Vegetable food proteins

Applications of Vegetable Food Proteins in Traditional Foods... 

Whole oilseeds and legumes and their derivatives (defatted flours, and protein concentrates and isolates) are used in traditional foods as sources of protein and for their texture-modifying functions. This article reviews, on a comparative basis, processes for preparation of vegetable food proteins, compositions and characteristics of the resulting food ingredients, and their functionalities and uses in traditional foods. 

Generally, vegetable food protein ingredients are more absorbant than other dough components, with the result that mixing time and loaf volume is decreased. In addition, pan bread crumb becomes coarser and occasionally darker in color. Negative effects on loaf volume appear to be inversely related to phytic acid content. 

The maximum amounts of vegetable food protein flours that can be substituted in bread without affecting loaf volume and texture are 5-10% (depending upon the source), and 18-20% can be substituted in cookies without affecting spread and surface characteristics (26). The quantity of vegetable protein flour that can be accommodated in bread can be increased substantially by pre-toasting and by the use of approximately 1.5% sodium stearoyl 2-lactylate (28) and other emulsifiers. 

Considerable interest has been shown in uses of vegetable food proteins in cheese-type products. Attempts have been made to coprecipitate casein and vegetable protein in the typical vat process for making cheeses (35). Rhee (36) has found that up to 50% peanut protein isolate and 25% soybean isolate can be effectively substituted for sodium caseinate in the preparation of imitation cheeses. 

The invention of new food forms is not required to increase uses of vegetable food proteins in the American diet. Uses of flours, contrates and isolates continue to grow as increasingly more convenience foods are formulated and produced in factories, either for grocery or institutional sales. 

AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS SOCIETY. "Proceedings World Conference on Vegetable Food Proteins," Amsterdam,... 

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