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Formulating with Protein – Opportunities and Challenges: "Don't take my steak away!" C. DON (1) (1) Foodphysica, Driel, Netherlands.
Proteins are in high demand, by 2050 we need about twice the amount of food proteins. Projections are that when this protein demand will be filled by animal proteins, the consequences are severe. More obesity, health problems and cancer is the expected future for a meat-eating society. Whether the disastrous projections on continuing an animal based protein culture are true or not, for reasons of sustainability we do need to change our way of food production. Alternatives for high protein foods and dairy products are in high demand in generation Y. Plant-based ‘meat’, yoghurts made from coconut and soymilk are examples of products that are growing in demand. It is clear that meat is not centre of the plate anymore. Healthy, no animal derived products and allergen-free dominate our eating habits the next decades. Our challenge now is to develop these products, source the proteins and be able to open-up new functionalities. This will force food protein scientists to radically change their thinking about what is called: ‘protein functionality’ and how we define it. The framework of our current knowledge has been built on animal proteins, with terms such as: solubility, gelling, denaturation and digestibility. Plant derived proteins are different, processing that is suitable for animal proteins cannot be applied on plant proteins. Two protein axioms will dominate future protein product development. Protein axiom I: every protein can be functionalized by using the right processing conditions; protein axiom II: proteins will be made on demand. By using the model of multiple phases and the two protein axioms every mixture of proteins can be (re-)structured into a palatable product, whatever the origin of the protein. Several companies have intentionally or by intuition embraced the multiple-phase approach and the two protein axioms to improve texture, taste and juiciness.
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