A starch-free plant egg analogue with good heat gel properties and a method for its preparation

Abstract

The present application discloses a kind of starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property and its preparation method, and the plant egg analog comprises the following components by weight: polysaccharide 3-10 parts, plant protein isolate 2-10 parts, edible oil 5-12 parts, edible pigment 0.2-1.0 parts, food emulsifier 0.5-1.5 parts, and the rest is water; wherein the polysaccharide is gum ghatti.The plant egg analog of the present application has the characteristics of wide source of raw materials, simple and efficient preparation conditions, low GI and low calorie, and can adapt to various cooking environments such as frying, frying and boiling, and can be used as a substitute for stewed eggs, fried eggs and fried egg cakes.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of food processing, and particularly relates to a starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation properties and a preparation method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] Eggs are widely used for their ideal nutritional value, unique sensory characteristics and diverse functions. However, with the prevalence of safe, green, healthy, low-carbon and other consumption concepts, traditional eggs are also facing increasing controversy. First, the high cholesterol level in egg yolk increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and high levels of phosphatidylcholine are associated with the occurrence of atherosclerosis. Second, potential risks such as allergenicity, antibiotic use, salmonella infection, and antibiotic-resistant bacterial foodborne diseases make consumers worry about the safety of consuming eggs. In addition, some young consumers start to resist the consumption and eating of animal eggs due to concerns about animal welfare issues, including carbon emissions, environmental pollution, egg-laying environments, and slaughter conditions. Based on the above reasons, people are increasingly interested in developing animal egg alternatives to meet daily needs.

[0003] Compared with the development of other plant-based foods including plant milk, plant meat, etc., the research on plant egg analogs is still relatively less. At present, although some studies have tried to use soy protein, peanut protein, wheat protein, mung bean protein to prepare plant egg analogs, on the one hand, soy protein, peanut protein, wheat protein and other raw materials have allergenic risks; on the other hand, the use of a single plant protein may lead to an unreasonable composition of essential amino acids in the product, especially insufficient lysine or methionine content.

[0004] Secondly, it is very challenging to mimic the sol-gel transition behavior of chicken eggs during heating using a single plant protein. Because plant proteins generally have a higher denaturation temperature than chicken egg proteins, which means that plant protein-based egg substitutes must be heated to a higher temperature and / or for a longer time to form a gel similar to a real egg. Some literature or patents report the use of carrageenan, gellan gum or xanthan gum to improve the gel properties of plant egg analogs, but these gelling agents mainly form heat-reversible gels; that is, they are in a sol state at high temperatures and in a gel state at low temperatures, which does not match the heat-irreversible behavior of egg gels. There are also studies using starch or flour as a filler to improve the thermal gelation properties of plant egg analogs, but the additional addition of starch or flour ingredients will increase the calories of plant egg analogs and increase the glycemic index (GI), which is not friendly to people with diabetes and those who want to lose weight.

[0005] In addition, although some businesses have launched plant egg white products, these products can only sometimes achieve the effect of replacing real eggs in specific cooking environments, and they are usually only suitable for making scrambled egg analogues, but cannot be used in a variety of cooking scenarios such as omelettes and egg soup.

[0006] Therefore, it is a difficult problem to be solved in the construction of plant-based egg substitutes to use sustainable plant raw materials, to construct plant egg analogues through structural design and colloid technology, to improve the thermal gelation performance of plant eggs, and to improve the cooking applicability of plant egg products. SUMMARY

[0007] This section is intended to summarize some aspects of the embodiments of the present application and briefly introduce some preferred embodiments. Some simplifications or omissions may be made in this section and the abstract and title of the specification to avoid obscuring the purpose of this section, the abstract and the title, and such simplifications or omissions cannot be used to limit the scope of the present application.

[0008] In view of the above and / or problems existing in the prior art, the present application is proposed.

[0009] One of the purposes of the present application is to provide a starch-free plant egg analogue with good thermal gelation properties, which can simulate the thermal irreversible gelation characteristics of natural eggs and does not contain starch or flour, and can meet the needs of some vegetarians or diabetics.

[0010] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides the following technical solutions: a starch-free plant egg analogue with good thermal gelation properties, comprising the following components by weight:

[0011] 3-10 parts of polysaccharide, 2-10 parts of plant protein isolate, 5-12 parts of edible oil, 0.2-1.0 parts of edible pigment, 0.5-1.5 parts of food emulsifier, and the rest is water;

[0012] Among them, the polysaccharide is gellan gum.

[0013] As a preferred solution of the starch-free plant egg analogue with good thermal gelation properties of the present application, wherein: the plant protein isolate is a mixture of two or more of bean protein, cereal protein or other protein; the bean protein includes one of pea protein, broad bean protein, mung bean protein, soybean protein, chickpea protein, kidney bean protein, and lentil protein; the cereal protein includes one of oat protein, wheat protein, barley protein, rice protein, corn protein, quinoa protein, and rye protein; the other protein includes one of potato protein, nut protein, and algal protein. Preferably, a mixture of pea protein and oat protein.

[0014] As a preferred solution of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the edible oil is one or more of soybean oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, wheat germ oil, cottonseed oil, almond oil, tea seed oil, algae oil, fish oil sesame oil, wherein the edible oil accounts for 6-15% of the mass of the overall composition, preferably 8-11%.

[0015] As a preferred solution of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the food emulsifier is lecithin emulsifier, including one of phospholipids from soybeans, sunflower seeds, rapeseed, ammonium phospholipids, monoglycerides.

[0016] As a preferred solution of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the edible colorant is any natural colorant or synthetic edible colorant that presents yellow color;

[0017] Among them, the natural colorant includes one or more of curcumin, turmeric, lutein, gardenia yellow, cochineal red, bixa orellana orange, cabbage red, sorghum red, red yeast yellow, paprika red, radish red;

[0018] The synthetic edible colorant includes one or more of tartrazine, sunset yellow, carmine, allura red, amaranth, erythrosine, brilliant blue, indigo, quinoline yellow, azo carmine.

[0019] As a preferred solution of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the starch-free plant egg analog can also include a flavor enhancer, such as yeast extract, to improve the flavor of the plant egg analog; the flavor enhancer is an optional ingredient and can be omitted or replaced with other flavor enhancers, such as mushroom extract, monosodium glutamate, chicken essence, beef essence, glutamic acid, inosinic acid, etc.

[0020] As a preferred solution of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the starch-free plant egg analog can also include a flavoring agent, such as garlic powder, to simulate the sulfur taste of chicken eggs; the flavoring agent is an optional ingredient and can be omitted or replaced with onion powder, chili powder, mustard powder, or Kala Namak, which contains sulfides.

[0021] As a preferred solution of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the starch-free plant egg analog can also include an enzyme preparation, such as glutamine transaminase, to promote intramolecular or intermolecular cross-linking of protein molecules, enhance protein gel network structure, and improve product texture; the glutamine transaminase is an optional ingredient and can be omitted.

[0022] As a preferred scheme of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the starch-free plant egg analog can further comprise salt, such as potassium chloride, for the purpose of improving the flavor of the product; the salt is an optional ingredient, which can be omitted or replaced by sodium chloride.

[0023] Another object of the present application is to provide a preparation method of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property as described above, which is simple and efficient, and mainly comprises the following steps:

[0024] Disperse the plant protein isolate powder in water and hydrate overnight to obtain a protein solution;

[0025] Mix the treated plant protein isolate solution with polysaccharides, edible oil, edible colorants, food emulsifiers, and water, and stir to obtain a uniform slurry.

[0026] High-speed shear the slurry to obtain a plant egg analog.

[0027] As a preferred scheme of the preparation method of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the protein mixture powder is a mixture of pea protein isolate and oat protein isolate, preferably a mixture of pea protein and oat protein in a mass ratio of 1:1; the hydration is performed by placing the protein isolate solution at low temperature; the low temperature is 1-15°C for 10-24h of refrigeration, preferably 1-4°C for 12-18h of refrigeration.

[0028] As a preferred scheme of the preparation method of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the stirring time is 30-90min.

[0029] As a preferred scheme of the preparation method of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property of the present application, wherein: the high-speed shearing is 8000-20000rpm for 1-3min.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] The present application simulates the thermal gelation behavior of natural chicken eggs and finally forms a thermal irreversible gel close to real chicken eggs. The preferred mixture of pea protein and oat protein can improve the lack of essential amino acids of single plant protein and improve the overall nutritional status of the plant egg analog. The plant egg liquid analog of the present application has a wide source of raw materials, simple and efficient preparation conditions, low GI and low calorie characteristics, and can adapt to various cooking environments such as frying, frying and boiling, and can be used as a substitute for stewed eggs, fried eggs and fried egg cakes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort on the basis of these drawings. Among them:

[0033] Figure 1 Comparison of droplet size distribution (A), stability (B), microstructure (C) and appearance before and after storage (D) of plant egg simulants prepared in Examples 1-4, Comparative Examples 1, 3 and real chicken eggs of Comparative Example 2.

[0034] Figure 2 Rheological properties of plant egg simulants prepared in Examples 1-4, Comparative Examples 1, 3 and real chicken eggs of Comparative Example 2, wherein (A) is stress sweep, (B) is temperature sweep, (C) is shear viscosity, (D) is gel frequency sweep and (E) is tan delta value comparison.

[0035] Figure 3 Comparison of appearance (A), texture and water holding capacity (B) of chicken egg gel simulants prepared in Examples 5-8, Comparative Examples 4, 6 and real chicken egg gel of Comparative Example 5.

[0036] Figure 4 Microstructure of gels of Examples 5-8 and Comparative Example 5; (A) oil phase distribution in gels; (B) three-dimensional microstructure of gels.

[0037] Figure 5 Infrared analysis (A) and intermolecular force analysis (B) of Examples 5-8 and Comparative Examples 4-6.

[0038] Figure 6 Appearance of omelette simulants of Examples 9-12 and Comparative Examples 7-9.

[0039] Figure 7 Comparison of foaming properties of Examples 13-16 and Comparative Examples 10-12, wherein foaming and foam stability (A) and microstructure (B).

[0040] Figure 8 Foam stabilization mechanism of Examples 13-16 and Comparative Example 10.

[0041] Figure 9 Appearance and fluidity of plant egg simulants constructed by different polysaccharides of Comparative Example 13.

[0042] Figure 10 Comparison of omelette making effect of plant egg simulants constructed by different polysaccharides of Comparative Example 13.

[0043] Figure 11 To compare the appearance and flowability of plant egg mimics based on different ratios of plant protein isolate mixture and curdlan.

[0044] Figure 12 To compare the omelette making effect of plant egg mimics based on different ratios of plant protein isolate mixture and curdlan.

[0045] Figure 13 To compare the microstructure of Example 1 and Comparative Example 14.

[0046] Figure 14 To compare the appearance of samples with different oil contents in Example 18. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, the specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the description and examples.

[0048] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced without the specific details given herein, that the present application can be practiced with other than the described implementations, and that the present application can be practiced with different or additional components. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but include all such modifications and alternatives that fall within the scope of the present application.

[0049] Secondly, the term "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" as used herein means that a particular implementation can include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment can not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, the following terms, as used in the description and associated claims, shall not be limited to the specifically recited uses.

[0050] Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials used in the examples are commercially available.

[0051] Test methods used in the examples:

[0052] Particle size test: The droplet size of plant egg mimics and comparative examples was measured by a laser particle size analyzer (S3500, Microtrac, USA). All samples were diluted with distilled water before testing, and the refractive index was set to 1.5.

[0053] Microstructure observation: The microstructure of plant egg mimics and comparative examples was observed by an optical microscope (Leica Microsystems, Wetzlar, Germany).

[0054] Stability evaluation: samples were kept in an incubator at 25°C for 30 days, droplet size was measured at day 1, 7 and 30, stability during sample storage was evaluated by the change of d(4,3); appearance of fresh and stored samples was recorded.

[0055] Rheological properties test: Linear viscoelastic region (LVR) determined by strain sweep performed in the range 0.01-100%; Shear viscosity test: measured in the range 0.01-100 s -1 of shear rate; Temperature sweep was performed in the range 20-90°C, keeping constant at 90°C for 30 min, temperature was decreased from 90°C to 20°C (strain = 0.1%, frequency = 1 Hz, rate = 5°C / min); finally, gel frequency sweep test was performed in the range 0.1-100 rad / s of frequency, strain = 0.1%, temperature = 20°C. Moreover, all tests were performed using aluminium plates (diameter 40 mm), gap value was set to 1000 pm.

[0056] Omelette specific volume determination: omelettes were cut into patties using a ring mould with a diameter of 20 mm (d). The mass of each omelette roll (M1) was recorded, while the thickness of 6 stacked omelettes was recorded with a vernier calliper, the average thickness of each omelette was calculated and noted as T (mm). The volume of the omelette roll (V1) was estimated according to equation (1):

[0057]

[0058] The specific volume of the omelette roll was calculated according to equation (2):

[0059]

[0060] Gel water holding capacity: about 1.5 g of sample (labelled as ml) was loaded into a 10 mL centrifuge tube and centrifuged at 8000 rpm / min for 25 min at 4°C. The sample mass was accurately recorded after centrifugation, labelled as m2. The water holding capacity (WHC) was calculated according to equation (3):

[0061]

[0062] Gel and omelette patty mock material texture analysis: texture profile analysis was performed on gels and omelette rolls using a texture analyser, test speed was 1.0 mm / s. Compression deformation was set to 50%, interval time between two compressions was 5 s, trigger force was 5 g.

[0063] Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM): Oil droplets in the gel were labeled with Nile Red (0.1% ethanol, w / v), and the gel piece was placed on a glass slide, 20 μL Nile Red solution was added and incubated in the dark for 30 min. Excess fluorescent dye was gently rinsed with ethanol. Nile Red was excited at 520 nm, and images were obtained under a 20x objective.

[0064] X-ray Computed Tomography (X-CT): The gel sample was cut into small pieces of 2 mm x 2 mm x 2 mm and freeze-dried. The sample was scanned under the following experimental conditions: objective: 4x, bin: 2, exposure: 1 s, filter: air, voltage: 80 kV, power: 7 W.

[0065] Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis: All gel samples were freeze-dried and ground into powder. Measurements were performed between 4000 cm -1 and 400 cm -1 -1, using an ART accessory for 32 scans with a 4 cm -1 resolution.

[0066] Intermolecular Force Analysis: Disulfide bonds were disrupted using dithiothreitol (DTT, 0.5% (w / w)); hydrogen bonds were disrupted using urea (2 mol / L); electrostatic interactions were disrupted using sodium chloride (NaCl, 1 mol / L); and hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds were disrupted using guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl, 2 mol / L). The gel strength (G' at 20°C) of the treated and untreated samples was determined by the temperature sweep method in rheology. The loss of gel strength under different treatment conditions was calculated to evaluate the effect of each molecular interaction:

[0067]

[0068] where G1' is the gel strength of the treated gel sample and G0' is the gel strength of the initial untreated sample.

[0069] Unless otherwise specified, the examples and comparative examples are parallel tests with the same components, component contents, preparation steps, and preparation parameters. The plant protein isolate mixture is a 1:1 weight ratio mixture of pea protein isolate and oat protein isolate.

[0070] Example 1

[0071] A starch-free plant egg preparation with good thermal gelation properties was prepared using the following components in parts by weight:

[0072] 4 parts of curdlan, 6 parts of plant protein isolate mixture, 11 parts of soybean oil, 0.5 parts of β-carotene, 0.5 parts of soybean lecithin, 0.05 parts of yeast extract, 0.05 parts of garlic powder, 0.025 parts of glutamine transaminase, 0.1 parts of potassium chloride, and the rest water.

[0073] The preparation steps of the starch-free plant egg with good thermal gelation properties are as follows:

[0074] (1) Disperse the plant protein isolate mixture in water and hydrate it fully at 4°C for 20 hours to obtain a protein solution;

[0075] (2) Mix the treated plant protein solution with curdlan, soybean oil, soybean lecithin, beta-carotene, yeast extract, garlic powder, transglutaminase, potassium chloride, and water, and stir for 30 minutes to obtain a uniform slurry;

[0076] (3) High-speed shear the mixed slurry of step (2) at 10,000 rpm for 1.5 minutes to obtain a plant egg analog.

[0077] Example 2

[0078] The raw materials for preparing the starch-free plant egg with good thermal gelation properties include the following components in parts by weight:

[0079] Curdlan 5 parts, plant protein isolate mixture 5 parts, soybean oil 8 parts, beta-carotene 0.2 parts, soybean lecithin 0.8 parts, yeast extract 0.5 parts, garlic powder 0.5 parts, transglutaminase 0.045 parts, potassium chloride 0.1 parts, and the rest is water.

[0080] The preparation steps of the starch-free plant egg with good thermal gelation properties are as follows:

[0081] (1) Disperse the plant protein isolate mixture in water and hydrate it fully at 15°C for 10 hours to obtain a protein solution;

[0082] (2) Mix the treated plant protein solution with curdlan, soybean oil, soybean lecithin, beta-carotene, yeast extract, garlic powder, transglutaminase, potassium chloride, and water, and stir for 50 minutes to obtain a uniform slurry;

[0083] (3) High-speed shear the mixed slurry of step (2) at 12,000 rpm for 3 minutes to obtain a plant egg analog.

[0084] Example 3

[0085] The raw materials for preparing the starch-free plant egg with good thermal gelation properties include the following components in parts by weight:

[0086] Curdlan 6 parts, plant protein isolate mixture 4 parts, sunflower oil 8 parts, beta-carotene 0.8 parts, soybean lecithin 0.8 parts, yeast extract 0.5 parts, garlic powder 0.5 parts, transglutaminase 0.045 parts, potassium chloride 0.1 parts, and the rest is water.

[0087] The preparation steps of the starch-free plant egg with good thermal gelation properties are as follows:

[0088] (1) Disperse the plant protein isolate mixture in water and hydrate for 10 h in an environment of 15°C to obtain a protein solution;

[0089] (2) Mix the treated plant protein solution with curdlan, soybean oil, soybean lecithin, β-carotene, yeast extract, garlic powder, transglutaminase, potassium chloride and water, and stir for 50 min to obtain a uniform slurry;

[0090] (3) High-speed shear the mixed slurry of step (2) at 12000 rpm for 2.5 min to obtain a plant egg simulation.

[0091] Example 4

[0092] The raw materials for preparing the starch-free plant egg with good thermal gelation properties include the following components by weight:

[0093] Curdlan 8 parts, plant protein isolate mixture 2 parts, sunflower oil 10 parts, β-carotene 0.5 part, soybean lecithin 1.0 part, yeast extract 0.05 part, garlic powder 0.05 part, transglutaminase 0.025 part, potassium chloride 0.1 part, and the rest is water.

[0094] The preparation steps of the starch-free plant egg with good thermal gelation properties are as follows:

[0095] (1) Disperse the plant protein isolate mixture in water and hydrate for 18 h in an environment of 6°C to obtain a protein solution;

[0096] (2) Mix the treated plant protein solution with curdlan, soybean oil, soybean lecithin, β-carotene, yeast extract, garlic powder, transglutaminase, potassium chloride and water, and stir for 80 min to obtain a uniform slurry;

[0097] (3) High-speed shear the mixed slurry of step (2) at 20000 rpm for 2 min to obtain a plant egg simulation.

[0098] Comparative Example 1

[0099] The preparation raw material composition and preparation steps of the starch-free plant egg are as described in Example 1, except that curdlan is 2 parts and plant protein isolate mixture is 8 parts.

[0100] Comparative Example 2

[0101] A natural chicken egg.

[0102] Comparative Example 3

[0103] A commercially available starch-containing plant egg product, ingredients include: water, mung bean protein isolate, rapeseed oil, tapioca flour, soybean phospholipid, food flavor, sodium pyrophosphate, potassium citrate, gellan gum, sugar, nisin, edible salt, transglutaminase, beta-carotene, etc.

[0104] Figure 1 The particle size distribution (A), microstructure (B), stability (C) and appearance change before and after storage (D) of the plant egg liquid mimics prepared in Examples 1-4, Comparative Examples 1, 2 and natural chicken eggs of Comparative Example 1 are shown. As can be seen from the figures, Examples 1-4 form stable emulsion systems, and Examples 1 and 2 have smaller particle sizes, and Examples 2-4 have high stability. In addition, Comparative Example 1 forms an emulsion system with fluidity and uniform particle size, but its storage stability is poor; Comparative Example 2 has a finer droplet structure; Comparative Example 3 has large emulsion particle sizes and uneven distribution, and the system has poor stability and uniformity.

[0105] Figure 2 The rheological properties of Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-3 are shown, where (A) is a stress scan, (B) is a temperature scan, (C) is a viscosity scan; (D) is a frequency scan of the gel; (E) is a tan delta value comparison. As can be seen from the figures, Examples 1-4 mainly exhibit solid-like behavior. By analyzing the thermal gelation behavior of the plant egg mimics through temperature scanning of the heating-cooling cycle, it can be seen from Figure 2 (B) that Examples 1-4 have similar thermal gelation behavior to the real chicken eggs of Comparative Example 2, and the final Examples 1-4 maintain a high G* value, which indicates that the plant-based egg mimics can form a thermal irreversible gel like natural egg liquid. From Figure 2 (A) and Figure 2 (C), it can be seen that Comparative Examples 1 and 2 have reduced viscosity and viscoelastic properties, and mainly exhibit fluid behavior at room temperature; after heating, Comparative Example 2 has the largest G* value; from Figure 2 (D), it can be seen that after heating, Comparative Example 3 has the lowest G' value, which indicates that its gel structure is the weakest.

[0106] Application of Example 5 Simulated Chicken Egg Gel

[0107] 50g of the sample of Example 1 was transferred to a 100ml beaker, the mouth of the beaker was sealed with plastic wrap, and then it was placed in a preheated water bath at 90°C for 30min to promote gelation. The gel sample was cooled with ice water and matured at 4°C for 12h.

[0108] Application of Example 6 Simulated Chicken Egg Gel

[0109] The same as Example 5, but the sample was changed to Example 2.

[0110] Application of simulated chicken egg gels of Example 7

[0111] Same as Example 5, but change sample to Example 3.

[0112] Application of simulated chicken egg gels of Example 8

[0113] Same as Example 5, but change sample to Example 4.

[0114] Application of simulated chicken egg gels of Comparative Example 4

[0115] Same as Example 5, but change sample to Comparative Example 1.

[0116] Application of simulated chicken egg gels of Comparative Example 5

[0117] Same as Example 5, but change sample to Comparative Example 2.

[0118] Application of simulated chicken egg gels of Comparative Example 6

[0119] Same as Example 5, but change sample to Comparative Example 3.

[0120] Figure 3 The appearance, texture and water holding capacity of the prepared simulated chicken egg gels and real chicken egg gels are shown, wherein (A) is the appearance of the simulated chicken egg gels prepared in Examples 5-8 and Comparative Examples 4-6, (B) is the texture and water holding capacity of the simulated chicken egg gels prepared in Examples 5-8 and the real chicken egg gel of Comparative Example 5. As can be seen from (A), Examples 5-8 can form a blocky gel body as the real egg (Comparative Example 5), which indicates that the plant-based simulated egg of the application can adapt to a water bath heating environment and has the potential to be used as a substitute for poached eggs; in addition, Example 8 has the closest hardness, elasticity and water holding capacity to the real egg gel.

[0121] Figure 4 The oil droplet distribution and microstructure of the simulated chicken egg gels prepared in Examples 5-8 and the real chicken egg gel of Comparative Example 5 are shown, and as can be seen from the figure, the oil droplet distribution in Examples 5-8 is uniform and the grid structure is complete. The grid structure of Example 8 has high continuity and many air holes.

[0122] Figure 5 The infrared and intermolecular force analysis of the simulated chicken egg gels prepared in Examples 5-8 and Comparative Examples 4-6 are shown. As can be seen from Figure A, Examples 5-8 have similar molecular structures and different intermolecular forces compared to the real egg gel (Comparative Example 5). Examples 5-8 mainly rely on hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions to form gel structures.

[0123] Application of simulated fried chicken eggs of Example 9

[0124] A frying pan was preheated to 120°C and 1 mL of soybean oil was added. 25 g of the sample from Example 1 was poured into the frying pan, heated at 130°C for 2.5 min without stirring, then flipped over and heated for an additional 1.5 min; the fried egg was allowed to cool to room temperature before further testing.

[0125] Example 10 Fried Egg Simulant Application

[0126] Example 9, except the sample was changed to Example 2.

[0127] Example 11 Fried Egg Simulant Application

[0128] Example 9, except the sample was changed to Example 3.

[0129] Example 12 Fried Egg Simulant Application

[0130] Example 9, except the sample was changed to Example 4.

[0131] Comparative Example 7 Fried Egg Simulant Application

[0132] Example 9, except the sample was changed to Comparative Example 1.

[0133] Comparative Example 8 Fried Egg Simulant Application

[0134] Example 9, except the sample was changed to Comparative Example 2.

[0135] Comparative Example 9 Fried Egg Simulant Application

[0136] Example 9, except the sample was changed to Comparative Example 3.

[0137] The specific volume and texture data for the resulting fried egg simulants are shown in Table 1:

[0138] Table 1 Test Results for Examples 9-12 and Comparative Examples 7-9

[0139]

[0140] As can be seen from Table 1, Example 9 has the closest hardness value to a real fried egg (Comparative Example 8).

[0141] Figure 6 The appearance of the fried egg simulants based on Examples 9-12 and Comparative Examples 7-9 is shown in Figure 1. As can be seen from the figure, Comparative Example 7 and Comparative Example 9 were not able to form a complete fried egg simulant, Examples 10-12 formed fried egg simulants that were similar to a real fried egg (Comparative Example 8), and Examples 11 and 12 were less likely to burn.

[0142] Example 13 Whipping Properties of Egg Simulants

[0143] Place 80g of Example 1 into a graduated cylindrical measuring cup and record the initial liquid volume (V0). Then, use an electric mixer to stir at approximately 600 rpm for 2.5 minutes to form foam. Gently remove the electric mixer and cover the edges with plastic wrap to reduce air circulation. Record the foam volume at 3.5 minutes (V3.5) and 60 minutes (V60) after stirring begins. Calculate the bubble capacity (FA) and foam stability (FS) using the following formulas (5) to (6):

[0144]

[0145]

[0146] Example 14 Simulating the foaming properties of eggs

[0147] Same as Example 13, but with the sample changed to Example 2.

[0148] Example 15 Simulates the foaming properties of eggs

[0149] Same as Example 13, but with the sample changed to Example 3.

[0150] Example 16 Simulates the foaming properties of eggs

[0151] Same as Example 13, but with the sample changed to Example 4.

[0152] Comparative Example 10 simulates the foaming properties of eggs

[0153] Same as Example 13, but the sample was changed to Comparative Example 1.

[0154] Comparative Example 11 simulates the foaming properties of eggs

[0155] Same as Example 13, but the sample was changed to Comparative Example 2.

[0156] Comparative Example 12 simulates the foaming properties of eggs

[0157] Same as Example 13, but the sample was changed to Comparative Example 3.

[0158] Figure 7 The foaming ability and foam microstructure of Examples 13-16 and Comparative Examples 10-12 are shown. As can be seen from the figures, Examples 13-16 have a certain inflation capacity and their foaming properties are better than those of Comparative Example 12, but worse than those of a real egg (Comparative Example 11).

[0159] Figure 8 The foam stabilization mechanisms of Examples 13-16 are shown. As can be seen from the figures, the foam in the examples is stabilized by proteins and interfacial aggregated oil droplets. However, with the occurrence of drainage, the loss of interfacial oil droplets is not conducive to foam stabilization.

[0160] Comparative Example 13

[0161] A starch-free plant egg was prepared according to the raw material composition and preparation steps of Example 1, except that the polysaccharide (gellan gum) was replaced by locust bean gum, gum arabic, carrageenan, flaxseed gum, locust bean gum, konjac gum, xanthan gum, and gellan gum, respectively; the polysaccharide accounted for 2 parts, and the plant protein isolate mixture accounted for 8 parts.

[0162] Figure 9 The appearance and flowability of the plant-based egg liquid constructed by different polysaccharides were shown. As can be seen from the figure, the plant-based egg liquid analogues based on flaxseed gum, locust bean gum, konjac gum, xanthan gum, and gellan gum were thick and had poor flowability. The flowability at room temperature is one of the important characteristics for further processing of egg liquid. The thick and non-flowing state of the above emulsions is not suitable for use as an egg liquid analogue system.

[0163] Figure 10 The effect of making an omelette for the plant-based egg liquid constructed by different polysaccharides was compared. The figure shows the sample state before frying, during frying, and after frying. As can be seen from the figure, based on locust bean gum, gum arabic, and carrageenan samples, the water retention is poor, and a large amount of water evaporates during the process, and the emulsion system completely collapses. Based on flaxseed gum, locust bean gum, konjac gum, xanthan gum, or gellan gum, the samples have high viscosity, and although they maintain a certain form during heating, they can only lose water, gelatinize, or even carbonize on the surface after heating, and cannot form a simulated chicken egg gel state with good viscoelasticity.

[0164] Example 17

[0165] A starch-free plant egg was prepared according to the raw material composition and preparation steps of Example 4, except that the ratio of gellan gum to plant protein isolate mixture was 10:0, 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, 7:3, 2:8, 1:9, and 0:10, respectively.

[0166] Figure 11 The appearance and flowability of the plant-based egg liquid based on different ratios of gellan gum and plant protein isolate mixture were shown. As can be seen from the figure, when the amount of gellan gum accounted for more than 7 parts, the flowability of the plant-based egg liquid analogue was poor, and it almost did not flow when inverted at room temperature.

[0167] Figure 12 The effect of making an omelette for the plant-based egg liquid based on different ratios of gellan gum and plant protein isolate mixture was compared. As can be seen from the figure, when the amount of gellan gum accounted for less than 3 parts, the plant-based egg liquid could not form a simulated chicken egg gel state with good form during frying.

[0168] Example 18

[0169] A starch-free plant egg was prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that the oil content was 5%, 12%, 20% and 50% of the total composition, respectively.

[0170] Figure 14 The appearance of the samples of Example 18 with different oil contents was compared. As can be seen from the figure, the viscosity of the sample increased with increasing oil content, and when the oil content reached 50%, the sample had a coarse texture.

[0171] Comparative Example 14

[0172] A starch-free plant egg was prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that step (3) was omitted.

[0173] Figure 13 The microstructure of Example 1 and Comparative Example 14 was compared. As can be seen from the figure, compared with Example 1, the oil droplets in Comparative Example 14 were larger, unevenly distributed and deformed, which meant that the sample had an uneven texture and was prone to separation during storage.

[0174] Example 19

[0175] A starch-free plant egg was prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that the plant protein isolate mixture was replaced by pea protein isolate and oat protein isolate at a weight ratio of 2:1, pea protein isolate and oat protein isolate at a weight ratio of 1:2, soy protein isolate and corn protein isolate at a weight ratio of 1:1, lentil protein isolate and wheat protein isolate at a weight ratio of 1:1, mung bean protein isolate and wheat protein isolate at a weight ratio of 3:2, and pea protein isolate, oat protein isolate and potato protein at a weight ratio of 3:2:1.

[0176] The resulting plant egg mimics were tested for their ability to form a gel similar to a real chicken egg. The test results showed that each plant egg mimic could form a gel similar to a real chicken egg (Comparative Example 5).

[0177] The resulting plant egg mimics were tested for their ability to form a fried egg. The test results showed that each plant egg mimic could form a fried egg similar to a real chicken egg (Comparative Example 8).

[0178] The resulting plant egg mimics were tested for their ability to form a gel similar to a real chicken egg. The test results showed that each plant egg mimic could form a gel similar to a real chicken egg (Comparative Example 5).

[0179] Example 20

[0180] A starch-free plant egg is prepared according to the raw material composition and preparation steps of Example 1, except that the soybean lecithin is replaced by sunflower lecithin, rapeseed oil lecithin, ammonium lecithin, modified soybean lecithin, enzymatic soybean lecithin, monoglyceride, etc.

[0181] The obtained plant egg simulant is subjected to a test of simulating chicken egg gel. The test result shows that each plant egg simulant can form a blocky gel body as a real chicken egg (Comparative Example 5).

[0182] The obtained plant egg simulant is subjected to a test of simulating fried chicken egg. The test result shows that each plant egg simulant can form a fried egg similar to a real chicken egg (Comparative Example 8).

[0183] The obtained plant egg simulant is subjected to a test of simulating the foaming property of a chicken egg. The test result shows that each plant egg simulant has a certain aeration capacity.

[0184] Example 21

[0185] A starch-free plant egg is prepared according to the raw material composition and preparation steps of Example 1, except that the soybean oil is replaced by rapeseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, sesame oil.

[0186] The obtained plant egg simulant is subjected to a test of simulating chicken egg gel. The test result shows that each plant egg simulant can form a blocky gel body as a real chicken egg (Comparative Example 5).

[0187] The obtained plant egg simulant is subjected to a test of simulating fried chicken egg. The test result shows that each plant egg simulant can form a fried egg similar to a real chicken egg (Comparative Example 8).

[0188] The obtained plant egg simulant is subjected to a test of simulating the foaming property of a chicken egg. The test result shows that each plant egg simulant has a certain aeration capacity.

[0189] The starch-free plant egg liquid simulant is constructed by using polysaccharides, proteins, edible oils and other food ingredients as raw materials through emulsification technology. The preparation raw materials are widely sourced and inexpensive, the preparation conditions are simple and efficient, no harmful substances are involved, the overall process is green and safe, and the green and efficient construction and application of the plant egg liquid simulant are enriched.

[0190] The present application uses curdlan as a thermal gelling agent, which forms a thermal reversible gel at about 55 DEG C and an elastic thermal irreversible gel at 80 DEG C and above, simulates the thermal gelation behavior of natural chicken eggs, and finally forms a thermal irreversible gel closer to real eggs. At the same time, based on the excellent water retention of curdlan, the obtained plant egg simulant has the characteristics of not being easily fried or fried during cooking.

[0191] The mixture of legume protein and cereal protein, especially the preferred mixture of pea protein and oat protein, has multiple biological activities, improves the essential amino acid deficiency of single plant protein, and improves the overall nutritional status of the plant egg analog.

[0192] The plant egg analog prepared by the present application does not contain starch or flour, has the characteristics of low GI and low calories, meets the dietary trend of green health, and is suitable for people who want to lose weight, vegetarians and diabetics.

[0193] The plant egg analog prepared by the present application not only can adapt to various cooking environments such as frying, frying and boiling, and can be used as a substitute for stewed eggs, fried eggs and fried egg cakes, but also has certain foaming property.

[0194] It should be noted that the above examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not limiting. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application, and they should be covered in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A starch-free, plant-based egg analogue with good heat gelation properties, characterized in that: The following components are included by weight parts: 3-10 parts of polysaccharide, 2-10 parts of plant protein isolate, 5-12 parts of edible oil, 0.2-1.0 parts of edible pigment, 0.5-1.5 parts of food emulsifier, and the rest is water; The polysaccharide is curdlan; The preparation method of the starch-free plant egg analog with good thermal gelation property comprises dispersing plant protein isolate mixed powder in water and fully hydrating overnight to obtain a protein solution. The treated plant protein isolate solution is mixed with polysaccharide, edible oil, edible pigment, food emulsifier, and water, and stirred to obtain a uniform slurry. The slurry is subjected to high-speed shearing treatment to obtain a plant egg analog.

2. The starch-free, plant-based egg analog with good heat gelation properties according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plant protein isolate is a mixture of two or more of bean protein, cereal protein, or other proteins; the bean protein includes one of pea protein, broad bean protein, mung bean protein, soybean protein, chickpea protein, kidney bean protein, and lentil protein; the cereal protein includes one of oat protein, wheat protein, barley protein, rice protein, corn protein, quinoa protein, and rye protein; the other proteins include one of potato protein, nut protein, and algal protein.

3. The starch-free, plant-based egg analog with good heat gelation properties according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edible oil is one or more of soybean oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, wheat germ oil, cottonseed oil, almond oil, tea seed oil, algal oil, fish oil, and sesame oil, wherein the edible oil accounts for 5-12% of the mass of the overall composition.

4. The starch-free, plant-based egg analog with good heat gelation properties according to claim 1, characterized in that: The food emulsifier is a lecithin emulsifier, including one of phospholipids from soybeans, sunflower seeds, and rapeseeds, and ammonium phospholipids.

5. The starch-free, plant-based egg analog with good heat gelation properties according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edible pigment is any natural pigment or synthetic edible pigment that presents yellow; The natural pigment includes one or more of curcumin, turmeric, lutein, gardenia yellow, cochineal red, bixa orellana orange, cabbage red, sorghum red, monascus yellow, paprika red, and radish red; The synthetic edible pigment includes one or more of tartrazine, sunset yellow, carmine, allura red, amaranth, erythrosine, brilliant blue, indigo, and quinoline yellow.

6. The starch-free, plant-based egg analog with good heat gelation properties according to claim 1, characterized in that: The starch-free plant egg analog also includes a combination of one or more of umami agents, flavoring agents, enzyme preparations, and salts.

7. The starch-free plant egg mimic with good thermogelation properties as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The protein mixture powder is a mixture of pea protein isolate and oat protein isolate; the hydration is performed by hydrating the protein solution at low temperature; the low temperature is 1-15℃ for 10-24h of refrigeration.

8. The starch-free, plant-based egg analog with good heat gelation properties according to claim 7, characterized in that: The low temperature is 1-4℃ for 12-18h of refrigeration.

9. The starch-free, plant-based egg analog with good heat gelation properties according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring time is 30-90min.

10. The starch-free, plant-based egg analog with good heat gelation properties according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-speed shearing is 8000-20000rpm for 1-3min.

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