Browsing by Author "Lu D"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Investigation of various plant protein ingredients for processed cheese analogues: physical properties and microstructure compared with milk proteins
    (Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), 2025-01-08) Lu D; Roy D; Acevedo-Fani A; Singh H; Ye A
    This study evaluated various structural and physical properties of several plant proteins in the context of processed cheese analogues (PCAs). A total of 9 plant protein sources were selected to formulate PCA samples. The samples were processed at 90 ◦C for 10 min using either a rapid visco analyzer or water bath for different tests. Rheological analysis revealed that PCA samples formulated with plant proteins all exhibited solid-like behaviour. PCAs containing legume proteins had a higher storage modulus (G’) than that of rennet casein (RC) cheese samples, while canola protein samples showed the lowest G’ values. Zein-based PCA had the highest hardness and chewiness but softened when subjected to heat during the stretchability test. In contrast, PCAs containing chickpea, mung bean, or pea proteins exhibited similar hardness to RC-based cheeses but had poorer springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience. Plant protein-based PCAs also lacked melting and stretchability properties due to the absence of a continuous protein network. When ranking all proteins in PCAs based on viscosity, rheological, and textural properties, lentil protein scored the highest, followed by hemp and quinoa proteins, performing most similarly to casein protein. The presented comparison of different plant proteins in PCAs provides valuable insights for cheese analogue development.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Physical properties and microstructure of hybrid processed cheeses formulated with plant protein and milk protein ingredients
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2026-02-01) Lu D; Roy D; Acevedo-Fani A; Singh H; Waterland M; Ye A
    Hybrid processed cheese analogues (HPCAs) containing either mung bean (MPI) or hemp protein (HPI) with rennet casein (RC) at various ratios were prepared and analysed to understand their spatial and microstructural distribution and related physical properties, such as rheological properties, texture profile, meltability, and stretchability. In addition, protein composition and secondary protein structure were studied using SDS–PAGE and FTIR spectroscopy, while CLSM and TEM were employed to visualise the microstructure of the cheese matrix. Results indicated that plant protein types and concentration significantly affected the physical properties and microstructure of HPCAs. The addition of 30 % or more plant protein altered the physical and textural properties as well as the microstructure of the cheese analogues, with a decrease in β-sheet content and an increase in random coil structures. Mung bean protein–based HPCAs exhibit greater stretchability (e.g. 93.8 mm in 30 % MPI vs 41.53 mm in 30 % HPI), rheological, and textural properties, but not meltability (e.g. 1 % in 70 % MPI vs 48 % in 70 % HPI), compared with the hemp protein system at the same mixing ratios. This difference can be attributed to the size of the plant protein aggregation. All data were analysed by one-way ANOVA with Tukey's test (p < 0.05). These findings deepen our understanding of plant protein-based and hybrid cheeses, paving the way for optimised plant-based dairy alternatives.