Aqueous fractionation processes of soy protein for fibrous structure formation

Abstract Desired properties of ingredients differ for various applications. Here, we use a reverse engineering approach to obtain soy protein fractions targeted for the application of meat analogs. Aqueous fractionation was used to produce these soy protein fractions, which were structured with simple shear flow deformation while heating. The water holding capacity (WHC), nitrogen solubility index (NSI), enthalpy of transition, and viscoelastic properties were determined. We found that a soy protein fraction/full fat flour blend resulted in distinct fibrous structures but only when the soy protein fraction was toasted at 150 °C. At this optimum toasting temperature (150 °C), the protein fractions had a high WHC, intermediate NSI and its viscoelastic property was characterized as G* between 1 and 10 kPa. These functional properties were shown to be key for fibrous structure formation, whereas, the influence of the state of the proteins was limited. Industrial relevance The market for meat analogs is growing. Nowadays, most of the meat analogs are produced with soy protein concentrates and isolates. These concentrates and isolates are obtained with conventional fractionation processes that involve organic solvents to extract the oil first. As a result, the application of these ingredients is limited, e.g. the product cannot be classified as organic. In this study, we therefore investigated aqueous fractionation of soy to obtain a soy protein fraction with desired functionality that can be used for the application of meat analogs and satisfy the values of consumers.