Production of Plant-Based Seafood: Scallop Analogs Formed by Enzymatic Gelation of Pea Protein-Pectin Mixtures

Abstract

This study investigated the possibility of using a phase separation, mixing, and enzymatic gelation approach to construct seafood analogs from plant protein-polysaccharide mixtures with properties mimicking real seafood. Heat-denatured pea protein (10%, <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) and pectin (0-1%, <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) were mixed to produce phase separated biopolymer blends. These blends were then subjected to mild shearing (350 rpm) to obtain fiber-like structures, which were then placed in molds and set by gelling the pea proteins using transglutaminase (2%, <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>). The appearance, texture, and cooking properties of the resulting scallop analogs were characterized and compared to those of real scallop. The presence of the pectin promoted the formation of a honeycomb structure in the scallop analogs, and microscopic orientation of the proteins was observed in the plane parallel to the applied shear flow. Lower pectin concentrations (0.5%, <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) led to stronger gels with better water holding capacity than higher ones (1.0%, <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>). The appearance and texture of the plant-based scallop analogs were like those of real scallop after grilling, indicating the potential of using this soft matter physics approach to create plant-based seafood analogs. One of the main advantages of this method is that it does not require any expensive dedicated equipment, such as an extruder or shear cell technology, which may increase its commercial viability.