Development of a Vegan, Protein-Rich, Probiotic Beverage

This project aimed to develop a vegan high-protein probiotic drink with two different tastes. The protein used should have similar quality as whey, amino acid score (AAS) 1.0. One aim was also to detect necessary processing steps. The protein sources studied for this application were oat, pea, pea+rice, hydrolyzed pea, soy, and potato. The protein sources were evaluated based on descriptive sensory analysis, sedimentation, allergenicity and AAS. One processing step that was included was homogenization, and a hydration step for one hour at 60oC was evaluated. The final protein sources, hydrated oat, hydrated pea and oat protein, and not hydrated pea and oat protein, were included in one strawberry-passionfruit drink, and in one banana-tropical drink and was evaluated based on particle size, solubility, protein content, AAS and sensory analysis. Oat was preferred based on taste. However, the texture was not appealing due to sandiness, and the AAS was low. Pea had strong off-taste, but good texture and a better AAS. A combination of these protein sources provided a better product in terms of sandiness and AAS. The results from the analysis revealed that the hydration step did not make any significant difference on the texture of the final product and thus; the hydration step is not recommended. Two tastes of the new product were created, with a protein content of 4%. The protein sources were a combination of pea and oat protein, with an AAS of 0.81. A homogenization step was included.Development of a vegan, protein-rich, probiotic beverage The market for plant-based products is increasing, causing a demand among consumers for new products to be developed. There are three main reasons for this increase in plant-based foods; sustainability, health, and animal welfare. Another increasing market is high protein products, and by combining these two trends together with probiotics, a vegan, protein-rich probiotic beverage is created. In this project, the aim was to develop a plant-based, high-protein, probiotic fruit beverage. The application of different plant-based proteins and how they can react with other ingredients were studied. pH was considered as one of the crucial factors affecting proteins characteristics of the beverage. Several different plant-based proteins were examined, such as soy, potato, pea, and oat-protein. The main challenges with these proteins were their taste, texture and amino acid profile. Oat was the most preferred protein based on taste, and pea was the most preferred protein in terms of texture and amino acid profile. The blend of these two proteins, therefore, led to a combination that was more compatible with the object of the project which was to develop a smooth and nutritious high-protein drink. However, oat alone was still seen as a good option based on the taste. The different protein mixtures were included in two different drinks, one based on strawberry-passionfruit, and one based on banana-tropical. Both tastes went well together with the earthy taste of the plant proteins. However, the primary concern was the texture that was perceived as sandy. Homogenization were performed on the proteins and it decreased the sandiness a lot both in the oat protein drinks and in the combination of pea and oat protein. However, some sandiness was still detectable, and a hydration step, where protein was mixed with water for one hour at 60oC, was therefore included in order to decrease the particle size of the proteins and thereby the sandiness. The hydration was performed on one oat protein sample and on one oat and pea protein sample. One oat and pea sample were not hydrated, and all three samples were analyzed, based on solubility, particle size and sensory analysis. Results from the analysis showed that the hydration step can be eliminated from the process since minor effects were observed from this step. The analysis also revealed that the combination of pea and oat protein were preferred over only oat proteins. Two recipes have been developed that contain a good amino acid profile, solubility, and high protein content together with an acceptable taste, acidity and texture. The homogenization decreased the sandiness a lot, and the sensory panel considered the sandiness as acceptable. The development has thereby shown progress regarding the texture