Research Information System
11thInternational Symposium on RECENT ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS, Praha, Czech Republic, 5 - 08 November 2024, pp.233, (Summary Text)
With rising environmental concerns, the food industry is under increasing pressure to find new ways to utilize sustainable protein sources. Plant-based proteins are emerging as key components in this shift, redefining food production. In this study, pea protein and RuBisCO were explored for their potential in the production of functionalized tomato powders. Tomato juice, including 3% (w/w) maltodextrin to increase production yield by reducing stickiness, was mixed with 1% (w/w) plant protein and subjected to high shear homogenizing as the pre-homogenization step. High pressure homogenization, the main homogenization conducted at 100 MPa, was particularly emphasized due to the low solubility of plant proteins at the pH level of tomato juice. This process increased the stability of the solution by preventing phase separation during the spray drying period, where the inlet and outlet air temperatures were 150 and 85 ℃, respectively. The research findings showed that for tomato powders, with the inclusion of olive powder to enhance flavor, RuBisCO-enriched samples exhibited significantly higher total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity compared to those containing pea protein (p<0.05). However, flavor profile analysis, schematized on a spider diagram, highlighted a consumer preference for the pea protein-enriched samples, which were rated highly for especially their fresh tomato taste and balance of sweetness and acidity. The RuBisCO formulations, on the other hand, were less favored, receiving lower scores due to their weaker tomato flavor, strong astringency and undesirable aftertaste. Although the addition of olive powder resulted in a slight improvement, they were still not found to be successful in flavor perception. While RuBisCO has the potential to enhance the nutritional profile of foods, further research is needed to optimize its sensory properties to better meet consumer expectations. This study demonstrated the challenges of incorporating plant proteins in foods from both a production and sensory perspective.