Sensory Improvement of a Pea Protein-Based Product Using Microbial Co-Cultures of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeasts.

Cynthia El Youssef,Sophie Landaud,Pascal Bonnarme,Sébastien Fraud,Sandra Helinck,Anne-Claire Péron

doi:10.3390/foods9030349

Abstract

Consumer demands for plant-based products have increased in recent years. However, their consumption is still limited due to the presence of off-flavor compounds, primarily beany and green notes, which are mainly associated with the presence of aldehydes, ketones, furans, and alcohols. To overcome this problem, fermentation is used as a lever to reduce off-flavors. A starter culture of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was tested in a 4% pea protein solution with one of the following yeasts: Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, or Torulaspora delbrueckii. The fermented samples were evaluated by a sensory panel. Non-fermented and fermented matrices were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the volatile compounds. The sensory evaluation showed a significant reduction in the green/leguminous attributes of pea proteins and the generation of new descriptors in the presence of yeasts. Compared to the non-fermented matrix, fermentations with LAB or LAB and yeasts led to the degradation of many off-flavor compounds. Moreover, the presence of yeasts triggered the generation of esters. Thus, fermentation by a co-culture of LAB and yeasts can be used as a powerful tool for the improvement of the sensory perception of a pea protein-based product.

Highlights

The demand for plant-based products is on the rise as consumers become increasingly health-conscious and seek out non-dairy alternatives for dairy products
The specific objectives of this study are: (1) to evaluate the impact of the addition of yeasts on the acidifying activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB); and (2) to compare the flavor profile of the samples fermented with a pure culture of LAB and the ones fermented with LAB in co-culture with yeasts
We can observe a difference in the tf between two yeast species: there was an increase in the time necessary to reach pH 4.55 for VEGE + KM compared to VEGE + TOR

Summary

Introduction

The demand for plant-based products is on the rise as consumers become increasingly health-conscious and seek out non-dairy alternatives for dairy products. The food industries are undoubtedly experiencing disruptive pressures in favor of plant-based products and are evolving rapidly to meet consumer needs [3]. Due to their high protein content ranging from 20% to 25%, pulses present an important economic and nutritional interest [4]. As a result of their limited amount of sulfur-containing amino acids (methionine, cystine, and tryptophan), they are often consumed along with cereal grains that have a complementary amino acid profile, i.e., that are rich in sulfur-containing amino acids but deficient in lysine In addition to their high nutritive value, the consumption of pulses

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion