Co-sprayed legume protein with reduced unique flavor

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of legume proteins, and in particular to improving the sensory properties of such proteins. The present invention particularly relates to a method for co-spraying a legume protein composition with at least one flavoring, comprising the steps of dissolving and mixing the legume protein composition and at least one flavoring in an aqueous solvent, heat-treating the resulting aqueous suspension, and co-spraying and drying the heat-treated aqueous suspension. When these various steps are carried out, the method of the present invention can reduce the distinctive pea flavor associated with such proteins through a synergistic effect. The present invention also relates to a co-sprayed composition comprising a legume protein composition and at least one flavoring, and its use in preparing a food composition for humans or animals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of legume proteins, particularly legume protein isolates, and even more specifically to pea protein isolates. The present invention relates in particular to the field of improving the functionality of the aforementioned proteins, particularly their unique flavor.

Background Art

[0002] The protein requirement per day for humans is 12 - 20% of the food intake. These proteins can be obtained either from animal-derived products (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products) or from plant-based foods (grains, legumes, seaweeds).

[0003] However, in developed countries, protein intake is mainly from animal-derived proteins. However, numerous studies have shown that excessive intake of animal-derived proteins and insufficient intake of plant proteins are one of the causes of increasing cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

[0004] Furthermore, animal proteins have many drawbacks both in terms of allergenicity, particularly for proteins from milk or eggs, and in terms of the environment in relation to the harmful effects of intensive agriculture.

[0005] Therefore, there is an increasing demand from manufacturers for plant-derived compounds that have beneficial nutritional and functional properties but do not have the drawbacks of animal-derived compounds.

[0006] Soybeans are a major plant alternative to animal proteins. However, the use of soybeans presents certain drawbacks. The origin of soybean seeds is often not genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the production of their proteins is carried out using a defatting process that uses solvents.

[0007] Since the 1970s, and particularly in Europe, mainly in France, the development of leguminous plants, especially those including peas, as alternative protein sources for animal and human food intake has been dramatically advanced. The term "pea" is considered in its broadest admissible use in this specification, and includes, in particular, all wild varieties of "round pea", as well as all mutant varieties of "round pea" and "wrinkled pea", regardless of their normal intended use (human food, animal feed and / or other uses). These seeds are non-GMO and do not require a solvent-based deoiling process.

[0008] Peas contain approximately 27% by weight of protein. Pea protein, mainly pea globulin, has been industrially extracted and utilized for many years. As an example of a method for extracting pea protein, reference can be made to European Patent No. 1400537. In this process, the seeds are ground in the absence of water to obtain pea flour (a process called "dry milling"). The flour is then suspended in water to extract the protein.

[0009] Leguminous plant proteins, especially pea proteins, often have the problem that their sensory properties are prone to change. In fact, they are particularly known to impart a unique flavor, also sometimes referred to as "pea flavor", "beany odor", or "vegetable odor" when they are consumed, which can be disadvantageous in certain foods.

[0010] This unique flavor is caused by the oxidation of lipids inside leguminous plant seeds by lipoxygenase, resulting in the appearance of aldehydes and ketone-like molecules such as hexanal.

[0011] Furthermore, leguminous plant proteins also often cause bitterness or astringency. This taste is thought to be mainly caused by the presence of saponins.

[0012] Users of these legume proteins are aware of these unique flavor problems and have mainly developed formulation strategies by using flavorings.

[0013] As an example that can be cited, there is the patent application of RHODIA's International Publication No. 2019 / 048564, which teaches reducing bitterness in a final food such as a high-protein beverage or cream by using a vanilla flavoring. However, this solution requires the manufacturer to add a flavoring in addition to the protein in the preparation of the formulation, which makes the operation more complex, and also, since the formulation itself functions as a masking agent rather than an additive of flavor as a whole, it only functions partially.

[0014] In fact, in the shown formulation, non-protein compounds such as sucralose, high-intensity sweeteners or fructose are 20% - 50%. This formulation functions by limiting the perception of the unique flavor, but contributes to high calorie intake and gives rise to the obligation to mention it on the label of the final product.

[0015] International Publication No. 2019 / 048804 describes another solution for obtaining foods based on legume proteins with improved sensory properties, such as ready-to-drink beverages. This solution is based on a specific method of manufacturing the food using a selected compound, sodium citrate. Also in this case, the manufacturer has to use this specific compound.

[0016] Therefore, the aim is to propose a novel legume protein composition, particularly a legume protein isolate, whose unique flavor is improved, in particular the characteristic of its "pea flavor" is reduced, and which is not overly cumbersome and / or does not have a complex formulation and can be used easily and immediately.

[0017] The paper "Solid dispersion-based spray-drying improves solbility and mitigates beany flavor of pea protein isolate" by Lan et al. (Food Chemistry, 2018) shows several recent studies on this matter. Lan's team developed a method called "solid dispersion spraying" consisting of spray-drying an aqueous dispersion of pea protein and guar gum or maltodextrin. The pea protein isolate obtained with a minimum content of 10% (dry / dry) of maltodextrin or guar gum has less of the unique flavor of "pea" because of its lower content of volatile compounds. French Patent Application Publication No. 2942585 (A1) describes a granulated composition of pea protein and soluble plant fiber, where the plant fiber here is also maltodextrin.

[0018] Still, the content of maltodextrin here is also too high, and it is not desirable for the pea protein isolate to have such a large amount of non-protein-derived compounds as supplements. As illustrated in the present invention, reducing this content causes the aforementioned masking effect to disappear. Furthermore, maltodextrin is almost tasteless and odorless and does not meet the definition of a flavoring agent, which is confirmed by the fact that it is not included in the regulatory list of flavoring agents.

[0019] Other measures consist of processing the raw materials. For example, there is the document by Jiang et al., "Faba bean flavor and technological property improvement by thermal pre-treatment", LWT - Food Science and Technology, 68 (2016), 295~305. This document teaches the use of a specific microwave treatment to retain the properties of faba bean protein. However, this type of microwave treatment has not yet been developed on an industrial scale.

[0020] WO 03 / 082026 (A1) describes a method for producing a protein isolate that further contains a polysaccharide having no unique flavor and a low water absorption rate, and these two properties are provided to the isolate by coating the protein with the polysaccharide.

[0021] Therefore, there is a need to develop a novel legume protein composition, particularly a legume protein isolate, that does not have the drawbacks of conventional compositions, where its unique flavor is improved by reducing the unique flavor of the legume, is not overly cumbersome and / or does not have a complex formulation, is simple and readily usable, and at the same time minimizes the amount of non-protein-derived compounds used.

[0022] A pea protein composition with an improved unique flavor using a specific production method is described in WO 2019 / 053387 (A1).

[0023] After much research, the Applicant has revealed that this goal can be achieved by implementing a specific method of co-spraying a legume protein composition with at least one flavoring agent.

Summary of the Invention

[0024] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method of co-spraying a legume protein composition with at least one flavoring agent is proposed, the method comprising the following 1) a step of dissolving and mixing a legume protein composition and at least one flavoring agent in an aqueous solvent; 2) a step of heat-treating the aqueous suspension obtained in the previous step; 3) a step of drying by co-spraying the heat-treated aqueous suspension.

[0025] According to a second aspect, a co-spray composition comprising a legume protein composition, preferably a legume protein isolate, and at least one flavoring agent is proposed, wherein the composition can be obtained according to the method of the present invention.

[0026] According to a last aspect of the invention, there is proposed the use of this co-spray composition in the preparation of a composition intended for human or animal food.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] Thus, according to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for co-spraying a leguminous plant protein composition and at least one flavoring agent, the method comprising the following 1) a step of dissolving and mixing a leguminous plant protein composition and at least one flavoring agent in an aqueous solvent; 2) a step of heat-treating the aqueous suspension obtained in the previous step; 3) a step of drying by co-spraying the heat-treated aqueous suspension.

[0028] In a quite surprising manner, the method of the present invention, which consists of mixing a leguminous plant protein composition with at least one flavoring agent, then performing a heat treatment step and subsequently co-spraying, makes it possible to reduce the distinctive flavor of the leguminous plant composition.

[0029] This reduction of the distinctive flavor of the leguminous plant, in particular of the pea when using a pea protein composition, is obtained in a synergistic manner by the combination of three features, namely the mixing of the leguminous plant protein composition and at least one flavoring agent, the heat treatment step and the co-spraying step. In fact, the combination of these three features makes it possible to reduce the distinctive flavor of the leguminous plant, in particular of the pea, more significantly than the sum of the reductions obtained by performing these features individually.

[0030] In the present invention, "co-spraying" is understood to mean spraying the leguminous plant protein composition together with the flavoring agent. In other words, the leguminous plant protein composition and the flavoring agent are present in the same solution before spraying.

[0031] In the present invention, the term "protein composition" means a composition obtained by extraction and purification, and the composition is understood to contain a macromolecule formed from one or more polypeptide chains consisting of an amino acid residue sequence linked together via peptide bonds. In the specific context of legume proteins, the present invention relates more specifically to globulins (about 50-60% of legume proteins). Legume globulins are mainly classified into three subfamilies: legumin, vicilin, and convicilin.

[0032] In the present invention, the term "leguminous plant" is understood to mean the family of dicotyledonous plants in the order Fabales. The Fabaceae is the third largest family of flowering plants in terms of the number of species, after the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae. The Fabaceae includes about 765 genera and more than 19,500 species. Some leguminous plants, including soybean, beans, pea, chickpea, faba bean, peanut, cultivated lentil, cultivated alfalfa, various clovers, broad bean, cowpea, and liquorice, are important crop plants.

[0033] In the present invention, the term "flavoring agent" is understood to mean any compound capable of changing the perception of taste and smell that together form what is known as a "unique flavor". In the European regulation defined by Regulation (EC) No 1334 / 2008, a flavoring agent is understood to be "a product not intended to be consumed as such and added to foodstuffs in order to impart or modify an odor and / or a taste" (Article 3.a of Regulation (EC) No 1334 / 2008). The flavoring agents useful in the present invention have the ability to reduce the "pea" characteristics of leguminous plant protein compositions.

[0034] Flavoring agents are derived from, or consist of, the following components: flavoring substances, flavoring preparations, flavor enhancers, thermally processed flavoring agents, flavor precursors, and other flavoring agents.

[0035] In the context of the present invention, a flavoring agent is preferably understood to mean a flavoring substance. A flavoring substance is a "defined chemical substance having flavor characteristics" (as defined in Article 3.b of EC Regulation 1334 / 2008).

[0036] A natural flavoring substance is either "a substance in its raw state obtained from materials of vegetable, animal, or microbial origin by appropriate physical, enzymatic, or microbiological processes, or a substance after being processed by one or more of the conventional food preparation processes listed in Annex II for human consumption" (Article 3.c of EC Regulation 1334 / 2008).

[0037] Natural flavoring substances correspond to substances that occur naturally and are naturally identified. Flavoring substances may also be derived from natural materials other than "raw" natural materials, and thus may be substances whose molecules are synthesized and reproduced. Other molecules that are not naturally identified may also have a stronger taste than natural molecules.

[0038] The method of the present invention uses at least one flavoring agent that is a single flavoring agent or a mixture of flavoring agents.

[0039] Accordingly, the method of the present invention includes step 1) of dissolving and mixing a leguminous plant protein composition and at least one flavoring agent in an aqueous solvent.

[0040] The mixing of the leguminous plant protein composition and at least one flavoring agent may be carried out separately in two aqueous solvents and then mixed, or may be carried out before dispersing them together in the aqueous solvent.

[0041] According to one particular embodiment, the aqueous solvent is preferably water.

[0042] The dissolution temperature is preferably 10°C to 40°C, preferably 20°C to 30°C. The pH of the dissolution is preferably 4 to 9, more preferably 6 to 8, and even more preferably 7.

[0043] The dissolution time is selected to obtain a homogeneous solution. The dissolution time is preferably selected from 1 to 60 minutes, preferentially from 2 to 30 minutes, and even more preferentially from 3 to 10 minutes.

[0044] At least one flavoring agent is mixed and dissolved in the legume protein composition in an amount of less than 5% by weight (dry / dry), or even less than 1% by weight (dry / dry), specifically 0.01 to 1% by weight (dry / dry), based on the total dry weight of the legume protein composition. Advantageously, at least one flavoring agent is mixed and dissolved in the legume protein composition in an amount of 0.01 to 0.5% by weight (dry / dry), preferentially 0.05 to 0.2% by weight (dry / dry), and even more preferentially 0.1% by weight (dry / dry).

[0045] The use of these small amounts of flavoring agents is particularly interesting because it is advantageous to maintain the amount in the mixture at less than 5% by weight (dry / dry), even less than 1% by weight (dry / dry), specifically 0.01 to 1% by weight (dry / dry), for example 0.01 to 0.5% by weight (dry / dry), preferentially 0.05 to 0.2% by weight (dry / dry), and even more preferentially 0.1% by weight (dry / dry), based on the total dry weight of the legume protein composition, so as to preferably suppress the proportion of non-protein-derived compounds present as supplements in the powder at the end of the process.

[0046] The flavoring agent is selected from the list of various flavoring agents available in the food industry. This one is preferentially selected from the list of vanilla, strawberry, or caramel flavoring agents. Preferentially, the vanilla flavoring agent is preferred.

[0047] The flavoring agent may contain aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heterocyclic and / or terpene compounds. Among the aliphatic compounds, they can be selected from hydrocarbons, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, esters, acids, amines, sulfides, thiols, and thioesters. Flavoring agents also include cyclic derivatives (cyclotenes) and aromatics (phenols). The heterocycle may be pyrazines, lactones, oxazoles, thiazoles, pyrroles, pyridines, pyrans, pyrimidines, and their condensed derivatives. The terpene may be a monoterpene and a sesquiterpene. Preferably, the flavoring agent is selected from aromatic compounds and heterocycles.

[0048] The flavoring agent may also be preferentially selected from a list of various flavor masking agents available in the food industry, such as Springer® Mask101 sold by Lesaffre. Flavor masking compounds are known to be flavoring agents selected by their unique ability to mask, mask, or modify undesirable characteristics. Therefore, the above flavoring agents may also have these functions.

[0049] The flavor masking agent may be selected from fatty acids, compounds containing a carbonyl functional group, compounds containing a sulfide, sweet brown flavors, ester compounds, lactone compounds or juice derivatives, preferably sweet brown flavors. The fatty acid may be selected from the following acids, namely, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, octanoic acid, 9-decenoic acid, and hexanoic acid. The compound containing a carbonyl functional group may be selected from the following compounds, namely, acetoin, acetyl propionyl, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, and cis-4-heptenal. The compound containing a sulfide may be selected from the following compounds, namely, dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl trisulfide. The sweet brown flavor may be selected from the following compounds, namely, maltol, vanillin, cyclopentenolone, furaneol, vanilla extract, vanilla derivative, caramel extract, and condensed milk derivative. The ester compound may be selected from the following compounds, namely, ethyl caprate, ethyl dodecanoate, ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, and ethyl oleate. The lactone compound may be selected from the following compounds, namely, γ-decalactone, δ-decalactone, δ-dodecalactone, γ-undecalactone, and masoia lactone. The juice derivative may be selected from the following juice derivatives, namely, strawberry, cucumber, apple, cherry, kiwi, and apricot. Preferably, the flavor masking agent contains a sweet brown flavor, which is particularly effective in masking the unique flavor of soybean protein.

[0050] Preferentially, the flavoring agent useful in the present invention is not found in the original leguminous plant protein composition.

[0051] According to certain embodiments, the legume protein composition is a protein isolate. Any commercially available legume protein isolate is sufficient as a reference for carrying out the method of the present invention. The legume protein isolate can also be obtained by known methods of the prior art, such as those described in European Patent Document No. 1 909 593 or International Publication No. 2015 / 071499.

[0052] According to a preferred embodiment, the legume protein composition is a legume protein isolate selected from pea, lupin, and broad bean. Preferably, the legume protein composition is a pea protein isolate.

[0053] The term "pea" is considered in its broadest acceptable usage herein and includes, in particular, all wild varieties of "round pea", as well as all mutant varieties of "round pea" and "wrinkled pea", regardless of the normal intended use of the variety (human food, animal feed and / or other uses).

[0054] In the present application, the term "pea" includes pea varieties belonging to the genus Pisum, more specifically, the species sativum and aestivum.

[0055] Preferably, the legume protein composition of the present invention has a total protein content of more than 80% by weight, preferably more than 85% by weight, and even more preferably more than 90% by weight, based on the total solids of the composition.

[0056] The total protein content is measured by any technique known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the total nitrogen (% / crude product) is measured and the result is multiplied by a factor of 6.25. This method is the Kjeldahl method. This well-known methodology in the field of plant proteins is based on the observation that proteins contain an average of 16% nitrogen.

[0057] Preferably, the leguminous plant protein composition of the present invention has a solid content of more than 80% by weight, preferably more than 85% by weight, and even more preferably more than 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

[0058] These solids can be quantified using any method for measuring the water content, and the gravimetric method for evaluating the reduction of water by drying is preferred.

[0059] This gravimetric method consists of heating a known amount of a sample of known weight to measure the amount of evaporated water. The protocol is as follows. - First, weigh the sample and measure the mass m1 in grams, - Place the sample in a heating chamber to evaporate the water until the water is completely evaporated and the mass of the sample stabilizes. Preferably, the temperature is 105 °C at atmospheric pressure or about 1013 hPa, - Weigh the final sample and measure the mass m2 in grams. Then, determine the solids using the following formula: (m2 / m1) × 100.

[0060] The method of the present invention also includes step 2) of heat-treating the aqueous suspension obtained in step 1).

[0061] The heat treatment step is preferably carried out at a temperature of 100 °C to 160 °C for 0.01 to 10 seconds, preferably 5 to 8 seconds, and then immediately cooled.

[0062] Any equipment known to those skilled in the art for obtaining these temperatures can be used. However, the use of a steam injection nozzle or a plate heat exchanger is preferred.

[0063] The method of the present invention includes step 3) of spray-drying the heat-treated aqueous suspension.

[0064] According to a specific embodiment, the spraying of the heat-treated aqueous suspension is carried out so that a solid content of more than 80%, preferably more than 90%, is obtained.

[0065] In the present invention, spraying is understood to mean any method of dehydrating a liquid into the form of a powder by passing it through a stream of hot air. The liquid is dispersed into the hot air, preferably by dispersing it into fine droplets using a nozzle system.

[0066] According to step 3) of the method of the present invention, spraying is preferably carried out using a so-called "multi-effect" or "multi-stage" atomizer system, in which the dried product is preferentially recycled into the input for granulation, thus increasing the particle size.

[0067] The air inlet temperature of the atomizer is preferably 180 °C to 240 °C, more preferably 190 °C to 220 °C, and even more preferably 200 °C to 210 °C.

[0068] The air outlet temperature of the atomizer is preferably 60 °C to 110 °C, more preferably 70 °C to 100 °C, and even more preferably 80 °C to 90 °C.

[0069] After this step 3), a powder is obtained, which corresponds to the protein composition co-sprayed with the flavoring agent.

[0070] According to a particular embodiment, the composition obtained by the method of the present invention consists of a leguminous plant protein composition and at least one flavoring agent. In other words, according to this embodiment, the method of the present invention uses only one leguminous plant protein composition and at least one flavoring agent in addition to the aqueous solvent.

[0071] According to a variant of this particular embodiment, the method of the present invention comprises the following 1) a step of dissolving and mixing a leguminous plant protein composition and at least one flavoring agent in an aqueous solvent; 2) a step of heat-treating the aqueous suspension obtained in the previous step; 3) a step of drying by co-spraying the heat-treated aqueous suspension.

[0072] According to this specific embodiment, the powder recovered after step 3) consists of a legume protein composition and a flavoring agent. Therefore, it does not contain any other compounds such as maltodextrin and / or guar gum.

[0073] As described above, the method of the present invention is particularly beneficial because it can improve the sensory properties of legume protein compositions by reducing the unique flavor of legumes, especially the unique flavor of peas.

[0074] This reduction in the unique flavor of legumes, especially peas, is obtained in a synergistic manner by a combination of three features: the mixing of at least one flavoring agent into the legume protein composition, followed by a heat treatment step and a co-spraying step. In fact, the combination of these three features can reduce the unique flavor of legumes, especially peas, more significantly than the sum of the reductions obtained by performing these features individually.

[0075] Thus, the applicant has developed an innovative method for providing a legume protein composition with a reduced unique flavor of legumes, especially a pea isolate with a reduced unique flavor of peas, which can be easily and directly used during food preparation. Advantageously, this can replace some of the animal proteins while reducing the disadvantages commonly associated with plant proteins derived from legumes.

[0076] According to another aspect of the present invention, a co-spraying composition comprising a legume protein composition and at least one flavoring agent is proposed.

[0077] The legume protein composition and the flavoring agent are as defined above.

[0078] The co-spraying composition comprising a legume protein composition and at least one flavoring agent can be obtained according to the above method.

[0079] The composition of the present invention reduces the unique flavor of the pea, and thus can improve the sensory properties of the food in which it is incorporated, and is therefore beneficial since the product is more tasteless and odorless in the consumer's mouth.

[0080] Advantageously, the co-spray composition of the present invention can replace part of the animal protein in the food composition with vegetable protein while particularly reducing the drawbacks of using this type of protein.

[0081] According to a last aspect of the present invention, there is proposed the use of a co-spray composition comprising the leguminous plant protein composition as defined above and at least one flavorant in the preparation of a human or animal food composition.

[0082] The use of the present invention in a composition intended for human food is beneficial because it reduces the unique flavor of the pea in what it is added to and thus can improve the sensory perception by the consumer.

[0083] The present invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting examples.

Example

[0084] Example 1: Execution of a method for co-spraying a leguminous plant protein composition and a flavorant according to the present invention.

[0085] In this example, the following products are used. - Leguminous plant protein composition: Nutralys® S85F pea protein isolate manufactured and sold by Roquette Freres. - Flavorant: Vanilla-based flavor masking agent.

[0086] Two mixtures containing 10% solids are produced at 20 °C using distilled water in the ratios described below. - Mixture A (control): 100% Nutralys® S85F. - Mixture B: 99.9% Nutralys® and 0.1% flavoring agent.

[0087] Stir the two mixtures at pH 7 for 30 minutes.

[0088] Next, perform a heat treatment step on Mixtures A and B at 140 °C for 10 seconds. Do not perform this heat treatment step on a part of Mixture B, which constitutes Mixture B'.

[0089] Next, spray Mixtures A, B, and B' using a single-pass NUBILOSA spray dryer type LTC-Q with an air inlet temperature of 195 °C and an air outlet temperature of 90 °C. Collect the powders A, B, and B' thus obtained for sensory testing.

[0090] Perform sensory testing on the different powders obtained according to the following protocol with the help of a panel.

[0091] This panel consists of 30 people who have received 2 - 4 years of training. Frequently verify the performance of the different powders from the viewpoints of sensitivity, consistency, and reproducibility.

[0092] The taste test matrix consists of suspensions of 4 wt% of each powder in Evian® water homogenized using a liquid immersion mixer and is listed below. - Matrix 1: Nutralys® - Matrix 2: Nutralys® + 0.1 wt% flavoring agent - Matrix 3: Powder A - Matrix 4: Powder B' - Matrix 5: Powder B

[0093] The taste test conditions are as follows, namely, individual stalls, white walls, quiet atmosphere, red lighting, early morning, products coded in three digits, presentation in random order, and the use of apples and / or water for rinsing the mouth.

[0094] The methodology used is called "block profiling". This method is known as quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), and panelists score each product (matrix) on an intensity scale (0 - 10) for various attributes corresponding to, for example, taste, unique flavor, or specific characteristics.

[0095] The control, designated as "C", is always presented first and is blinded in one of the two sessions.

[0096] Panelists conduct taste tests in blocks. They individually evaluate each product in the first block (starting with "C") for attributes (attributes: saltiness, bitterness, astringency, graininess with nose clips), then they analyze all products in the second block (attributes: edamame, dashi, walnut, almond). Finally, they repeat the test in the third block (attributes: potato, grain). Products are evaluated in multiple sessions until 10 evaluations are reached. Then, the arithmetic mean of these 10 evaluations is calculated for each attribute.

[0097] The results for the unique flavor of edamame and the tasting of saltiness are shown in Table 1 below.

[0098]

Table 1

[0099] The mixtures of Nutralys® S85F in Matrix 1 and Nutralys® S85F in Matrix 2 with the flavoring agent were not heated or sprayed and served as the control and comparison, respectively.

[0100] Regarding the unique flavor of the broad bean, the results in Table 2 show that simply adding a flavoring agent to the broad bean protein isolate (Matrix 2) slightly reduces the unique flavor of the broad bean compared to the control. From Matrix 3, it is also observed that spraying the broad bean protein isolate alone reduces the unique flavor of the broad bean, and this reduction is equivalent to that observed in Matrix 2.

[0101] Conversely, the results in Matrix 4 show that co - spraying the broad bean protein isolate and the flavoring agent does not lead to a reduction in the unique flavor of the broad bean. On the contrary, the latter is greater when compared to the control. Therefore, performing only co - spraying on the mixture of broad bean protein isolate + flavoring agent leads to an undesirable enhancement of the unique flavor of the broad bean.

[0102] On the other hand, by performing a heat treatment step before co - spraying the broad bean protein isolate and the flavoring agent (Matrix 5), the unique flavor of the broad bean is reduced by approximately 16% compared to the control, and is also reduced by approximately 22% compared to performing only co - spraying of the mixture of broad bean protein isolate and flavoring agent (Matrix 4). Quite surprisingly, this reduction is even greater than that observed when the flavoring agent was added without co - spraying (Matrix 2), or when spraying the broad bean protein isolate alone (Matrix 3).

[0103] These results clearly demonstrate the synergistic effect of adding the flavoring agent of the present invention, performing heat treatment, and co - spraying on reducing the unique flavor of the broad bean isolate.

[0104] Regarding saltiness, the results show that adding a flavoring agent to the broad bean protein isolate (Matrix 2) enhances this taste. From Matrix 3, it is also observed that spraying the broad bean protein isolate alone reduces this saltiness compared to the control.

[0105] Similarly, the results of Matrix 4 indicate that the saltiness is enhanced by co-spraying the pea protein isolate with the flavoring agent.

[0106] On the other hand, quite surprisingly, by performing a heat treatment step prior to co-spraying the pea protein isolate with the flavoring agent (Matrix 5), the sweetness is reduced by about 7% compared to the control and by about 17% compared to the implementation of co-spraying the pea protein isolate with the flavoring agent only (Matrix 4).

[0107] These results clearly demonstrate the synergistic effect of the addition of the flavoring agent of the present invention, the heat treatment, and the co-spraying process on reducing the saltiness of the pea isolate.

[0108] In conclusion, the co-spraying method of the present invention can improve the functionality of protein isolates, particularly pea protein isolates, by reducing the unique flavor and saltiness of peas.

[0109] Comparative Example 2: Execution of a method for co-spraying a legume protein composition and maltodextrin.

[0110] This example aims to focus on the effect of co-spraying maltodextrin with pea protein isolate as described in the paper by Lan et al., "Solid dispersion-based spray-drying improves solubility and mitigates beany flavor of pea protein isolate" (Food Chemistry, 2018). Further, unlike Lan et al., the resulting powder is tested for functionality.

[0111] In this example, the following products are used. - Pea protein isolate: Nutralys® S85F product manufactured and sold by Roquette Freres. - Pea Maltodextrin: KLEPTOSE (registered trademark) LINECAPS product with a D.E. (dextrose equivalent) of 17, also manufactured and sold by Roquette Freres.

[0112] Two mixtures containing 10% solids are produced at 20 °C using distilled water in the ratios described below. - Mixture 1: 100% Nutralys (registered trademark) S85F, - Mixture 2: 95% Nutralys (registered trademark) S85F and 5% pea maltodextrin.

[0113] The two mixtures are stirred at pH 7 for at least 30 minutes.

[0114] Next, the mixtures are heat-treated at 140 °C for 10 seconds and then sprayed using a NUBILOSA spray dryer type LTC-Q with an air inlet temperature of 195 °C and an air outlet temperature of 90 °C.

[0115] Powders 1 and 2 obtained from Mixtures 1 and 2 respectively are recovered for the sensory test.

[0116] The sensory test is carried out according to the same protocol as in Example 1.

[0117] Therefore, the taste test matrix also consists of suspensions of 4 wt% of each powder in Evian (registered trademark) water homogenized using a liquid immersion mixer.

[0118] The results of the sensory test by the panel are shown in Table 2 below.

[0119]

Table 2

[0120] In the paper by Lan et al., maltodextrin is present in the mixture at a concentration of 10 wt% (dry / dry).

[0121] The results of Matrix 2 in Table 2 indicate that with an amount of maltodextrin less than 5% by weight (dry / dry), even when the heat treatment step is carried out first, the unique flavor of green beans is not reduced by co-spraying compared to the control. On the contrary, in the latter case, it is further enhanced by about 16%.

[0122] The same conclusion is obtained for bitterness.

[0123] Therefore, the results show that at concentrations lower than those described by Lan et al., no effect on the reduction of the unique flavor of green beans by co-spraying of green bean protein isolate and maltodextrin is observed.

[0124] These results reinforce the fact that the method of the present invention is particularly beneficial for improving sensory properties, especially by reducing the unique flavor of green bean protein isolate, in particular the unique flavor of green beans.

[0125] Other tests were also conducted using other flavorings instead of the previous flavorings. This method was particularly carried out with maltol-based flavorings, but the properties were equally improved. Tests were also carried out using Cleartaste flavoring (MycoTechnology Inc) and Vanifolia (Solvay), and in each test, these properties were also improved.

Claims

1. A method of co-spraying a pea protein isolate and at least one flavoring agent, comprising the following 1) a step of dissolving and mixing the pea protein isolate and at least one flavoring agent in an aqueous solvent; 2) a step of heat-treating the aqueous suspension obtained in the previous step; 3) a step of drying by co-spraying the heat-treated aqueous suspension, wherein the flavoring agent is a flavoring agent defined in Article 3.a) of Regulation (EC) No 1334 / 2008, and the flavoring agent is dissolved and mixed with the pea protein isolate in an amount of 0.05% to 0.5% by dry weight (dry / dry) based on the total dry weight of the pea protein isolate.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment step is carried out at a temperature of 100°C to 160°C for 0.01 to 10 seconds and then immediately cooled.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flavoring agent is a vanilla-based flavor masking agent or a maltol-based flavoring agent.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flavoring agent is a vanilla-based flavor masking agent.

Images