Microalgae protein digestibility: How to crack open the black box?

Microalgae are booming as a sustainable protein source for human nutrition and animal feed. Nevertheless, certain strains were reported to have robust cell walls limiting protein digestibility. There are several disruption approaches to break down the cell integrity and increase digestive enzyme accessibility. This review's intent is to discuss the digestibility of microalgae proteins in intact cells and after their disruption. In intact single cells, the extent of protein digestibility is chiefly related to cell wall structural properties (differing among strains) as well as digestion method and when added to food or feed protein digestibility changes depending on the matrix's composition. The degree of effectiveness of the disruption method varies among studies, and it is complicated to compare them due to variabilities in digestibility models, strains, disruption method/conditions and their consequent impact on the microalgae cell structure. More exhaustive studies are still required to fill knowledge gaps on the structure of microalgal cell walls and to find efficient and cost-effective disruption technologies to increase proteins availability without hindering their quality.

Meat hybrids-An assessment of sensorial aspects, consumer acceptance, and nutritional properties.

So-called meat hybrids are a new class of products where a fraction of the meat product (e.g., 20%) is replaced with alternative protein sources, such as plant-based ones. Research suggests that these products could serve as a low-threshold offer for a specific target group that wants to cut down on meat, thereby facilitating the transition toward a more healthy and sustainable diet. Nonetheless, data demonstrate that meat hybrids with a high substantial meat substitution level often fail in the market. This study summarises findings on the physicochemical properties, sensory, and acceptance of six different meat hybrids (70% meat and 30% plant proteins) that were collected in the framework of a case study in the project AiF 196 EN. For this purpose, sensory characteristics were collected via two QDA sessions and a hedonic consumer test. Furthermore, the hybrid recipes were analysed in their proximate composition. The respective recipes varied in protein source (soybean, pumpkin, and pea) and mode of incorporation [textured vegetable protein (TVP), high moisture extrudate (HME)]. It was shown that a meat hybrid with a relatively high share of 30% plant-based proteins with peas as a protein source and TVP as a processing method can still attract consumers.

Cultured meat and challenges ahead: A review on nutritional, technofunctional and sensorial properties, safety and legislation.

Cultured meat is introduced as a valuable traditional meat equivalent. However, before marketable end products are available, several hurdles need to be overcome. Among others, these issues comprise obtaining an optimal nutritional profile and approaching the texture, the colour and the unique flavour and taste of conventional meat. Furthermore, the impact of processing on these matters is also still subject of future research. Moreover, more profound knowledge on food-safety aspects, like microbial contamination, prions, possible genetically engineered starting material, etc., and ways to reduce such risks will determine the future success of cultured meat products. Undoubtedly, correct terminology and adequate definitions also require further attention, as these form the starting point of legislative/regulatory aspects. This review provides a state-of-the-art overview on nutritional, technofunctional and sensorial properties, and food-safety and legislative/regulatory aspects on cultured meat production. Additionally, the various challenges and future steps of these aspects of cultured meat are highlighted.

Development of GLM regression models to predict the consumer acceptability of cooked ham based on analytical parameters.

Due to concerns about meat quality, health, sustainability and animal welfare, the typical Belgian meat products such as cooked ham are being threatened by a negative reputation. To address these concerns, an objective quality assessment tool was developed that could predict the consumer acceptability for a range of sensorial descriptors based on analytical parameters. A total of 28 commercial cooked hams were evaluated by a sensorial panel of consumers while simultaneously, a broad range of analytical tests were conducted on the same hams. Per sensorial descriptor, the analytical results and consumer acceptability for all cooked hams were processed by Generalized Linear Modelling (GLM). This holistic approach makes it possible to predict the consumer acceptability of a sensorial descriptor with great reliability and robustness by only using objective analytical parameters. An efficient R&D tool was developed to optimize the sensorial and analytical quality of the cooked ham that meets consumer demands.

Buffering capacity of wet texturized plant proteins in comparison to pork meat.

There is an increasing demand to develop and characterize high moisture extrudates from alternative plant proteins due to their increased use in various foods. In this study, wet texturized proteins from two pea isolates and four oilseed flours from pumpkin and sunflower were subjected to an acid titration to gain insights into their buffering capacity. Results were compared to pork meat with a special emphasis on compositional differences. Wet texturized pumpkin and sunflower proteins had the highest buffering capacity, especially in between pH7.0 and pH4.5, while pea protein extrudates and pork meat were more prone to acidification and similar in buffering capacity. A multiple linear regression model further revealed that ash and select minerals and amino acids are key influencing factors on the overall buffering capacity, while the effect of protein and non-protein nitrogen depends on the evaluated pH-regime. The obtained results underline the importance for a more in-depth physicochemical characterization of texturized plant proteins and their raw materials and suggest a need for recipe and process adjustment to achieve stable pH values.

Discrete Choice Analysis of Consumer Preferences for Meathybrids-Findings from Germany and Belgium.

High levels of meat consumption are increasingly being criticised for ethical, environmental and social reasons. Plant-based meat substitutes have been identified as healthy sources of protein that, in comparison to meat, offer a number of social, environmental and health benefits and may play a role in reducing meat consumption. However, there has been a lack of research on the role they can play in the policy agenda and how specific meat substitute attributes can influence consumers to partially replace meat in their diets. This paper is focused on consumers' preferences for so-called meathybrid or plant-meathybrid products. In meathybrids, only a fraction of the meat product (e.g., 20% to 50%) is replaced with plant-based proteins. Research demonstrates that in many countries, consumers are highly attached to meat and consider it as an essential and integral element of their daily diet. For these consumers that are not interested in vegan or vegetarian alternatives as meat substitutes, meathybrids could be a low-threshold option for a more sustainable food consumption behaviour. In this paper, the results of an online survey with 500 German and 501 Belgian consumers are presented. The results show that more than fifty percent of consumers substitute meat at least occasionally. Thus, about half of the respondents reveal an eligible consumption behaviour with respect to sustainability and healthiness, at least sometimes. The applied discrete choice experiment demonstrated that the analysed meat products are the most preferred by consumers. Nonetheless, the tested meathybrid variants with different shares of plant-based proteins took the second position followed by the vegetarian-based alternatives. Therefore, meathybrids could facilitate the diet transition of meat-eaters in the direction toward a more healthy and sustainable consumption. The analysed consumer segment is more open-minded to the meathybrid concept in comparison to the vegetarian substitutes.