separation with little negative impact on the native functionality of the plant proteins. The pre-treatments, milling methods, and air classification or electrostatic separation that are unit operations of the dry fractionation process critically affect the amount and quality of extracted protein. Optimization of the operating parameters for each of these processing operations applied to different pulses and grains produce higher yields of proteins with higher purity.