The impact of different bacterial blends on texture and flavour development in plant-based cheese

Texture and flavour development in plant-based cheese generally relies on the use of texturizing and flavouring agents. However, fermentation can be a powerful tool to improve those sensorial attributes. Twenty-four different bacterial blends with four different starter cultures and six different adjunct combinations were designed to ferment a pea protein emulsion. Their acidification performance, contribution to gel hardness, and their ability to mask off-flavours and develop dairy-like flavours were evaluated through pH measurement, compression tests, and volatile compounds analysis, respectively. Blends including Vega™ Harmony and Vega™ Classic acidified significantly faster and were more efficient at removing the compounds identified as responsible for the green and/or beany off-flavours attributes in pea matrices. The presence of L. plantarum and L. casei in the blends reduced gel firmness. Dairy-like compounds were detected in all fermented samples and some were produced at different levels depending on the bacterial blend.