Sensory quality and waterbinding capacity in different plant proteins

Shifting towards a more plant-based diet give a need of developing new food items using plant proteins. To guide the choice of protein in a given context, the sensory quality and waterbinding capacity was investigated for six different proteins: hemp 50%protein, hemp 70%protein, quinoa, pea protein concentrate, lupin, fava beans.
A trained sensory panel was used for the sensory analysis. Mashed potato was used as carrier for the proteins. A descriptive analysis was conducted to determine the differences in the sensory characteristics of the plant proteins.
A clear difference between the proteins was seen in the sensory profile (figure 1) as well as in the WBC (figure 2). This should be taken into account when designing products. Some of the proteins are mostly suitable to products in which the taste either is desired or can be masked, while others are more flexible as they have a more neutral taste. If the WBC is high, the juiciness of the products could be higher, while a low WBC could give a more dry and perhaps crunchy texture.