Creation of novel animal protein substitutes with potato protein and gellan gum: Control of food texture, color, and shape

It is challenging to accurately simulate the desirable sensory attributes of animal-derived foods (like meat, seafood, egg, or cheese) using plant-derived ingredients. As a result, many omnivores are reluctant to incorporate plant-based foods into their diet. In this study, our aim was to develop a new category of plant-based foods known as novel animal protein substitutes (NAPS), which are not designed to mimic the properties of animal-derived foods. Instead, they are designed to have appearances, textures, flavors, and nutritional profiles that consumers find desirable. In this study, we showed that NAPS with different textures, colors, and shapes could be formulated from potato protein (PP) and high acyl or low acyl gellan gum (HA-GG or LA-GG). In addition to their functional attributes, the PP provided a source of essential amino acids, whereas the gellan gum contributed to the overall dietary fiber content. Texture analysis showed that the elastic modulus and fracture properties of NAPS could be modulated by controlling the biopolymer composition of PP/HA-GG or PP/LA-GG hydrogels. Colorimetry showed that the color and appearance of NAPS could be manipulated by adding different types and amounts of natural pigments. In addition, the impact of food matrix effects on the thermal stability of the natural pigments was examined. Our results show that nutritionally enhanced plant-based foods with a wide range of physicochemical properties can be created from plant proteins and dietary fibers, which opens the opportunity of creating a new protein-rich food category to replace animal-derived foods. In the future, however, it will be important to establish whether this kind of product will be accepted by consumers, thereby increasing the diversity of plant-based dietary options in the market.