Quality improvement of plant-based meat alternatives by addition of iota carrageenan to pea protein–wheat gluten blend

In this study, the influence of iota carrageenan (IC) addition at different steps to the protein blends based on pea protein isolate (PPI) and wheat gluten (WG) as well as hydration mixing time and temperature of IC on the quality attributes of plant-based meat alternatives was studied. In more detail, IC was added before (B, in water with mixing times of 15 or 30 min and temperatures of 25 or 75 °C) or after (A, in powder form) the addition of PPI to the mixture with or without calcium chloride (Ca) in the formulation. The results showed that the addition of IC after PPI, especially combination with Ca resulted in the products with the most visible fibers, which can be considered as a quality improvement. IC addition to the formulations with or without Ca also increased the browning index, water holding capacity, tensile stress, and air bubble numbers compared to the PPI.WG formulation. However, no considerable difference in these parameters was found regarding the addition order of IC (before or after the addition of PPI). As the addition of IC after PPI hydration needs less energy for mixing, and, thus, less time for preparation, this order of addition can be recommended for improving the quality of plant-based meat alternatives containing IC. Therefore, hydration of IC in water, especially at high temperatures, is not necessary for the production of plant-based meat alternatives produced in the high-temperature shear cell (HTSC).