Comparing structuring potential of pea and soy protein with gluten for meat analogue preparation

Pea protein isolate can be combined with wheat gluten into materials with a fibrous morphology using shear induced structuring combined with heating. Results are partly in-line with soy protein isolate-wheat gluten blends, but the latter yields anisotropic materials in a much broader temperature range. Both blends also have the ability to include air. Air bubbles were aligned and deformed at process conditions that gave the most pronounce fibrous products. Mechanically, the pea protein-gluten materials processed at 140 °C had a similar strength as soy protein blends. At 110 and 120 °C, the pea protein blends had a strength that was comparable to a chicken meat reference (50–100 kPa) but weaker than their counterparts with soy (220–300 kPa). Blends of pea protein-gluten show potential for preparing structured plant protein materials, but the application area might be different compared with potential applications of soy protein-gluten blends. [Display omitted] •Pea protein isolate – wheat gluten mixtures form fibrous structures.•Confocal light microscope imaging shows deformability of the protein phases in the protein-mixtures.•Air inclusion in products decreased with higher processing temperature.