PLANT WHEY: VALUE-ADDED FOOD INGREDIENTS FROM PLANT PROTEIN PRECIPITATION SIDESTREAMS

This project has three major goals:1. Establish sidestream flows that occur during protein processing to obtain a 'plant whey' ingredient. Under this aim, we will quantify the amounts of different sidestreams produced from the precipitation processes used to create protein-rich ingredients (protein concentrates, isolates) and foods (plant cheeses). Three different plant seeds coming from different botanical origins will be used: pulses - pea (Pisum sativum); cereals - wheat (Triticum sp.); oilseeds - canola; and tree nuts - cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale).2. Identify and remove antinutritional compounds in plant whey. Plant whey contains soluble proteins that may have antinutritional properties, for example, trypsin inhibitors. Here, we will assess the potential of various processing methods (fermentation, heating, soaking, enzymatic treatment) for removing or inactivating antinutrients in plant whey and study their impact on nutrient digestion using a simulated gastrointestinal model.3. Establish plant-whey as a food ingredient by utilizing model food matrices. In this last step, we will analyze the physicochemical properties and technofunctional behavior of the produced plant-whey protein fractions and analyze their properties that can be utilized for food applications. Subsequently, the fractions will be incorporated into the most suited food matrices and the foods will be analyzed according to their functional, and sensorial attributes.