It is generally known that both fermented and non-fermented beverages and foods can be produced from plant raw materials such as soybeans, oats and peas. They can be used, among other things, to make so-called milk, cheese and meat substitutes using the plant proteins contained in them. There are also technologies that can be used to replace animal proteins with plant proteins in plant-based products.
In recent years, the consumption of these products has assumed global proportions and their demand is increasing. It also contributes to achieving the goals of the green revolution and climate neutrality. At the same time, interest in improving these technologies and finding new solutions has grown.
In Estonia scientists have been involved in the study of the use of plant proteins in food, especially since the domestic food industry wants to introduce more and more raw materials of plant origin into food production to remain competitive.
Until now, in fact, these types of items available on store shelves have mainly been produced abroad. On the other hand, local crops grown in Estonia are mostly used as raw materials for the production of traditional products, such as animal feed, or are sold across the border in unprocessed form. However, this practice leaves much of the potential of these products untapped.
From plant raw materials it is possible to develop innovative final products with high added value and export potential. This makes it possible to offer products in new categories of dairy and meat alternatives and functional foods and expand into new markets.
Based on this knowledge, findings and hypotheses, an in-depth investigation was launched. The long-term goal of the study is to provide the food industry with alternative technologies in which they can offer products in new categories of dairy and meat alternatives and functional foods. By doing so, they could fill the missing niche in the domestic market and expand into new markets.
At TFTAK, scientists are busy creating various new food technologies. Author/Source: TFTAK
Vegetable proteins aspire to enrich the food table
The aim of these research works, according to Tiina Krisčiunaite, is for the results to reach practice in the form of the application of new technologies. Researchers have been motivated to address these issues primarily by the needs of companies.
Therefore, according to Krisčiunaite, it is also logical that the research is carried out by TFTAK, a research and development institute that works in collaboration with companies, carrying out various projects together with them. “The research was motivated by the realization that cereals and legumes grown in Estonia have so far been used for the production of traditional foodstuffs, or are exported locally without adding value,” explains the need for the research.
According to Krisčiunai, the farmer and industry could earn more if, for example, protein powders or concentrates were produced from cereals grown here, and innovative products were made from vegetable proteins. “The added value of these products would be much higher than simply producing flour, semolina or semolina,” she compares.
One of the driving forces behind such research is the worldwide trend to reduce animal protein consumption. This does not mean that plant-based food has direct healing effects, but rather that a person currently consumes more animal protein in their diet than they need. However, meat production places more of a burden on the environment than fruit cultivation, for example, and is also more financially expensive.
Plant protein components can be processed into completely separate products. However, they can also be added to some existing products. Namely, the use of vegetable proteins is accompanied by the problem that, so to speak, in their pure form they have a rather unpleasant earthiness. However, the consumer is generally quite sensitive to all kinds of unpleasant flavors.
That’s why one option is to partially replace animal proteins with a plant-based alternative that has similar nutritional properties. However, it should be borne in mind that the functional properties of plant proteins are different from those of animal proteins, which is why it is a little more difficult to produce cutlets from plant proteins than from ordinary meat.
Within the framework of this project, the use of plant proteins in plant foods was first studied, that is, a conscious attempt was made to look for a substitute for meat and dairy products on its surface. However, part of the research concerned fibers, which can also be added to traditional products, such as yogurt.
An entrepreneur who wants to introduce a plant-based food product will move to TFTAK with his request. There they start to deal with a specific product and find solutions for it. Author/Source: TFTAK
The methodology provides a basis for further product development
Expressed in scientific language, the goal of the research project was to create a platform for the development of new products and technologies based on a high-throughput systems biology approach. The use of the latter guarantees the rapid and efficient development of new high-quality, value-added food technologies starting from plant-based raw materials.
In general terms, this means the development of a certain methodology that allows generalization, on the basis of which in the future the manufacturing process of a certain product could be worked out precisely. However, the important thing here is that it is not possible to create a one-size-fits-all methodology, because there are many different plant proteins.
“First, there are examples of pea protein, oat protein and soy protein. Secondly, pea protein alone is produced with very different composition and quality and according to different technologies If, for example, we want to make an alternative product to milk yogurt, the first question is which of these many proteins to choose. The second question is which yeast bacteria to use to acidify the product, because they are usually still produced to ferment cow’s milk”, Krisčiunaite describes the situation the food industry finds itself in, wanting to add plant-based alternatives to its product range.
Furthermore, according to him, smell and taste must be taken into account: there are therefore many different nuances in the process, all of which must be taken into account. “We do not create a specific process on how to produce one or another product. Developing a methodological platform means bringing together various databases, knowledge, methodologies, approaches, experiences and other similar information that we can quickly and efficiently use in the development of new products based on vegetable proteins,”
First of all it means that an entrepreneur who wants to introduce a plant-based food product moves to TFTAK with his desire. There they start working on a specific product and finding solutions for it, based on the scientific methodology at their disposal.
For example, an entrepreneur may want to make a dessert made from pea protein, similar to a pudding made from milk protein. Researchers can then offer assistance in choosing the most effective leavening agent or other components to help develop the best possible product.
Milk-like products based on, for example, oats, coconut, soya or broad beans are commercially available. They should not be called dairy products, as this would deceive the consumer: the composition of basic nutrients, vitamins and minerals in vegetable “milk” and animal milk is different. Behind the fact that these alternatives to milk, when added to coffee, for example, behave like normal cow’s milk, there is a great scientific work that has finally reached industrial production from the laboratory.
“We deal with the scientific research needed to start a new branch of the food industry, which will make it possible to increase the competitiveness of the entire Estonian food industry,” confirms Tiina Krisčiunaite.
The ResTa16 project, which ran from 2020 to 2023, was started with funding support from the Estonian Science Agency. Its aim was to create a platform for the development of new products and technologies based on plant raw materials. The use of this platform must guarantee in the future the rapid and efficient development of new high-quality, value-added food technologies starting from plant-based raw materials. In parallel, the short-term project ResTa17 took place, focusing on expanding the possibilities of using food production by-products by reducing the antinutrient content.
From plant raw materials it is possible to develop innovative final products with high added value and export potential. Author/Source: TFTAK
WHAT IS WHAT: A methodological platform for the development of new food technologies and value-added foods
The systems biology approach treats molecules, cells, and processes as unified, connected entities. At the same time, it studies the interactions between different parts of the system. These interactions make research and development more efficient and faster.
During the project, a platform for the development of fermented plant foods was created, which is based on the use of systems for microcalorimetry and the recording of acidification curves. The platform is supported by methods from bioinformatics, molecular biology, chemical analysis, food physics and sensorial analysis. The platform enables detailed characterization and selection of the most suitable fermentation cultures for plant-based food production. This makes it possible to produce high-quality products with a smell, taste and texture that consumers appreciate.
A fiber monitoring platform was also developed to determine the composition and properties of non-digestible oligo- and polysaccharides. The monitoring platform is based on models of human intestinal microbial communities. As a result of the research, it is possible for food manufacturers to choose the most suitable fibers for the recipe of innovative health products.
Furthermore, modern methods for studying the techno-functional properties of plant protein powders have been developed and introduced.
The methodological platform produced as a result of the research is important because its use will help food industries implement the latest technologies to develop innovative, sustainable and healthy products from local plant products.
2024-01-08 12:45:00
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