Microbial stabilization of liquid protein concentrate using non-thermal technologies to mitigate process CO2 footprint and enhance protein functionality.

Recently, the consumer demand for sustainable plant-based protein products increased significantly and is expected to further grow. The development of such products is strongly dependent on protein functionality, which can be affected by processing and preservation techniques. Currently, industrial processes include a drying step and storage of protein extracts in the powdered form. In that case, product shelf life is considerably extended, but food quality and protein functionality are diminished. Replacing thermal microbial stabilisation by Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) will reduce the thermal load on protein solutions and therefore better retain nutrient quality and minimise protein denaturation. Moreover, process energy can be reduced. In this project, we study the potential of PEF for the microbial preservation of liquid protein concentrates and its impact on protein functionality. More precisely, we focus our research on the implementation of pilot scale PEF treatment during downstream processing of protein-rich liquid biomasses, such as microalgae and pea protein dispersions. We aim to obtain microbiologically stable protein extracts with retained or improved functionality that can be used in sustainably processed plant-based products. We hypothesise that the direct use of protein liquids, in for example meat and cheese analogues manufacturing, can improve both texturization and overall energy consumption, supporting the transition towards a more sustainable food system.