Future Proteins: Functionality, Processing, and Sourcing

Abstract

We are facing a global sustainable food protein challenge. New proteins, especially plant-based meat replacements, are in high demand. For many years, replacing animal-derived proteins with plant-derived proteins has been regarded as a product development problem. By taking a chemometric approach combined with a comprehensive protein aggregation model, it may be possible to develop better generic models for protein functionality and application prediction. Furthermore, in the food industry we are seeing a rise in vegetable- and plant-based meat products, and the recent increase in sales supports the argument that these products are being accepted by consumers. It is clear that most product development issues concerning plant-based proteins have successfully been solved. Future challenges in development of novel proteins include sustainable plant-derived protein production, protein supply, and balancing nutritional protein quality and health.