Development of a protein supplemented fruit smoothie using pea protein isolate as a plant-based protein alternative

Abstract

Protein products are currently among the most important trend products. The product range is becoming more and more versatile. Consumers are also increasingly demanding proteins derived from plant-based sources. In addition to protein products, smoothies are also very popular, as smoothies are proving to be a quick and easy alternative for people on the go. The consumption and sales of smoothies have been growing continuously for several years and new products are constantly being added. The present work proposes a basis for the development of a vegan fruit smoothie whose protein content can be advertised with the claim “source of protein” or “high protein content”. For this purpose, fruit smoothies were enriched with different concentrations of pea protein isolate. Using the check-all-that-apply method, the perception of the sensory properties was evaluated by 67 untrained test persons. The consumers also hedonically evaluated the products using a 7-point scale. In terms of sensory properties, the enrichment of the fruit smoothie with pea protein, depending on the added protein concentration, results in the smoothies being described with attributes such as furry, mealy/coarse and blunt. Correlating the hedonic and analytical data, it was found that these attributes have a negative impact on consumer acceptance. Penalty analysis was used to determine drivers of liking and to identify guidance and possibilities to optimize the product in future work. However, using agglomerative hierarchical clustering and multiple factor analysis two consumer groups have been identified who liked the protein-enriched smoothies. The smoothie with the highest protein concentration was even preferred by one of the two consumer groups, indicating that a vegan smoothie enriched with pea protein has potential among consumers.