Plant-based products as a more sustainable source of protein: Exploring physico-chemical and sensory properties and consumer response

• Autores: Djemaa Moussaoui
• Directores de la Tesis: Carolina Chaya Romero (dir. tes.), María Amparo Tárrega Guillem (codir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid ( España ) en 2024
• Idioma: inglés
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: María Carmen González Chamorro (presid.), José Carlos Martínez Ávila (secret.), Virginia Fernández Ruiz (voc.), Elena Peñas Pozo (voc.), María Desamparados Salvador Moya (voc.)
• Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Tecnología Agroambiental para una Agricultura Sostenible por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
• Calificación: Sobresaliente Cum Laude
• Materias:
  • Matemáticas
    • Estadística
      • Análisis de datos
  • Ciencias tecnológicas
    • Tecnología de los alimentos
      • Alimentos proteínicos
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en: Archivo Digital UPM
• Resumen

  • Recently, there has been a growing interest about the world transition to a more sustainable and healthy food consumption. In this context, a better understanding of the challenges involved in making effective this transition is required. This Thesis aims at contributing to: i) the knowledge about the physicochemical and sensory properties of plant-based ingredients and products relevant for the development of novel plant-based food and ii) the analysis of consumers response towards plant-based food products. In a first stage, the effects of pH and calcium on the techno-functional properties of four pulse flours (chickpea, lentil, red lentil, and white bean) and the rheological properties of their pastes and gels were studied. Results showed that the four pulse flours (chickpea, lentil, red lentil and white bean) exhibited different techno-functional properties that also varied with the conditions of pH and ionic strength. All pulse flours were good emulsifiers. In addition, white bean flour provided the higher water holding capacity, while lentil and red lentil flours were good as foaming ingredients. Chickpea flour exhibited high thickening capacity while red lentil exhibited high gelation capacity. Lowering pH and adding calcium increased water holding, foaming and thickening capacities, while it decreased emulsifying and gelation capacities. In a second stage, the effect of varying the concentration of four ingredients (flour, oil, lemon, and salt) on the mechanical and sensory properties of three pulse gels (lentil, red lentil, or chickpea) was investigated. Mechanical properties varied differently with the formulation depending on the pulse type. For all pulses, the hardness and stiffness increased with flour content and decreased with salt. The same properties decreased with lemon in chickpea gels and increased with oil content in red lentil gels. Regarding the sensory properties of pulse gels, the Flash Profile technique provided distinctive sensory characteristics of each pulse gel. The red lentil gels were homogeneous, creamy and compact. The chickpea gels were also compact, but harder. Lentil flour resulted in rough and sandy gels. For the three pulses, including oil and lemon reduced pulse flavors and increased sour taste. After that, consumer response elicited by the image of a plant-based burger was analyzed according to the information about the source of plant-protein (soy, pea and seitan (wheat)) and to consumers attitude towards meat reduction. The source of plant-protein did not affect consumers response, but attitude towards meat reduction had a significant impact. Supporters of meat reduction showed higher acceptance and perceived plant-based burgers as healthier less processed, and more sustainable, while rejecters showed lower acceptance, lower healthy and sustainable perception and higher processed perception. In addition, plant-based burgers evoked positive emotions in supporters of meat reduction. eanwhile, the samples evoked negative emotions in rejecters of meat reduction. Finally, Structural Equations Modelling analysis has been applied to understand the effect of consumers attitudes and concerns on their response towards plant-based products. This Thesis provides insights for a better understanding of challenges faced by the food industry in the development of new plant-based products.