A blend of legume protein and WHEY protein and a process for preparing the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a legume protein blend that comprises a legume protein containing material and whey protein. The legume protein blend has an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, and / or an improved gelation as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The present disclosure also relates to a food product that comprises a legume protein blend of the present disclosure. A process for preparing a legume protein blend, a process for improving solubility, emulsification capacity, and / or gelation of a legume protein blend is also described herein.

Description

A BLEND OF LEGUME PROTEIN AND WHEY PROTEIN AND A PROCESS FOR PREPARING THE SAMECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Application No. 63 / 653,015, filed May 29, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to the field of plant-based protein products, in particular pea protein products.BACKGROUND

[0003] Plant-based proteins have attracted growing attention in food and beverage industry like never before. The advantages over animal counterparts, such as a lower incidence of infection and contamination, less cultural and religious food limitations, higher sustainability from an environmental and agricultural point of view, have become the main reasons for the increased demand.

[0004] Despite the rise, consumers are looking for realistic, natural, and minimally processed alternative meat / dairy products. Resemblance of attributes like taste, appearance, and texture to real meat or dairy food products is one of the major expectations consumers would have on food products.

[0005] Plant-based proteins available today possess challenges in various categories because of poor functional and sensory properties, and nutritional limitations compared to animal-based proteins. While significant progress has been made in recent years towards comprehensive plant protein characterization, it still has not been fully successful to identify plant-based alternatives that better mimic animal proteins. For example, pea protein isolate shows poor solubility at low pH, limiting its applications in wide range of food products including acidic beverages. Novel technologies need to be investigated to enhance these inherent unfavorable properties in plantbased proteins.SUMMARY

[0006] The present disclosure provides a legume protein blend comprising legume protein containing material and at least one whey protein selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA). The whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in aratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 20:80 to 80:20, or from 45:55 to 55:45.

[0007] The present disclosure also provides a food product that comprises a legume protein blend of the present disclosure. The food product is a meat substitute product or a dairy substitute product.

[0008] The present disclosure also provides a use of a legume protein blend of the present disclosure in preparing a meat substitute product or a dairy substitute product.

[0009] The present disclosure also provides a process for preparing a legume protein blend of the present disclosure that comprises the steps of: (a) hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; (b) cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and (c) homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend. The resulting legume protein blend has an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, and / or an improved gelation, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0010] The present disclosure also provides a process for improving solubility, emulsification capacity, and / or gelation of a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of: (a) hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; (b) cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and (c) homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend. The whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 20:80 to 80:20, or from 45:55 to 55:45. The gelation can be heat- induced gelation or acid-induced gelation.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0011] The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various aspects discussed in the present document.

[0012] Figure 1 shows the turbidity results for the high acid beverages samples using blends of alpha lactalbumin (ALA) and pea protein isolate (PPI) (ALA / PPI blends).

[0013] Figure 2 shows the turbidity results for the high acid beverages samples using blends of beta lactoglobulin (BLG) and pea protein isolate (PPI) (BLG / PPI blends).

[0014] Figure 3 shows the turbidity results for the dairy substitute milk samples using ALA / PPI blends.

[0015] Figure 4 shows the turbidity results for the dairy substitute milk samples using BLG / PPI blends.

[0016] Figure 5 shows the rheology results for the BLG / PPI blends used in meat substitute patty samples.

[0017] Figure 6 shows the rheology results for the blends of recombinant beta lactoglobulin (R- BLG) and pea protein isolate (PPI) (R-BLG / PPI blends) used in meat substitute patty samples.

[0018] Figure 7 shows the rheology results for meat substitute patty samples using blends of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and pea protein isolate (PPI) (BSA / PPI blends).

[0019] Figure 8 shows the rheology results for methylcellulose emulsion used in meat substitute patty samples.

[0020] Figure 9 shows the texture results for meat substitute patty samples using BLG / PPI blends.

[0021] Figure 10 shows the texture results for meat substitute patty samples using R-BLG / PPI blends.

[0022] Figure 11 shows the texture results for meat substitute patty samples using BSA / PPI blends in which the samples were cooked by skillet method.

[0023] Figure 12 shows the texture results for meat substitute patty samples using BSA / PPI blends in which the samples were cooked by sous vide method.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter. While the disclosed subject matter will be described in conjunction with the enumerated claims, it will be understood that the exemplified subject matter is not intended to limit the claims to the disclosed subject matter.

[0025] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. As used herein, each of the following terms has the meaning associated with it as defined below.

[0026] Unless expressly stated, ppm (parts per million), percentage, and ratios are on a by weight basis. Percentage on a by weight basis is also referred to as wt% below.

[0027] The term "for example," "for instance," "such as," or "including" as used herein is meant to introduce examples that further clarify more general subject matter. Unless otherwise specified, these examples are provided only as an aid for understanding the applications illustrated in the present disclosure and are not meant to be limiting in any fashion.

[0028] As used herein, “room temperature” or “RT” refer to a temperature between about 20°C and about 25°C.

[0029] In the processes described herein, the acts can be carried out in any order without departing from the principles of the disclosure, except when a temporal or operational sequence is explicitly recited. Furthermore, specified acts can be carried out concurrently unless explicit claim languagerecites that they be carried out separately. For example, a claimed act of doing X and a claimed act of doing Y can be conducted simultaneously within a single operation, and the resulting process will fall within the literal scope of the claimed process.

[0030] Described herein is a legume protein blend and a process for preparing the legume protein blend. The legume protein blend has one or more improved attributes (e.g., an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, an improved gelation) and is suitable for use as an ingredient for incorporation into food products for human and / or animal consumption.Legume protein blend

[0031] The legume protein blend of the present disclosure comprises a legume protein containing material and at least one whey protein.

[0032] The legume protein containing material may be in a form that may include, but may not be limited to, a legume protein concentrate or a legume protein isolate, wherein the legume protein may or may not be a hydrolyzed protein, or any combinations thereof. Preferably, the legume protein containing material may be a pea protein isolate. The protein content of legume protein isolate can, preferably, be in a range of 75 to 90 wt%, 75 to 85 wt%, or 80 to 85 wt% on a dry basis. Preferably, pea protein isolate can have protein content at least 70%, more preferably about 77 wt%, on a dry basis.

[0033] The legume protein containing material may include legume protein having different concentrations that may include, but may not be limited to, flours, concentrates, isolates, powered proteins, textured proteins, or any combinations thereof.

[0034] In one aspect, the legume protein containing material may include, but may not be limited to, soy protein, fava protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, beans protein, mung bean protein, lentil protein, and any combinations thereof.

[0035] In one aspect, the legume protein containing material may have a protein content of at least 50 wt%, at least 55 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 65 wt%, at least 70 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 80 wt%, at least 85 wt%, or at least 90 wt% on a dry basis.

[0036] Whey protein may include alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), or bovine serum albumin (BSA). In one aspect, whey protein may naturally include about 20 wt% to about 25 wt% ALA, about 50 wt% to about 55 wt% BLG, and about 5 wt% to about 10 wt% BSA.

[0037] In one aspect, whey protein may be derived from animal products (e.g., animal milk) or an animal-product-free whey protein. The term “animal-product-free whey protein” is described herein refers to a protein product that by its chemical structure resembles whey protein (protein isolated from the liquid left over after cheese production from milk) but is not sourced from animal milk. In one aspect, whey protein is animal-product-free whey protein; for example, animal-product-free whey protein may include animal-product-free ALA, animal-product-free BLG, and animal-product-free BSA.

[0038] In one aspect, ALA may be a recombinant ALA. Likewise, BLG may be a recombinant BLG and BSA may be a recombinant BSA. The term “recombinant” in the context of proteins (e.g., beta-lactoglobulin) is used herein to refer to proteins expressed in a host cell that is transfected or transformed with heterologous DNA encoding at least the protein of interest. For example, a DNA sequence encoding BLG can be introduced into a host cell, for example either as a stable integrant in the genome or on a plasmid. The host cell’s machinery will transcribe the DNA sequence encoding the BLG into RNA and then translate the RNA into BLG protein. The heterologous DNA includes DNA from more than one source, otherwise termed recombinant DNA. For example, the recombinant DNA may include DNA encoding the sequence of interest, DNA encoding a selectable marker, and the like. The host cell may be grown and the protein be expressed by the host cell in a cell culture. Different types of cells may be used, including yeast, fungi, bacteria, algae, plant, and animal cells.

[0039] The ALA, BLG, and BSA may be derived via culturing or fermentation. The ALA may be a fermented ALA. Likewise, the BLG may be a fermented BLG and the BSA may be a fermented BSA. The term “fermented alpha lactalbumin”, “fermented beta-lactoglobulin”, “fermented bovine serum albumin” are used here to refer to alpha lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, and bovine serum albumin, respectively, obtained via fermentation. The ALA may be a cultured ALA. Likewise, the BLG may be a cultured BLG and the BSA may be a cultured BSA. The term “cultured alpha lactalbumin”, “cultured beta-lactoglobulin”, “cultured bovine serum albumin” are used herein to refer to alpha lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, and bovine serum albumin, respectively, obtained via culturing (e.g., a cell culture). In some cases, the terms fermented beta- lactoglobulin and cultured beta-lactoglobulin refer to the same thing. Likewise, the term fermented alpha lactalbumin and cultured alpha lactalbumin refer to the same thing, and the term fermented bovine serum albumin and cultured bovine serum albumin refer to the same thing.

[0040] A benefit of recombinant ALA, recombinant BLG, or recombinant BSA is that it may be used to prepare animal-product-free (e.g., vegan) foods.

[0041] The whey protein and the legume protein containing material present in the legume protein blend may be in ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 10:90 to 90: 10, from 15:85 to 85: 15, from 20:80 to 80:20, from 25:75 to 75:25, from 30:70 to 70:30, from 35:65 to 65:35, from 40:60 to 60:40, from 45:55 to 55:45, or 50:50. Preferably, the ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material in the legume protein blend may be from 5:95 to 95:5, from 20:80 to 80:20, or from 45:55 to 55:45.

[0042] The legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have one or more attributes improved as compared to the same legume protein containing material. In other words, on comparing with the same legume protein containing material that is used as an ingredient of the legume protein blend, one or more attributes of the legume protein blend may be improved. The improved attribute may include, but may not be limited to, an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, an improved gelation, or any combinations thereof.

[0043] Protein solubility or solubility refers to the concentration of the protein that is present in the liquid phase relative to the amount of protein that is present in the liquid and solid phases. Solubility can be determined by measuring protein content in a supernatant after applying centrifugal force to a protein-containing solution prepared at a specific protein content and a specific pH relative to the total protein content in the solution prior to centrifugation.

[0044] In one aspect, the legume protein blend may have solubility increased by at least 30% (0.3 time), at least 50% (0.5 time), at least 60% (0.6 time), at least 80% (0.8 time), at least 100% (1 time), at least 200% (2 times), at least 300% (3 times), at least 350% (3.5 times), at least 400% (4 times), at least 500% (5 times), at least 700% (7 times), at least 1,000% (10 times), at least 1,500% (15 times), at least 1,600% (16 times), at least 1,700% (17 times), at least 1,800% (18 times), at least 1,850% (18.5 times), or at least 2,000% (20 times), as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have solubility increased by at most 2,000% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility increased by a range from 30% to 2,000%, from 50 to 1,850%, or from 60 to 1,700%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0045] A legume protein containing material, preferably a pea protein isolate, may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, less than 10%, less than 8%, less than 5%, or less than 3%. For example, a legume protein containing material, preferably a pea protein isolate, may have solubility measured at an acidic pH 3.4 of about 5%.

[0046] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, of about 10%, about 12%, about 15%, about 20%, about 30%, about 40%, about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 85%, or about 90%Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, in a range from 10 to 90%, from 12% to 85%, or from 15 to 80%.

[0047] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, increased by at least 100%, at least 200%, at least 300%, at least 500%, at least 800%, at least 1,000%, at least 1,200%, at least 1,500%, at least 1,600%, at least 1,700%, at least 1,800%, or at least 2,000%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, increasedby at most 1,800% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, increased by a range from 100 to 2,000%, from 200 to 1,800%, or from 300 to 1,700, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0048] A legume protein containing material, preferably a legume protein isolate, may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, less than 25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, or less than 5%. For example, a legume protein containing material, preferably a pea protein isolate, may have a solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, of about 20%.

[0049] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure, may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, of about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 88%, about 90%, or about 92%. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, in a range from 25 to 92%, from 30 to 90%, or from 35 to 88%.

[0050] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, increased by at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 80%, at least 100%, at least 150%, at least 200%, at least 300%, at least 330%, at least 350%, at least 400%, or at least 500%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, increased by at most 500% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, increased by a range from 20 to 500%, from 25 to 400%, or from 30 to 350%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0051] Emulsification capacity is the measure of the maximum amount (volume or weight) of oil that can be stabilized by a unit weight of protein, expressed in grams or mL of oil per gram of protein or per gram powder. This is generally measured by slow titration of oil (at a constant flow / rate) into a protein solution at specific pH and protein content at a constant shear, forming an emulsion, and continuing with oil titration until the emulsion breaks (inversion point). The breaking point of the emulsion is noted by a change in viscosity as it becomes thinner, or a drop in conductance. The amount of oil titrated is recorded and used to calculate the emulsion capacity of the protein.

[0052] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure, may have emulsion capacity of about 280 g oil / g protein, about 300 g oil / g protein , about 310 g oil / g protein, about 320 g oil / g protein, about 350 g oil / g protein, about 400 g oil / g protein, about 500 g oil / g protein, about 600 g oil / g protein, about 700 g oil / g protein, about 800 g oil / g protein, about 850 g oil / g protein, about 880 g oil / g protein, about 900 g oil / g protein, about 920 g oil / g protein, about 1,000g oil / g protein, about 1,200 g oil / g protein, about 1,500 g oil / g protein, or about 1,800 g oil / g protein. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have emulsion capacity in a range from 280 to 1,800 g oil / g protein, from 300 to 1,500 g oil / g protein, or from 310 to 1,200 g oil / g protein.

[0053] In one aspect, the legume protein blend may have an emulsification capacity increased by at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 35%, at least 50%, at least 100%, at least 150%, at least 200%, at least 250%, at least 300%, at least 350%, at least 400%, or at least 450%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have an emulsification capacity increased by at most 450% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have emulsification capacity increased by a range from 15% to 450%, from 20 to 400%, or from 25 to 350%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0054] Gelation is another important functional property of proteins. A gel is a three dimensional network formed between a solid and a liquid, entrapping water and small molecules. A protein gel can be formed by the application of heat, acid treatment, or enzyme treatment to a protein solution. A protein gel network is stabilized by covalent and / or noncovalent forces between protein-protein and protein-water molecules. Formation of a gel, in other words gelation, is influenced by several factors including, pH, temperature, heating rate, ionic strength, protein composition and molecular structure, presence of other constituents (such as sugars), and protein concentration.

[0055] Least gelation concentration (LGC) (i.e., the least amount of protein necessary to form a gel), is measured by preparing a series of protein solutions at various concentrations (e.g., 2 to 20% protein), and applying heat at a moderate rate. The heating temperature is determined based on the denaturation temperature of the protein being tested (e.g., ranges between 75 to 95°C).

[0056] In order to measure the strength of the gels formed, a concentration above the LGC is chosen and the gels are tested to evaluate hardness or other texture parameters using a Texture Analyzer: either with a texture profile analysis (TP A) method, or some cutting or shearing protocol. Often the extent of resistance is measured, as an indication of hardness / strength, when a force is applied. In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure, may have gel strength for heat-induced gelation (i.e., formation of a protein gel network by the application of heat) at 15% LGC and at 8 to 15% protein concentration of about 10 g, about 12 g, about 15 g, about 20 g, about 25 g, about 50 g, about 75g, about 100 g, about 125 g, about 150 g, about 200 g, about 210 g, about 230 g, about 250 g, about 400 g, about 500 g, about 600 g, about 700 g, about 750 g, about 800 g, or about 850 g. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have strength for heat-induced gelation in a range from 10 to 750 g, from 12 to 800 g, or from 15 to 850 g.

[0057] In one aspect, the legume protein blend may have a gel strength for heat-induced gelation at 15% LGC increased by at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 50%, at least 100%, atleast 250%, at least 500%, at least 750%, at least 1,000%, at least 1,250%, at least 1,500%, at least 1,600%, at least 1,800%, at least 2,000%, at least 2,500%, at least 5,000%, at least 7,500%, at least 8,500%, at least 9,000%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have gel strength increased by at most 2,000% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have gel strength increased by a range from 10% to 9,000%, from 20 to 8,500%, or from 30 to 7,500%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0058] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure, may have gel strength for acid-induced gelation (i.e., formation of a protein gel network by the application of an acidifying agent) at 3% to 5% protein concentration of about 5 g, about 8 g, about 10 g, about 20 g, about 30 g, about 40 g, about 50 g, about 60 g, about 70 g, about 80 g, about 90 g, about 100 g, about 120 g, about 140 g, about 160g, about 180 g, about 200 g, about 210 g, about 230 g, about 240 g, or about 250 g. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have acid-induced gelation in a range from 5 to 230 g, from 8 to 240 g, or from 10 to 250 g.

[0059] In one aspect, the legume protein blend may have a gel strength for acid-induced gelation at 5% protein concentration increased by at least 5%, at least 50%, at least 100%, at least 200%, at least 300%, at least 400%, at least 450%, at least 500%, at least 550%, at least 600%, at least 650%, at least 700%, at least 800%, at least 900%, at least 1,000%, at least 1,200%, at least 1,400%, at least 1,600%, at least 1,800%, at least 1,850%, at least 1,900%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have gel strength increased by at most 1,900% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have gel strength increased by a range from 5 to 1,900%, from 50 to 1,850%, or from 100 to 1,800%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0060] In one aspect, the legume protein blend is in a dry powder form.

[0061] In one aspect, the amounts of whey protein and legume protein containing material - and thus the ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material - present in the legume protein blend may be dependent on the desired attribute improvement on the legume protein blend.

[0062] In one aspect, to achieve an improved solubility in a legume protein blend, a relatively higher fraction of whey protein, and thus a relatively higher fraction of protein content of whey protein, may be present. Preferably, to achieve an improved solubility in the legume protein blend, whey protein and legume protein containing material (preferably, pea protein isolate) present in the legume protein blend may be in a ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, 50:50, 55:45, 60:40, 65:35, 70:30, 75:25, 80:20, 85:15,90: 10, or 95:5. Preferably, the ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing composition may be in a range from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, from 50:50 to 85: 15, from 50:50 to 80:20, from 50:50 to 75:25, from 50:50 to 70:30, from 50:50 to 65:35, from 50:50 to 60:40, or from 50:50 to 55:45.

[0063] In one aspect, to achieve an improved emulsification capacity in a legume protein blend, a relatively higher fraction of whey protein, and thus a relatively higher fraction of protein of whey protein, may be present. Preferably, to achieve an improved emulsification capacity in the legume protein blend, whey protein and legume protein containing material (preferably, pea protein isolate) present in the legume protein blend may be in a ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, 50:50, 55:45, 60:40, 65:35, 70:30, 75:25, 80:20, 85:15, 90: 10, or 95:5. Preferably, the ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing composition may be in a range from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, from 50:50 to 85: 15, from 50:50 to 80:20, from 50:50 to 75:25, from 50:50 to 70:30, from 50:50 to 65:35, from 50:50 to 60:40, or from 50:50 to 55:45.

[0064] In one aspect, to achieve an improved gelation in a legume protein blend, a relatively higher fraction of whey protein, and thus a relatively higher fraction of protein of whey protein, may be present. Preferably, to achieve an improved gelation in the legume protein blend, whey protein and legume protein containing material (preferably, pea protein isolate) present in the legume protein blend may be in a ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, 50:50, 55:45, 60:40, 65:35, 70:30, 75:25, 80:20, 85: 15, 90: 10, or 95:5. Preferably, the ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing composition may be in a range from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, from 50:50 to 85: 15, from 50:50 to 80:20, from 50:50 to 75:25, from 50:50 to 70:30, from 50:50 to 65:35, from 50:50 to 60:40, or from 50:50 to 55:45.

[0065] In one aspect, ratios of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material may be different for different forms of legume protein containing material and / or different legume protein containing material to achieve an attribute improvement. For example, to achieve an improved solubility, the applied ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of pea protein isolate may be different from the applied ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of pea protein concentrate.

[0066] In one aspect, attributes other than solubility, emulsification capacity, and gelation of the legume protein blend prepared by any process described in the present disclosure may be improved as compared to the same legume protein containing material.Food product

[0067] The legume protein blend described in the present disclosure can be used to prepare a food product, which may include, but may not be limited to, a meat substitute product, a dairy substitute product, a confectionary product (e.g., ice-cream, pudding, dessert), or a beverage product.

[0068] Meat substitute products are also referred to meat alternative products, meat analogue products, meat mimicking products, meat replacement products, and the like. By “meat” it is meant herein not only red meats (from Bovidae), such as beef, lamb, bison, goat, and mutton, but any animal meat, including poultry (e.g., chicken, turkey, duck, ostrich, pigeon), fish (e.g., whether farmed or wild-caught), and shellfish (e.g., shrimp, prawns, crab, crayfish, lobster, scallops).

[0069] Meat substitute products can be vegetarian or vegan seafood alternatives, poultry alternatives, but also burger patties, sausages, meatballs, minced meat, cold-cuts, nuggets, crumbles, breakfast meat, or meat-like toppings (e.g., for dishes such as pizzas, pies, flans, quiche, and the like). By mincemeat it is included herein also toppings for dishes such as pizzas, pies, flans, quiches, and the like.

[0070] As used herein, by “vegetarian” it is meant not comprising any animal meat products, including bovid meats, poultry, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, game, and the like.

[0071] As used herein, by “vegan” it is meant not comprising any animal meat products, nor any animal by-products, the latter referring to products such as eggs, honey, and dairy products.

[0072] Meat substitute products can be frozen, fresh, or canned. The meat substitute products can be sold cooked, pre-cooked, or raw. The meat substitute products can undergo lethality cook step(s) to make the product fully cooked and ready to eat.

[0073] Dairy substitute products also refer to dairy alternative products, dairy analogue products, dairy mimicking products, dairy replacement products, and the like.

[0074] Dairy substitute products can be dairy alternatives of cream cheese products, table cream products, sour cream products, heavy cream products, whipping cream products, light cream products, coffee cream products, spreadable cheese products, or spreadable processed cheese products. Dairy substitute products can be directly consumed (e.g., ready to use or ready to consume application) and / or used in savory or sweet cooking preparation. For example, the dairy substitute products can be applied with fruits and / or salads.

[0075] The legume protein blend described in the present disclosure can be used to prepare meat extender food products that comprise the meat substitute products described in the present disclosure and one or more meat derived ingredients. Meat derived ingredients may include any animal protein such as minced meats and meat cut-offs.

[0076] As used herein, the term “meat extender food product” refers to a food product containing meat derived ingredients, in which a part of the meat derived ingredients has been replaced by a non-meat substance having a substantial protein content.

[0077] The legume protein blend described in the present disclosure can be used to make ready to drink beverages, which can be animal-free milk (both animal-free milk having flavor such as chocolate, vanilla, and non-favored animal-free milk).

[0078] When an acid (e.g., citric acid) is added, the legume protein blend can be used to make high-acid ready to drink beverages, which can be protein water or protein smoothies.

[0079] Preferably, the legume protein blend may be prepared by any process described in the present disclosure.Process for preparing a legume protein blend

[0080] The present disclosure provides a process for preparing a legume protein blend. The process comprises the steps of (a) hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; (b) cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and (c) homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend. The resulting legume protein blend has one or more improved attributes as compared to the same legume protein containing material; preferably, the one or more improved attributes may include, but may not be limited to, an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, an improved gelation, or any combinations thereof.

[0081] The legume protein containing material serves as a starting material to the process and may include, but may not be limited to, flours, concentrates, isolates, powered proteins, textured proteins, or any combinations thereof. Preferably, the legume protein containing material may be pea protein isolate.

[0082] In one aspect, the legume protein containing material may include, but may not be limited to, soy protein, fava protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, beans protein, mung bean protein, lentil protein, and any combinations thereof.

[0083] In one aspect, the legume protein containing material may have a protein content of at least 50 wt%, at least 55 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 65 wt%, at least 70 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 80 wt%, at least 85 wt%, or at least 90 wt% on a dry basis.

[0084] Whey protein may include alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), or bovine serum albumin (BSA).

[0085] In one aspect, step (a) of the hydrating and mixing step may comprise the steps of (al) hydrating the legume protein containing material in water to obtain a legume protein aqueous mixture; (a2) hydrating whey protein in water to obtain a whey protein aqueous mixture; and (a3)mixing the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture to obtain the protein mixture.

[0086] The process can start with hydrating the legume protein containing material in water with gentle mixing at a legume protein hydration temperature for a legume protein hydration period to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture. The legume protein aqueous mixture can be a solution or a dispersion. The legume protein hydration temperature may be room temperature. The legume protein hydration period may be in a range from 0.5 to 2 hours, preferably from 0.7 to 1.5 hours, or more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2 hours. For example, the legume protein containing material may be hydrated in water at room temperature for about 1 hour to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

[0087] Legume protein containing aqueous mixture may be mixed with water in a weight ratio of, legume protein containing material to water, from 1 :3 to 1 :40, preferably from 1 :5 to 1 :45, more preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :40, to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

[0088] Whey protein may be hydrated in water with gentle mixing at a whey protein hydration temperature for a whey protein hydration period to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture. The whey protein aqueous mixture can be a solution or a dispersion. The whey protein hydration temperature may be room temperature. The whey protein hydration period may be in a range from 0.5 to 2 hours, preferably from 0.7 to 1.5 hours, or more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2 hours. For example, the whey protein may be hydrated in water at room temperature for about 1 hour to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

[0089] Whey protein may be mixed with water in a weight ratio of, whey protein to water, from 1 :5 to 1 :60, preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :55, more preferably from 1 :8 to 1 :50, to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

[0090] The legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture may be mixed at a mixing temperature for a mixing period to obtain a protein mixture. In one aspect, legume protein and whey protein may be sufficiently dispersed, preferably completely dispersed, in the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture respectively before mixing the two aqueous mixtures. The mixing temperature may be room temperature. The mixing period may be less than 60 minutes and may be in a range from 1 to 60 minutes, from 2 to 50 minutes, from 5 to 40 minutes, from 8 to 30 minutes, from 10 to 20 minutes, or from 12 to 18 minutes. For example, the mixing period may be 15 minutes.

[0091] Heat may be created during homogenization, which may destroy functions of protein. Thus, it may be necessary for the protein mixture to undergo a cooling step prior to homogenization. The protein mixture may be cooled at a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C, preferably from 3 to 12°C, or more preferably from 6 to 9°C.

[0092] The cooled mixture may be homogenized by a dispersing device at a condition of from 0.5 to 6 minutes and from 8,000 to 20,000 rpm, preferably from 0.8 to 5 minutes and from 10,000 to 18,000 rpm, or more preferably from 1 to 4 minutes and from 12,000 to 15,000 rpm, to obtain the legume protein blend. Alternatively, the cooled mixture may be homogenized by other treatment process that may include, but may not be limited to, high pressure homogenization and ultrasonic homogenization.

[0093] Preferably, the homogenization step may be split into two sub-steps. In each sub-step, the cooled mixture may be homogenized for a period from 1 to 3 minutes, preferably for 2 minutes. An additional cooling step may be applied, if necessary, after the first sub-step of homogenization to keep the cooled mixture within a temperature from 6 to 9°C before heading off to the second sub-step of homogenization to minimize the risk of protein denaturation by the heat generated from the first sub-step of homogenization. For example, if the cooled mixture reaches a temperature beyond a desired range of temperatures (e.g., 6 to 9°C) after the first sub-step of homogenization, the cooled mixture can be cooled down to the desired temperature range before undergoing the second sub-step of homogenization.

[0094] The whey protein and the legume protein containing material present in the legume protein blend may be in a ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 10:90 to 90: 10, from 15:85 to 85: 15, from 20:80 to 80:20, from 25:75 to 75:25, from 30:70 to 70:30, from 35:65 to 65:35, from 40:60 to 60:40, from 45:55 to 55:45, or 50:50.

[0095] In one aspect, the legume protein containing material and the whey protein may be hydrated together in step (a).Process for improving solubility of a legume protein blend

[0096] The present disclosure provides a process for improving solubility of a legume protein blend. The process comprises the steps of (a) hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; (b) cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and (c) homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend. The legume protein blend may be optionally freeze-dried or spray-dried. The resulting legume protein blend may have an improved solubility as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0097] The legume protein containing material may include, but may not be limited to, soy protein, fava protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, beans protein, mung bean protein, lentil protein, and any combinations thereof.

[0098] Whey protein may include alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), or bovine serum albumin (BSA).

[0099] The legume protein blend may have solubility increased by at least 30% (0.3 time), at least 50% (0.5 time), at least 60% (0.6 time), at least 80% (0.8 time), at least 100% (1 time), at least 200% (2 times), at least 300% (3 times), at least 350% (3.5 times), at least 400% (4 times), at least 500% (5 times), at least 700% (7 times), at least 1,000% (10 times), at least 1,500% (15 times), at least 1,600% (16 times), at least 1,700% (17 times), at least 1,800% (18 times), at least 1,850% (18.5 times), or at least 2,000% (20 times), as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have solubility increased by at most 2,000% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility increased by a range from 30% to 2,000%, from 50 to 1,850%, or from 60 to 1,700%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0100] A legume protein containing material, preferably a pea protein isolate, may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, less than 10%, less than 8%, less than 5%, or less than 3%. For example, a legume protein containing material, preferably a pea protein isolate, may have solubility measured at an acidic pH 3.4 of about 5%.

[0101] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, of about 10%, about 12%, about 15%, about 20%, about 30%, about 40%, about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 85%, or about 90%. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, in a range from 10 to 90%, from 12% to 85%, or from 15 to 80%.

[0102] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, increased by at least 100%, at least 200%, at least 300%, at least 500%, at least 800%, at least 1,000%, at least 1,200%, at least 1,500%, at least 1,600%, at least 1,700%, at least 1,800%, or at least 2,000%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, increased by at most 1,800% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, increased by a range from 100 to 2,000%, from 200 to 1,800%, or from 300 to 1,700, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0103] A legume protein containing material, preferably a pea protein isolate, may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, less than 25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, or less than 5%. For example, a legume protein containing material, preferably a pea protein isolate, may have a solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, of about 20%.

[0104] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure, may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, of about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 88%, about 90%, or about 92%. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, in a range from 25 to 92%, from 30 to 90%, or from 35 to 88%.

[0105] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, increased by at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 80%, at least 100%, at least 150%, at least 200%, at least 300%, at least 330%, at least 350%, at least 400%, or at least 500%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, increased by at most 500% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, increased by a range from 20 to 500%, from 25 to 400%, or from 30 to 350%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0106] In one aspect, step (a) of the hydrating and mixing step may comprise the steps of (al) hydrating the legume protein containing material in water to obtain a legume protein aqueous mixture; (a2) hydrating whey protein in water to obtain a whey protein aqueous mixture; and (a3) mixing the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture to obtain the protein mixture.

[0107] In step (al), the legume protein containing material may be mixed with water in a weight ratio of, legume protein containing material to water, from 1 :3 to 1 :40, preferably from 1 :5 to 1 :45, more preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :40. The legume protein containing material and water may be mixed at a legume protein hydration temperature (e.g., room temperature), and for a legume protein hydration period in a range from 0.5 to 2 hours, preferably from 0.7 to 1.5 hours, or more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2 hours, to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

[0108] In step (a2), the whey protein may be mixed with water in a weight ratio of, whey protein to water, from 1 :5 to 1 :60, preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :55, more preferably from 1 :8 to 1 :50. The whey protein and water may be mixed at a whey protein hydration temperature (e.g., room temperature), and for a whey protein hydration period in a range from 0.5 to 2 hours, preferably from 0.7 to 1.5 hours, or more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2 hours, to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

[0109] In step (a3), the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture may be mixed at a mixing temperature (e.g., room temperature), for a mixing period in a range from 5 to 60 minutes, preferably from 8 to 40 minutes, or more preferably from 10 to 20 minutes, to obtain the protein mixture.

[0110] The protein mixture may be cooled at a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C, preferably from 3 to 12°C, or more preferably from 6 to 9°C, and homogenized by a dispersing device at a condition of from 0.5 to 6 minutes and from 8,000 to 20,000 rpm, preferably from 0.8 to 5 minutes and from 10,000 to 18,000 rpm, or more preferably from 1 to 4 minutes and from 12,000 to 15,000 rpm to obtain the legume protein blend. Alternatively, the cooled mixture may be homogenized by other treatment process that may include, but may not be limited to, high pressure homogenization and ultrasonic homogenization.[OHl] In one aspect, the homogenization step (c) may be split into two sub-steps. In each substep, the cooled mixture may be homogenized for a period from 1 to 3 minutes, preferably for 2 minutes. An additional cooling step may be applied, if necessary, after the first sub-step of homogenization to keep the cooled mixture within a temperature from 6 to 9°C before heading off to the second sub-step of homogenization to minimize the risk of protein denaturation by the heat generated from the first sub-step of homogenization. For example, if the cooled mixture reaches a temperature beyond a desired range of temperatures (e.g., 6 to 9°C) after the first sub-step of homogenization, the cooled mixture will be cooled down to the desired temperature range before undergoing the second sub-step of homogenization.

[0112] In improving solubility of the legume protein blend, the whey protein and the legume protein containing material present in the legume protein blend may be in a ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 10:90 to 90: 10, from 15:85 to 85: 15, from 20:80 to 80:20, from 25:75 to 75:25, from 30:70 to 70:30, from 35:65 to 65:35, from 40:60 to 60:40, from 45:55 to 55:45, or 50:50. Preferably, the ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material in the legume protein blend may be from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, or from 50:50 to 80:20.

[0113] In one aspect, the legume protein containing material and the whey protein may be hydrated together in step (a).Process for improving emulsification capacity of a legume protein blend

[0114] The present disclosure provides a process for improving emulsification capacity of a legume protein blend. The process comprises the steps of (a) hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; (b) cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and (c) homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend. The legume protein blend may be optionally freeze-dried or spray-dried. The resulting legume protein blend may have an improved emulsification capacity as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0115] The legume protein containing material may include, but may not be limited to, soy protein, fava protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, beans protein, mung bean protein, lentil protein, and any combinations thereof.

[0116] Whey protein may include alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), or bovine serum albumin (BSA).

[0117] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure, may have emulsion capacity of about 280 g oil / g protein, about 300 g oil / g protein , about 310 g oil / g protein, about 320 g oil / g protein, about 350 g oil / g protein, about 400 g oil / g protein, about 500 g oil / g protein, about 600 g oil / g protein, about 700 g oil / g protein, about 800 g oil / g protein, about 850 g oil / g protein, about 880 g oil / g protein, about 900 g oil / g protein, about 920 g oil / g protein, about 1,000 g oil / g protein, about 1,200 g oil / g protein, about 1,500 g oil / g protein, or about 1,800 g oil / g protein. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have emulsion capacity in a range from 280 to 1,800 g oil / g protein, from 300 to 1,500 g oil / g protein, or from 310 to 1,200 g oil / g protein.

[0118] The legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have an emulsification capacity increased by at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 35%, at least 50%, at least 100%, at least 150%, at least 200%, at least 250%, at least 300%, at least 350%, at least 400%, or at least 450%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have an emulsification capacity increased by at most 450% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have solubility increased by a range from 15% to 450%, from 20 to 400%, or from 25 to 350%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0119] In one aspect, step (a) of the hydrating and mixing step may comprise the steps of (al) hydrating the legume protein containing material in water to obtain a legume protein aqueous mixture; (a2) hydrating whey protein in water to obtain a whey protein aqueous mixture; and (a3) mixing the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture to obtain the protein mixture.

[0120] In step (al), the legume protein containing material may be mixed with water in a weight ratio of, legume protein containing material to water, from 1 :3 to 1 :40, preferably from 1 :5 to 1 :45, more preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :40. The legume protein containing material and water may be mixed at a legume protein hydration temperature (e.g., room temperature), and for a legume protein hydration period in a range from 0.5 to 2 hours, preferably from 0.7 to 1.5 hours, or more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2 hours, to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

[0121] In step (a2), the whey protein may be mixed with water in a weight ratio of, whey protein to water, from 1 :5 to 1 :60, preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :55, more preferably from 1 :8 to 1 :50. The whey protein and water may be mixed at a whey protein hydration temperature (e.g., roomtemperature), and for a whey protein hydration period in a range from 0.5 to 2 hours, preferably from 0.7 to 1.5 hours, or more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2 hours, to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

[0122] In step (a3), the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture may be mixed at a mixing temperature (e.g., room temperature), for a mixing period in a range from 5 to 60 minutes, preferably from 8 to 40 minutes, or more preferably from 10 to 20 minutes, to obtain the protein mixture. The protein mixture may be cooled at a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C, preferably from 3 to 12°C, or more preferably from 6 to 9°C, and homogenized by a dispersing device at a condition of from 0.5 to 6 minutes and from 8,000 to 20,000 rpm, preferably from 0.8 to 5 minutes and from 10,000 to 18,000 rpm, or more preferably from 1 to 4 minutes and from 12,000 to 15,000 rpm to obtain the legume protein blend. Alternatively, the cooled mixture may be homogenized by other treatment process that may include, but may not be limited to, high pressure homogenization and ultrasonic homogenization.

[0123] In one aspect, the homogenization step (c) may be split into two sub-steps. In each substep, the cooled mixture may be homogenized for a period from 1 to 3 minutes, preferably for 2 minutes. An additional cooling step may be applied, if necessary, after the first sub-step of homogenization to keep the cooled mixture within a temperature from 6 to 9°C before heading off to the second sub-step of homogenization to minimize the risk of protein denaturation by the heat generated from the first sub-step of homogenization. For example, if the cooled mixture reaches a temperature beyond a desired range of temperatures (e.g., 6 to 9°C) after the first sub-step of homogenization, the cooled mixture will be cooled down to the desired temperature range before undergoing the second sub-step of homogenization.

[0124] In improving emulsification capacity of the legume protein blend, the whey protein and the legume protein containing material present in the legume protein blend may be in a ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 10:90 to 90: 10, from 15:85 to 85: 15, from 20:80 to 80:20, from 25:75 to 75:25, from 30:70 to 70:30, from 35:65 to 65:35, from 40:60 to 60:40, from 45:55 to 55:45, or 50:50. Preferably, the ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material in the legume protein blend may be from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90:10, or from 50:50 to 80:20.

[0125] In one aspect, the legume protein containing material and the whey protein may be hydrated together in step (a).Process for improving gelation of a legume protein blend

[0126] The present disclosure provides a process for improving gelation of a legume protein blend. The process comprises the steps of (a) hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; (b) cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and (b) homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend. In one aspect, the legume protein blend may be optionally freeze-dried or spray-dried. The resulting legume protein blend may have an improved gelation as compared to the same legume protein containing material, wherein the gelation can be heat-induced gelation or acid-induced gelation.

[0127] The legume protein containing material may include, but may not be limited to, soy protein, fava protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, beans protein, mung bean protein, lentil protein, and any combinations thereof.

[0128] Whey protein may include alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), or bovine serum albumin (BSA).

[0129] Least gelation concentration (LGC) can be used to measure the gelation capacity of a protein (e.g., legume protein), in which a lower LGC suggests a better gelation capacity of the protein.

[0130] A legume protein containing material, preferably a pea protein isolate, may have a least gelation concentration (LGC) of about 15%.

[0131] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure may have LGC of about 8%, about 10%, about 12%, about 15%, or about 18%. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have LGC in a range from 8 to 18%, or from 10 to 15%.

[0132] Gel strength can also be used to measure the gelation capacity of a protein (e.g., legume protein), in which a higher gel strength suggests a better gelation capacity of the protein. In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure, may have gel strength for heat-induced gelation (i.e., formation of a protein gel network by the application of heat) at 15% LGC and at 8 to 15% protein concentration of about 10 g, about 12 g, about 15 g, about 20 g, about 25 g, about 50 g, about 75g, about 100 g, about 125 g, about 150 g, about 200 g, about 210 g, about 230 g, about 250 g, about 400 g, about 500 g, about 600 g, about 700 g, about 750 g, about 800 g, or about 850 g. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have strength for heat-induced gelation in a range from 10 to 750 g, from 12 to 800 g, or from 15 to 850 g.

[0133] In one aspect, the legume protein blend may have a gel strength for heat-induced gelation at 15% LGC increased by at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 50%, at least 100%, at least 250%, at least 500%, at least 750%, at least 1,000%, at least 1,250%, at least 1,500%, at least 1,600%, at least 1,800%, at least 2,000%, at least 2,500%, at least 5,000%, at least 7,500%, atleast 8,500%, at least 9,000%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have gel strength increased by at most 2,000% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have gel strength increased by a range from 10% to 9,000%, from 20 to 8,500%, or from 30 to 7,500%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0134] In one aspect, the legume protein blend of the present disclosure, may have gel strength for acid-induced gelation (i.e., formation of a protein gel network by the application of an acidifying agent) at 3% to 5% protein concentration of about 5 g, about 8 g, about 10 g, about 20 g, about 30 g, about 40 g, about 50 g, about 60 g, about 70 g, about 80 g, about 90 g, about 100 g, about 120 g, about 140 g, about 160g, about 180 g, about 200 g, about 210 g, about 230 g, about 240 g, or about 250 g. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have acid-induced gelation in a range from 5 to 230 g, from 8 to 240 g, or from 10 to 250 g.

[0135] In one aspect, the legume protein blend may have a gel strength for acid-induced gelation at 5% protein concentration increased by at least 5%, at least 50%, at least 100%, at least 200%, at least 300%, at least 400%, at least 450%, at least 500%, at least 550%, at least 600%, at least 650%, at least 700%, at least 800%, at least 900%, at least 1,000%, at least 1,200%, at least 1,400%, at least 1,600%, at least 1,800%, at least 1,850%, at least 1,900%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material. The legume protein blend may have gel strength increased by at most 1,900% as compared to the same legume protein containing material. Preferably, the legume protein blend may have gel strength increased by a range from 5 to 1,900%, from 50 to 1,850%, or from 100 to 1,800%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0136] In one aspect, step (a) of the hydrating and mixing step may comprise the steps of (al) hydrating the legume protein containing material in water to obtain a legume protein aqueous mixture; (a2) hydrating whey protein in water to obtain a whey protein aqueous mixture; and (a3) mixing the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture to obtain the protein mixture.

[0137] In step (al), the legume protein containing material may be mixed with water in a weight ratio of, legume protein containing material to water, from 1 :3 to 1 :40, preferably from 1 :5 to 1 :45, more preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :40. The legume protein containing material and water may be mixed at a legume protein hydration temperature (e.g., room temperature), and for a legume protein hydration period in a range from 0.5 to 2 hours, preferably from 0.7 to 1.5 hours, or more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2 hours, to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

[0138] In step (a2), the whey protein may be mixed with water in a weight ratio of, whey protein to water, from 1 :5 to 1 :60, preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :55, more preferably from 1 :8 to 1 :50. Thewhey protein and water may be mixed at a whey protein hydration temperature (e.g., room temperature), and for a whey protein hydration period in a range from 0.5 to 2 hours, preferably from 0.7 to 1.5 hours, or more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2 hours, to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

[0139] In step (a3), the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture may be mixed at a mixing temperature (e.g., room temperature), for a mixing period in a range from 5 to 60 minutes, preferably from 8 to 40 minutes, or more preferably from 10 to 20 minutes, to obtain the protein mixture.

[0140] The protein mixture may be cooled at a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C, preferably from 3 to 12°C, or more preferably from 6 to 9°C, and homogenized by a dispersing device at a condition of from 0.5 to 6 minutes and from 8,000 to 20,000 rpm, preferably from 0.8 to 5 minutes and from 10,000 to 18,000 rpm, or more preferably from 1 to 4 minutes and from 12,000 to 15,000 rpm to obtain the legume protein blend. Alternatively, the cooled mixture may be homogenized by other treatment process that may include, but may not be limited to, high pressure homogenization and ultrasonic homogenization.

[0141] In one aspect, the homogenization step (c) may be split into two sub-steps. In each substep, the cooled mixture may be homogenized for a period from 1 to 3 minutes, preferably for 2 minutes. An additional cooling step may be applied, if necessary, after the first sub-step of homogenization to keep the cooled mixture within a temperature from 6 to 9°C before heading off to the second sub-step of homogenization to minimize the risk of protein denaturation by the heat generated from the first sub-step of homogenization. For example, if the cooled mixture reaches a temperature beyond a desired range of temperatures (e.g., 6 to 9°C) after the first sub-step of homogenization, the cooled mixture will be cooled down to the desired temperature range before undergoing the second sub-step of homogenization.

[0142] In improving gelation of the legume protein blend, the whey protein and the legume protein containing material present in the legume protein blend may be in a ratio of, protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 10:90 to 90: 10, from 15:85 to 85: 15, from 20:80 to 80:20, from 25:75 to 75:25, from 30:70 to 70:30, from 35:65 to 65:35, from 40:60 to 60:40, from 45:55 to 55:45, or 50:50. Preferably, the ratio of protein content of whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material in the legume protein blend may be from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, or from 50:50 to 80:20.

[0143] In one aspect, the legume protein containing material and the whey protein may be hydrated together in step (a).Examples

[0144] The invention is further described in detail by reference to the following experimental examples. These examples are provided for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise specified. Thus, the invention should in no way be construed as being limited to the following examples, but rather should be construed to encompass any and all variations which become evident as a result of the teaching provided herein.Example 11.1. Materials and Method

[0145] Alpha lactalbumin (ALA) (Agropur), beta lactoglobulin (BLG) (Sigma), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) (Sigma) were separately mixed with pea protein isolate (PPI) (Cargill Incorporated) in different weight ratios (Table 1) to create ALA / PPI, BLG / PPI, and BSA / PPI blends. Different functional properties, such as solubility, emulsification capacity, and gelation were studied in these blends.Table 1

[0146] The composition of the blends is shown in Tables 2 to 4 and the blends were prepared, taking blend BLG 2 as example, as follows. PPI (e.g., 5.2 g of PPI for BLG 2) was hydrated inwater (e.g., 44.8 g of water for BLG 2) at room temperature for about 1 hour to obtain a PPI aqueous mixture. BLG (e.g., 1.1 g of BLG for BLG 2) was hydrated in water (e.g., 48.9 g of water for BLG 2) at room temperature for about 1 hour to obtain a BLG aqueous mixture. The PPI aqueous mixture was then individually mixed with the ALA aqueous mixture, the BLG aqueous mixture, and the BSA aqueous mixture at room temperature for about 15 minutes to obtain protein mixtures, which were then cooled to about 6 to 8°C. The cooled mixtures were homogenized by dispersing device (Ultra-Turrax) of about 14,000 rpm for about 4 minutes to obtain the ALA / PPI, BLG / PPI, and BSA / PPI blends. The homogenized samples were freeze-dried for further functionality assessments.Table 2Table 3Table 41.2 Results and Discussion1.2.1 Solubility

[0147] In the solubility study, samples of 5% protein dispersion were prepared for each blend in which the dispersion samples had a pH about 6.8 to about 7.2 (neutral samples). Then, acid-treated samples were prepared by adding an acid to the dispersion samples until an acidic pH of about 3.4 was achieved.

[0148] One neutral sample and one acid-treated sample were heated at 85°C for 30 minutes (heat- treated / neutral sample and heat-treated / acid-treated sample), while the other two samples were not heated (unheated / neutral sample and unheated / acid-treated sample). All the samples were centrifuged at 13000 rpm for 10 minutes. The protein concentration of the supernatant was determined by Dumas’s combustion. Solubilities of the samples, determined by the equation (1), were shown in Tables 5 to 9. Solubility change refers to a change in the solubility at a specific blend (e.g., at a specific BLG to PPI ratio) relative to the solubility at blend #1 (i.e., 100% PPI).Table 5Table 6Table 7Table 8Table 9

[0150] As observed from Tables 5 to 9, solubility increased as the fraction of ALA, BLG, or BSA in the respective blends increased. Also, solubilities of the acid-treated samples were lower than the corresponding neutral samples. Upon heating, similar observations on solubilities of both acid- treated and neutral samples for ALA and BLG blends can be noted.1,2.2 Emulsification Capacity

[0151] In the emulsification capacity study, samples of 1% protein dispersion (pH 7.0) were prepared for each of the blends. The samples were then titrated with soybean oil until emulsion broke. Emulsion capacities of the samples, determined by the equation (2), are shown in Tables 10 and 11. Emulsification capacity change refers to a change in the emulsification capacity at a specific blend (e.g., at a specific BLG to PPI ratio) relative to the emulsification capacity at blend #1 (i.e., 100% PPI).Table 10Table 11

[0153] As shown in Tables 10 and 11, among the different blends, ALA 4 and BLG 4 had emulsification capacities comparable to the emulsification capacity of whey protein isolate (about 930 g oil / g protein).1.2,3 Heat-induced Gelation

[0154] In the heat-induced gelation study, least gelation concentration (LGC) and gel strength of the blends were measured.

[0155] For measuring LGC, 5 mL of 8 to 15% protein solution (based on protein w / w) was prepared and mixed for one hour. Then, 1 mL of the protein solution was pipetted to a microcentrifuge tube and placed in a water bath of 95°C for 30 minutes. The samples were cooled at refrigeration temperature. The lowest concentration needed to form a gel was noted as the LGC. A gel was formed when the microcentrifuge tube was inverted without slippage and the shape of the mixture was kept when the mixture was removed from the tube.

[0156] LGC of the samples are shown in Tables 12 and 13.Table 12

[0157] As shown in Table 12, BLG gelled at 12% and addition of BLG decreased LGC of the blend, facilitating gelation capacity of the blends.

[0158] Further, as shown in Table 13, BSA gelled at 10% and addition of BSA decreased LGC of the blend, facilitating gelation capacity of the blends. While blend BSA 5 (100% BSA) gelled at 10%, incorporation of 20% PPI in BSA 4 (80% BSA / 20% PPI) decreased LGC to 8%, indicating potential synergistic effects of the BSA / PPI blending.

[0159] In the measurement of gel strength, 5 mL of 8 to 15% protein solution (based on protein w / w) was prepared and mixed for one hour. Then, 1 mL of the protein solution was pipetted to a microcentrifuge tube and placed in a water bath of 95°C for 30 minutes. The tip of the microfuge tube was carefully cut off to gently remove the gel out of the tube. Then, a compression test was carried out on the gel in a texture analyzer (Stable Microsystems) to determine the gel strength, expressed as the force exerted on the gel to reach the maximum compression distance.

[0160] Gel strengths (at 15% LGC) of the samples are shown in Tables 14 and 15.Table 14Table 15

[0161] As shown in Table 14, addition of BLG increased gel strength, facilitating gelation of the blends.

[0162] Further, as shown in Table 15, addition of BSA increased gel strength, facilitating gelation of the blends. BSA 4 (80% BSA / 20% PPI) showed a gel strength similar to whey protein isolate (about 115g).1.2,4 Acid-induced Gelation

[0163] In the acid-induced gelation study, two sets of 7 mL of 5% and 3% protein solutions (based on protein w / w) were prepared and mixed for one hour. One set of the samples was heated for 30 minutes at 95°C and cooled to room temperature before acid treatment (heated sample). The other set of the samples were kept at room temperature after mixing (unheated sample). Glucono-delta-lactone was used as an acidifying agent and added to both the heated and unheated samples at a concentration of 0.8% to the 5% protein solution and at a concentration of 0.6% to the 3% protein solution.

[0164] Times (minutes) taken for the unheated and the heated blends to reach the desired pH (about 4.5 to 4.6) upon acidification are shown in Tables 16 to 17.Table 16Table 17

[0165] As observed from Tables 16 and 17, times for the different unheated BLG / PPI blends to reach the anticipated pH stayed almost unaffected for both 5% and 3% protein solutions.

[0166] In measuring the gel strength, a distance test was carried out on the heated samples of both 5% and 3% protein concentration in a texture analyzer (Stable Microsystems) to determine the gel strength, expressed as the force exerted on the gel to reach the maximum deformation distance.

[0167] Gel strengths (g) of the heated samples are shown in Table 18.Table 18

[0168] As shown in Table 18, gel strength increased as BLG fraction increased. Gel strengths of the BLG / PPI blends that gelled at 5% protein were higher than the BLG / PPI blends that gelled at 3% protein.1.3 Conclusion

[0169] Pea protein has a relatively low solubility in acidic pH (less than 10%) and neutral pH (about 20%) conditions, so it cannot be used in preparing either acidic or neutral beverages. As shown in the studies above, by blending PPI with ALA, BLG, or BSA, followed by homogenization, solubilities of the resulting ALA / PPI, BLG / PPI, or BSA / PPI blends can be enhanced under both acidic and neutral conditions, making ALA / PPI, BLG / PPI, and BSA / PPI blends suitable candidates for preparing acidic and neutral beverages.

[0170] Further, by blending PPI with ALA or BLG, followed by homogenization, the resulting ALA / PPI or BLG / PPI blends are shown to enhance emulsification, making the ALA / PPI and BLG / PPI blends appropriate candidates for food applications that require greater emulsification capacity, such as preparation of ice-cream, salad dressing, or meat substitute products.

[0171] The above observations also show that by blending PPI with BLG or BSA, followed by homogenization, gelling properties of the resulting BLG / PPI or BSA / PPI blends can be enhanced. In particular, acid-treated BLG / PPI blends have gel strengths comparable to 100% BLG samples.The above shows that the BLG / PPI and BSA / PPI blends are suitable candidates for food application such as preparation of meat substitute products or dairy substitute products (e.g., cheese, cream cheese, yogurt).Example 2

[0172] Animal-product-free alpha lactalbumin (ALA), animal-product-free beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and animal-product-free bovine serum albumin (BSA) may be mixed with pea protein isolate (PPI) in different weight ratios (Table 19) to create animal-product-free ALA / PPI blends, animal-product-free BLG / PPI blends, and animal-product-free BSA / PPI blends.Table 19

[0173] The composition of the blends is shown in Tables 20 to 22 and the blends were prepared, taking blend BLG 2 as example, as follows. PPI (e.g., 5.2 g of PPI for BLG 2) was hydrated in water (e.g., 44.8 g of water for BLG 2) at room temperature for about 1 hour to obtain a PPI aqueous mixture. Animal-product-free BLG (e.g., 1.1 g of BLG for BLG 2) was hydrated in water (e.g., 48.9 g of water for BLG 2) at room temperature for about 1 hour to obtain an Animal- product-free BLG aqueous mixture. The PPI aqueous mixture was then individually mixed withthe animal-product-free ALA aqueous mixture, the animal-product-free BLG aqueous mixture, and the animal-product-free BSA aqueous mixture at room temperature for about 15 minutes to obtain protein mixtures, which were then cooled to about 6 to 8°C. The cooled mixtures were homogenized by dispersing device (Ultra-Turrax) of about 14,000 rpm for about 4 minutes to obtain the animal-product-free ALA / PPI, animal-product-free BLG / PPI, and animal-product-free BSA / PPI blends. The homogenized samples were freeze-dried for further functionality assessments.Table 20Table 21Table 22Example 33.1 Materials and Method

[0174] Animal-product-free beta lactoglobulin (e.g. recombinant beta lactoglobulin or R-BLG) was mixed with pea protein isolate (PPI) (Cargill Incorporated) in a 1 : 1 weight ratio to create a 50% R-BLG / 50% PPI blend as shown in Table 23. Different functional properties, such as solubility, emulsification capacity, were studied in these R-BLG / PPI blends.Table 23

[0175] The compositions of blend #1 and blend #2 are shown in Table 24. The 50%R- BLG / 50%PPI blend was prepared as follows. PPI (e.g., 26 g of PPI) was hydrated in water (e.g., 374 g of water) at room temperature for about 1 hour to obtain a PPI aqueous mixture. R-BLG (e.g., 26.3 g of R-BLG) was hydrated in water (e.g., 373.7 g of water) at room temperature for about 1 hour to obtain a R-BLG aqueous mixture. The PPI aqueous mixture and the R-BLG aqueous mixture were then mixed at room temperature for about 15 minutes to obtain a protein mixture, which was then cooled to about 6 to 8°C. The cooled mixture was homogenized by a dispersing device (Ultra-Turrax) of about 14,000 rpm for about 4 minutes to obtain the 50%R-BLG / 50%PPI blend. The homogenized samples were freeze-dried for further functionality assessments.

[0176] Blend #3 of 100% R-BLG did not undergo hydration or homogenization and used as-is. R-BLG used in this study had a protein content of about 76%.Table 243.2 Results and Discussion3,2,1 Solubility

[0177] In the solubility study, samples of 5% protein dispersion were prepared for each blend in which the dispersion samples had a pH about 6.8 to about 7.2 (neutral samples). Then, acid-treated samples were prepared by adding an acid to the dispersion samples until an acidic pH of about 3.4 was achieved.

[0178] One neutral sample and one acid-treated sample were heated at 85°C for 30 minutes (heat- treated / neutral sample and heat-treated / acid-treated sample), while the other two samples were not heated (unheated / neutral sample and unheated / acid-treated sample). All the samples were centrifuged at 13,000 rpm for 10 minutes. The protein concentration of the supernatant was determined by Dumas’s combustion. Solubilities of the samples, determined by the equation (1), were shown in Tables 25 and 26. Solubility change refers to a change in the solubility at a specific blend (i.e., at a specific R-BLG to PPI ratio) relative to the solubility at blend #1 (i.e., 100% PPI).Table 25Table 26

[0179] As observed from Tables 25 and 26, solubility increased as the R-BLG fraction in the blend increased. Also, solubilities of the acid-treated samples were lower than the corresponding neutral samples. Upon heating, similar observations on solubilities of both acid-treated and neutral samples can be noted.3,2.2 Emulsification Capacity

[0180] In the emulsification capacity study, samples of 1% protein dispersion (pH 7.0) were prepared for the blends. The samples were then titrated with soybean oil until emulsion broke. Emulsion capacities of the samples, determined by the equation (2), are shown in Table 27. Emulsification capacity change refers to a change in the emulsification capacity at a specific blend (i.e., at a specific R-BLG to PPI ratio) relative to the emulsification capacity at blend #1 (i.e., 100% PPI without any R-BLG).Table 27

[0181] As shown in Table 27, the emulsification capacity increased with the amount of R-BLG increased.3,2,3 Heat-induced Gelation

[0182] In the heat-induced gelation study, least gelation concentration (LGC) and gel strength of the R-BLG / PPI blends were measured.

[0183] For measuring LGC, 5 mL of 8 to 15% protein solution (based on protein w / w) was prepared and mixed for one hour. Then, 1 mL of the protein solution was pipetted to a microcentrifuge tube and placed in a water bath of 95°C for 30 minutes. The samples were cooled at refrigeration temperature. The lowest concentration needed to form a gel was noted as the LGC. A gel was formed when the microcentrifuge tube was inverted without slippage and the shape of the mixture was kept when the mixture was removed from the tube.

[0184] LGC of the samples are shown in Table 28.Table 28

[0185] As shown in Table 28, R-BLG gelled at 8% and addition of BLG decreased LGC of the blend, facilitating gelation capacity of the blends.

[0186] In the measurement of gel strength, 5 mL of 8 to 15% protein solution (based on protein w / w) was prepared and mixed for one hour. Then, 1 mL of the protein solution was pipetted to a microcentrifuge tube and placed in a water bath of 95°C for 30 minutes. The tip of the microfuge tube was carefully cut off to gently remove the gel out of the tube. Then, a compression test was carried out on the gel in a texture analyzer (Stable Microsystems) to determine the gel strength, expressed as the force exerted on the gel to reach the maximum compression distance.

[0187] Gel strength (at 15% LGC) of the samples are shown in Table 29.Table 29

[0188] As shown in Table 29, addition of R-BLG increased gel strength of the resulting sample, facilitating gelation of the blends.3,2,4 Acid-induced Gelation

[0189] In the acid-induced gelation study, two sets of 7 mL of 5% and 3% protein solutions (based on protein w / w) were prepared and mixed for one hour. One set of the samples was heatedfor 30 minutes at 95°C and cooled to room temperature before acid treatment (heated sample). The other set of the samples were kept at room temperature after mixing (unheated sample). Glucono-delta-lactone was used as an acidifying agent and added to both the heated and unheated samples at a concentration of 0.8% to the 5% protein solution and at a concentration of 0.6% to the 3% protein solution.

[0190] In measuring the gel strength, a distance test was carried out on the heated samples of both 5% and 3% protein concentration in a texture analyzer (Stable Microsystems) to determine the gel strength, expressed as the force exerted on the gel to reach the maximum deformation distance.

[0191] Gel strength (g) of the samples is shown in Table 30.Table 30

[0192] As shown in Table 30, gel strength increased as R-BLG fraction increased.3.3 Conclusion

[0193] Pea protein has a relatively low solubility in acidic pH (less than 10%) and neutral pH (about 20%) conditions, so it cannot be used in preparing either acidic or neutral beverages. As shown in the studies above, by blending PPI with R-BLG, followed by homogenization, solubilities of the resulting R-BLG / PPI blend can be enhanced under both acidic and neutral conditions, making R-BLG / PPI blends suitable candidates for preparing acidic and neutral beverages.

[0194] Further, by blending PPI with R-BLG, followed by homogenization, the resulting R- BLG / PPI blend is shown to enhance emulsification, making the R-BLG / PPI blends appropriate candidates for food applications that require greater emulsification capacity, such as preparation of ice-cream, salad dressing, or meat substitute products.

[0195] The above observations also show that by blending PPI with R-BLG, followed by homogenization, gelling properties of the resulting R-BLG / PPI blend can be enhanced, making the R-BLG / PPI blends suitable candidates for food application such as preparation of dairy substitute products (e.g., cheese, cream cheese, yogurt).Example 44.1 Materials and Method

[0196] Use of different blends of alpha lactalbumin (ALA) and pea protein isolate (PPI) and different blends of beta lactoglobulin (BLG) and PPI as ingredients for making high acid beverages (HAB) was studied. ALA / PPI blends and BLG / PPI blends were prepared by the process described in Section 1.1 above. Recipes of the HAB made from the ALA / PPI blends and the BLG / PPI blends are shown in Tables 31 and 32. Concentrations of the ingredients were measured in wt% of the total weight of the recipe. Different characteristics of the HAB samples, such as turbidity and viscosity, were studied.Table 31Table 324.2 Results and Discussion4.2.1 Turbidity

[0197] Physical stability of the HAB samples was monitored using a TurbiscanTower(Microtrac, France). The apparatus included a detection head equipped with a near-infrared light source (880 nm) which scanned the length of the sample, acquiring transmission and backscattering data every 20 pm. The light source scanned the sample every hour from top to bottom and measured the percentage of light backscattered or transmitted during 24-hour period at 25 °C for HAB and 4°C for milk. The stability of the HAB samples was evaluated using the Turbiscan Stability Index (TSI) parameter calculated by the Towersoft 1.3.1.85 software. The TSI corresponds to a cumulative sum of all the backscattering or transmission variation of the entire sample due to destabilization. Therefore, a higher TSI indicated greater sample instability. Transmission and backscattering intensities were recorded over the whole sample height and over time to get a complete insight of sample stability / instability.

[0198] The turbidity results are shown in Figs. 1 to 2. Recipe 7 (100% PPI) underwent a clear visible sedimentation in about an hour (with a TSI value of about 3.67), whereas no visual destabilization was observed in the same period for Recipes 1 to 6 as well. Recipe 7 also had the highest TSI increase rate in the first 5 hours. TSI values for all recipes gradually became stabilized after the 5thhour and at the end of the 24-hour period, Recipe 7 had the highest TSI value.4.2.2 Viscosity

[0199] Viscosities of the HAB samples were measured (in unit of cP) on Day 1 (24 hours after the samples were prepared) and Day 8 using Brookfield Viscometer equipped with RV2 spindle. A fixed volume of the sample (100-120 mL) in a 200-mL beaker was measured each time. The measurements were reported at a spindle speed of 100 rpm for 30 seconds. All the measurements were conducted at refrigeration temperatures. Tables 33 and 34 show the viscosity results.Table 33Table 34

[0200] Viscosities for all HAB samples at Day 8 were higher than at Day 1.4.2.3 Color

[0201] The colors of HAB samples were measured using Labscan XE Colorimeter on Day 1 (24 hours after the samples were prepared) and Day 8. The color was measured in terms of L (lightness), a (red-green), b (yellow-blue) values. The sample was poured into a Hunter Lab 04- 7209-00 45mm glass cup up to the marked line for the measurement. All the measurements were conducted at refrigeration temperatures. The results are shown in Tables 35 and 36.Table 35Table 364.3 Conclusion

[0202] 100% pea protein HAB sample has the highest turbidity values amid all the samples from the start all the way to the end of the study, indicating that it is the most unstable sample. By blending pea protein with ALA or BLG, followed by homogenization, turbidities of the resulting HAB samples can be decreased and the resulting HAB samples thus become more stabilized. With this advantageous feature, both the ALA / PPI blends and the BLG / PPI blends are suitable candidates for preparing HAB.Example 55.1 Materials and Method

[0203] Use of different blends of alpha lactalbumin (ALA) and pea protein isolate (PPI) and different blends of beta lactoglobulin (BLG) and pea protein isolate (PPI) as ingredients for making dairy substitute milk was studied. ALA / PPI blends and BLG / PPI blends were preparedby the process described in Section 1.1 above. Recipes of the dairy substitute milk made from the ALA / PPI blends and the BLG / PPI blends are shown in Tables 37 and 38. Concentrations of the ingredients were measured in wt% of the total weight of the recipe. Different characteristics of the HAB samples, such as turbidity and viscosity, were studied.Table 37Table 38

[0204] In making the dairy substitute milk, water, heated to about 43°C, was added to hydrate the ALA / PPI blends, the BLG / PPI blends, and the 100% PPI sample for 2 minutes. All the remaining dry ingredients were added with stirring and the resulting mixture was heated to about 60°C. High oleic sunflower oil was added and mixed for 5 minutes to form an emulsion. The emulsion was homogenized at 2,500 PSI and heated at 85°C for 10 minutes. The obtained dairy substitute milk was collected in sterile Nalgene containers and refrigerated.5.2 Results and Discussion5.2.1 Turbidity

[0205] The same instrument and methodology applied in measuring turbidity for high acidic beverages, as discussed in Section 4.2.1, were also used in measuring turbidity for dairy substitute milk samples.

[0206] The turbidity results are shown in Figs. 3 and 4. No visual destabilization or separation was observed for all the dairy substitute milk samples in the entire 24-hour period (all having TSI values less than 1.0). At the end of the 24-hour period, Recipe 7 had the highest TSI value, suggesting that Recipe 7 was the most destabilized compared to the other samples.5.2.2 Viscosity

[0207] The same instrument and methodology applied in measuring viscosity for high acidic beverages, as discussed in Section 4.2.2, were also used in measuring viscosity for dairy substitute milk samples. Tables 39 and 40 show the viscosity results.Table 39Table 40

[0208] Viscosities for all the samples remained relatively the same throughout the one-week study period. The samples having ALA or BLG, either alone or blended with PPI, had lower viscosities than that of the sample having 100% PPI (Recipe 7).5,2,3 Color

[0209] The same instrument and methodology applied in measuring color for high acidic beverages, as discussed in Section 4.2.3, were also used in measuring color for dairy substitute milk samples. The results are shown in Tables 41 and 42.Table 41Table 425.3 Conclusion

[0210] No sedimentation was observed for all the dairy substitute milk samples. By blending pea protein with ALA or BLG, followed by homogenization, viscosities of the resulting dairy substitute milk samples can be decreased, making ALA / PPI blends suitable candidates for preparing dairy substitute milk.Example 66.1 Materials and Method

[0211] Use of different blends of beta lactoglobulin (BLG) and pea protein isolate (PPI) as ingredients for making dairy substitute yogurt was studied. BLG / PPI blends were prepared by the process described in Section 1.1 above. Blend of animal-product-free beta lactoglobulin (e.g. recombinant beta lactoglobulin or R-BLG) with PPI was prepared by the process described in Section 3.1 above.

[0212] Recipes of the dairy substitute yogurt made from the BLG / PPI blends and R-BLG / PPI blends are shown in Tables 43 and 44. Concentrations of the ingredients were measured in wt% of the total weight of the recipe. Different characteristics of the dairy substitute yogurt samples, such as viscosity and gel strength, were studied.Table 43Table 44

[0213] In making the dairy substitute yogurt, water, heated to about 40°C to 50°C, was added to hydrate the BLG / PPI blends, the R-BLG / PPI blends, the 100% R-BLG sample, and the 100% PPI sample for 2 minutes. All the remaining dry ingredients were added with stirring and the resulting mixture was heated to about 60°C. Coconut oil was added and mixed for 5 minutes to form an emulsion. The emulsion was homogenized at 2,500 PSI and heated at 85°C for 10 minutes. The obtained yogurt base was cooled down to about 43 °C using an ice bath. Starter culture was added and fermented to about pH 4.65. The obtained dairy substitute yogurt was then refrigerated.6.2 Results and Discussion6,2, 1 Viscosity

[0214] The same instrument and methodology applied in measuring viscosity for high acidic beverages, as discussed in Section 4.2.2, were also used in measuring viscosity for dairy substitute yogurt samples. Table 45 shows the viscosity results which were reported as an average of two measurements.Table 45

[0215] Viscosities of all the dairy substitute yogurt samples, except Recipe 1 (100%BLG), dropped throughout the one-week study period.6,2,2 Color

[0216] The same instrument and methodology applied in measuring color for high acidic beverages, as discussed in Section 4.2.3. The results are shown in Table 46.Table 466,2.3 Gel strength

[0217] In measuring the gel strength, a distance test was carried out on the dairy substitute yogurt samples in a texture analyzer (Stable Microsystems) to determine the gel strength, expressed as the force exerted on the gel to reach the maximum deformation distance. Gel strength (g) of the samples is shown in Table 47.Table 47

[0218] Gel strength of commercially available dairy yogurts range from about 8g to about 80g. As shown in Table 48, gel strength of the samples having BLG / PPI or R-BLG / PPI blends fall within the above range. Also, addition of BLG or R-BLG increased gel strength of the resulting sample, facilitating gelation of the blends.6.3 Conclusion

[0219] By blending pea protein with BLG or R-BLG, followed by homogenization, gel strength of the resulting dairy substitute yogurt samples can fall within the range of gel strength for commercially available dairy yogurt, making BLG / PPI and R-BLG / PPI blends suitable candidatesfor preparing dairy substitute yogurt. Also, the resulting yogurt from the blending had a smoother looking and even consistency.

[0220] Further, it can be observed that the performance of the 50%R-BLG / 50%PPI blend is comparable to that of the 50%BLG / 50%PPI blend.Example 77.1 Materials and Method

[0221] Use of different blends of beta lactoglobulin (BLG), animal-product-free beta lactoglobulin (e.g. recombinant beta lactoglobulin or R-BLG), or bovine serum albumin (BSA) with pea protein isolate (PPI) as ingredients for making meat substitute patty was studied. BLG / PPI blends were prepared by the process described in Section 1.1 above. The 50% R- BLG / 50% PPI blend was prepared by the process described in Section 3.1 above

[0222] In making the meat substitute patty, an emulsion was first prepared by mixing dry ingredients of pea protein, BLG / PPI blends, BSA / PPI blends, or 50% R-BLG / 50% PPI blend, and psyllium fiber with oil. Water was then added with mixing for about 3 to 5 minutes until a paste formed until a paste formed. Composition of the emulsion is shown in Table 48. In addition to the 50% R-BLG / 50% PPI blend , two BSA / PPI blends of 80%BSA / 20%PPI and 50%BSA / 50%PPI, two BLG / PPI blends of 80%BLG / 20%PPI and 50%BLG / 50%PPI, 100% BSA, as well as 100% BLG, were used as ingredients in the patty samples.Table 48

[0223] Next, a brine solution was prepared in which, based on the total weight of the brine solution, about 1.62 wt% salt (or about 0.69 wt% based on the total weight of the meat substitute patty) was added to about 98.38 wt% water under about 4°C (or about 41.44 wt% based on the total weight of the meat substitute patty). The brine solution was then added to hydrate texturized pea protein (TPP) until all water was absorbed and TPP became dull in appearance. The emulsionwas mixed with the hydrated TPP until a uniform mixture was obtained. Coconut fat chips were then added to the resulting uniform mixture to obtain a dough, which was chilled to about -3°C. The cooled mixture was shaped in a form of a burger patty of above 113g.

[0224] Composition of the meat substitute patty is shown in Table 49.Table 49

[0225] Meat substitute patty sample not having any BLG, R-BLG, BSA, BLG / PPI blends, or BSA / PPI blends (i.e., 100% PPI) was also prepared with the above steps. Compositions of the emulsion and the resulting meat substitute patty using the 100% pea protein patty are shown in Tables 50 and 51 respectively.Table 50Table 517.2 Results and Discussion7,2,1 Rheology

[0226] Rheology was measured using a Controlled Stress Rheometer Model 502 (Anton Paar) equipped with a CC27 geometry with a C-PTD200 accessory, operated via RheoPlus software (V3.62). The rheological measurement method included 4 intervals, namely (1). isothermal mechanical recovery and equilibrium interval, (2). heating interval, (3). isothermal hold interval, and (4). cooling interval. Conditions of each interval were shown in Table 52. Each sample was covered in paraffin oil to prevent moisture loss during the measurement. All of the above samples were made at 12 % protein in solution with 0.5% xanthan in order to suspend the insoluble pea solids.Table 52

[0227] Complex modulus measured the stiffness of the gel formed by the blends. The complex modulus results for all the patty samples, including the 100% PPI sample, are shown in Figs. 5-7. Study on the complex modulus of the 1% methylcellulose emulsion (as control) is shown in Fig. 8. The first curve of the rotated U-shaped curve represented the heating from 20°C to 90°C (i.e., Interval 2 in Table 52), and the second curve represented the cooling from 90°C to 20°C (i.e., Interval 4 in Table 52).

[0228] It is observed that the 100% PPI sample started with a higher complex modulus than any other samples and the 100% PPI sample did not become firm upon heating and cooling. After heating from 60°C to 90°C, both the 100% BLG sample, the 80%BLG / 20% PPI sample, the 100%BSA sample, and the 80%BSA / 20% PPI sample formed firm gels, which retained their firmness upon cooling.

[0229] The 100% BSA sample and the 80%BSA / 20% PPI sample showed similar complex modulus after heating, suggesting that the 20% PPI in the blend can be replaced with BSA without compromising any functionality.

[0230] Pre-cooked complex modulus was low for the 100% R-BLG sample and increased with addition of pea protein. The onset of modulus gain was pushed shifted to higher temperature when the R-BLG was blended with pea protein. However, both the 100% R-BLG and 50%R- BLG / 50%PPI samples became firm with heating and maintained firmness upon colling.7,2,2 Texture analysis

[0231] Kramer Shear Cell Test was used to measure the texture properties of the cooked patty samples. Measurement was taken at eating temperature (55°C). TAXT2 Plus (Stable Micro Systems) tensile tester was equipped with a 50 kg load cell and the mini-Kramer shear cell (Stable Micro Systems), aligned for equal gaps on all sides. The force applied to the sample was recorded in compression test mode with 2.00 mm / s test speed and 10.00 mm / s post-test speed. The target mode was distance, with a distance of 35 mm. No trigger was used in the method. The height was calibrated with each testing session and zeroed by holding a flat article on the bottom side of the rails for Kramer knife detection, followed by a 35 mm probe retraction. The strength (i.e., force) measured by the mini-Kramer shear cell test measured the resistance to deformation through failure of the patty samples.

[0232] The texture results are shown in Figs. 9 to 10. The patties samples were cooked by sous vide method where 100%BLG, 80%BLG / 20%PPI, 50%BLG / 50%PPI, and 100%PPI samples were cooked at 80°C for 30 minutes, while 100%R-BLG and 50%R-BLG / 50%PPI samples were cooked at 90°C for 30 minutes. Averages of 3 measurements were recorded on the figures. As observed, the hardness decreased as more pea protein was added in the patty samples.

[0233] Figs. 11 to 12 show the texture results for patties samples having BSA blends that were cooked by skillet method and sous vide method, respectively. As observed, both cooking methods gave similar results where 100% BSA sample and 80%BSA / 20%PPI sample had the highest hardness, followed by 50%BSA / 50% PPI sample and then the 100% PPI sample.

[0234] For sous vide cooking, samples were formed into silicone ice cubes and covered with a film to prevent evaporation. The tray holding the silicone ice cubes was floated in a water bath with a cover on at 80°C (target temperature) and half an hour. This allowed for the precise target cooking temperature to be attained.

[0235] 80°C was the target cooking temperature for the skillet cooking as well but, in this case, a 350°C skillet was used to heat the burger patty on alternate sides over the course of 10 to 15 minutes. A thermocouple was inserted into the center of the burger patty until it read the target temperature of 80°C.7.3 Conclusion

[0236] By blending pea protein with BLG, R-BLG, or BSA, followed by homogenization, the resulting meat substitute patty samples developed firmness upon heating and maintained this firmness after cooling, making the BLG / PPI blends, the R-BLG / PPI blends, and the BSA / PPI blends suitable candidates for preparing meat substitute patty. Also, the BSA / PPI blends were shown to be capable of cold gelling and / or increasing viscosity upon cooling

[0237] It can also be observed that the performance of the 50%R-BLG / 50%PPI blend is comparable to that of the 50%BLG / 50%PPI blend.CLAUSES DESCRIBING THE INVENTION

[0238] Clause 1. A legume protein blend, comprising: a. legume protein containing material; and b. at least one whey protein selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); wherein the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 20:80 to 80:20, or from 45:55 to 55:45.

[0239] Clause 2. The legume protein blend of clause 1 having an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, and / or an improved gelation as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0240] Clause 3. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the legume protein containing material is in a form of a legume protein concentrate or a legume protein isolate, wherein the legume protein is a hydrolyzed protein, a non-hydrolyzed protein, or any combinations thereof.

[0241] Clause 4. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the legume protein containing material comprises legume protein selected from the group consisting of soy protein, fava protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, beans protein, mung bean protein, lentil protein, and any combinations thereof.

[0242] Clause 5. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses having solubility increased by a range from 30 to 2,000%, from 50 to 1,850%, or from 60 to 1,700%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0243] Clause 6. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses having solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, increased by a range from 100 to 2,000%, from 200 to 1,800%, or from 300 to 1,700, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0244] Clause 7. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses having solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, increased by a range from 20 to 500%, from 25 to 400%, or from 30 to 350%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0245] Clause 8. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses having emulsification capacity increased by a range from 15 to 450%, from 20 to 400%, or from 25 to 350%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0246] Clause 9. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses having gel strength for heat-induced gelation increased by a range from 10 to 9,000%, from 20 to 8,500%, or from 30 to 7,500%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0247] Clause 10. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses having gel strength for acid-induced gelation increased by a range from 5 to 1,900%, from 50 to 1,850%, or from 100 to 1,800%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0248] Clause 11. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the legume protein blend is in dry powder form.

[0249] Clause 12. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the whey protein is animal-product-free whey protein.

[0250] Clause 13. A food product comprising the legume protein blend of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the food product is a meat substitute product or a dairy substitute product.

[0251] Clause 14. Use of the legume protein blend of any of clauses 1 to 12 to prepare a meat substitute product or a dairy substitute product.

[0252] Clause 15. A process for preparing a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of: a. hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; b. cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and e. homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend; wherein the whey protein is selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); and the legume protein blendhas an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, and / or an improved gelation, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

[0253] Clause 16. The process of clause 15, wherein the cooled protein mixture is homogenized by a dispersing device, a high pressure homogenization, and / or an ultrasonic homogenization.

[0254] Clause 17. The process of any of clauses 15 to 16, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of al. hydrating the legume protein containing material in water to obtain a legume protein aqueous mixture; a2. hydrating whey protein in water to obtain a whey protein aqueous mixture; and a3. mixing the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture to obtain the protein mixture.

[0255] Clause 18. The process of any of clauses 15 to 17, wherein the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 20:80 to 80:20, or from 45:55 to 55:45.

[0256] Clause 19. The process of any of clauses 15 to 18, wherein the legume protein containing material is mixed with water in a weight ratio of, legume protein containing material to water, from 1 :3 to 1 :40, preferably from 1 :5 to 1 :45, more preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :40, to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

[0257] Clause 20. The process of any of clauses 15 to 19, wherein the whey protein is mixed with water in a weight ratio of, whey protein to water, from 1 :5 to 1 :60, preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :55, more preferably from 1 :8 to 1 : 50, to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

[0258] Clause 21. The process of any of clauses 15 to 20, wherein the legume protein aqueous mixture is mixed with the whey protein aqueous mixture for a mixing period in a range from 5 to 60 minutes, preferably from 8 to 40 minutes, more preferably from 10 to 20 minutes to obtain the protein mixture.

[0259] Clause 22. The process of any of clauses 15 to 21, wherein in step (a) the legume protein containing material and the whey protein are hydrated together.

[0260] Clause 23. The process of any of clauses 15 to 22, wherein the whey protein is animal- product-free whey protein.

[0261] Clause 24. A process for improving solubility of a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of: a. hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; b. cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; andc. homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend; wherein the whey protein is selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); and the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, or from 50:50 to 80:2.

[0262] Clause 25. A process for improving emulsification capacity of a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of: a. hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; b. cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and c. homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend; wherein the whey protein is selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); and the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, or from 50:50 to 80:2.

[0263] Clause 26. A process for improving gelation of a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of: a. hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; b. cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19oC to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and c. homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend; wherein the whey protein is selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); and the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, or from 50:50 to 80:20; wherein the gelation is heat-induced gelation or acid-induced gelation.

[0264] Clause 27. The process of any of clauses 24 to 26, wherein the cooled protein mixture is homogenized by a dispersing device, a high pressure homogenization, and / or an ultrasonic homogenization.

[0265] Clause 28. The process of any of clauses 24 to 27, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:al. hydrating the legume protein containing material in water to obtain a legume protein aqueous mixture; a2. hydrating whey protein in water to obtain a whey protein aqueous mixture; and a3. mixing the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture to obtain the protein mixture.

[0266] Clause 29. The process of any of clauses 24 to 28, wherein the legume protein containing material is mixed with water in a weight ratio of, legume protein containing material to water, from 1 :3 to 1 :40, preferably from 1 :5 to 1 :45, more preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :40, to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

[0267] Clause 30. The process of any of clauses 24 to 29, wherein the whey protein is mixed with water in a weight ratio of, whey protein to water, from 1 :5 to 1 :60, preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :55, more preferably from 1 :8 to 1 : 50, to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

[0268] Clause 31. The process of any of clauses 24 to 30, wherein the whey protein is animal- product-free whey protein.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A legume protein blend, comprising: a. legume protein containing material; and b. at least one whey protein selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); wherein the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 20:80 to 80:20, or from 45:55 to 55:45.

2. The legume protein blend of claim 1 having an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, and / or an improved gelation as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

3. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims, wherein the legume protein containing material is in a form of a legume protein concentrate or a legume protein isolate, wherein the legume protein is a hydrolyzed protein, a non-hydrolyzed protein, or any combinations thereof.

4. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims, wherein the legume protein containing material comprises legume protein selected from the group consisting of soy protein, fava protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, beans protein, mung bean protein, lentil protein, and any combinations thereof.

5. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims having solubility increased by a range from 30 to 2,000%, from 50 to 1,850%, or from 60 to 1,700%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

6. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims having solubility, measured at an acidic pH 3.4, increased by a range from 100 to 2,000%, from 200 to 1,800%, or from 300 to 1,700, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

7. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims having solubility, measured at a neutral pH 7, increased by a range from 20 to 500%, from 25 to 400%, or from 30 to 350%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

8. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims having emulsification capacity increased by a range from 15 to 450%, from 20 to 340%, or from 25 to 350%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

9. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims having gel strength for heat- induced gelation increased by a range from 10 to 9,000%, from 20 to 8,500%, or from 30 to 7,500%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

10. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims having gel strength for acid- induced gelation increased by a range from 5 to 1,900%, from 50 to 1,850%, or from 100 to 1,800%, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

11. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims, wherein the legume protein blend is in dry powder form.

12. The legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims, wherein the whey protein is animal-product-free whey protein.

13. A food product comprising the legume protein blend of any of the preceding claims, wherein the food product is a meat substitute product or a dairy substitute product.

14. Use of the legume protein blend of any of claims 1 to 12 to prepare a meat substitute product or a dairy substitute product.

15. A process for preparing a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of: a. hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; b. cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and c. homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend;wherein the whey protein is selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); and the legume protein blend has an improved solubility, an improved emulsification capacity, and / or an improved gelation, as compared to the same legume protein containing material.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the cooled protein mixture is homogenized by a dispersing device, a high pressure homogenization, and / or an ultrasonic homogenization.

17. The process of any of claims 15 to 16, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of: al. hydrating the legume protein containing material in water to obtain a legume protein aqueous mixture; a2. hydrating whey protein in water to obtain a whey protein aqueous mixture; and a3. mixing the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture to obtain the protein mixture.

18. The process of any of claims 15 to 17, wherein the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 5:95 to 95:5, from 20:80 to 80:20, or from 45:55 to 55:45.

19. The process of any of claims 15 to 18, wherein the legume protein containing material is mixed with water in a weight ratio of, legume protein containing material to water, from 1 :3 to 1 :40, preferably from 1 :5 to 1 :45, more preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :40, to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

20. The process of any of claims 15 to 19, wherein the whey protein is mixed with water in a weight ratio of, whey protein to water, from 1 :5 to 1 :60, preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :55, more preferably from 1 :8 to 1 : 50, to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

21. The process of any of claims 15 to 20, wherein the legume protein aqueous mixture is mixed with the whey protein aqueous mixture for a mixing period in a range from 5 to 60 minutes, preferably from 8 to 40 minutes, more preferably from 10 to 20 minutes to obtain the protein mixture.

22. The process of any of claims 15 to 21, wherein in step (a) the legume protein containing material and the whey protein are hydrated together.

23. The process of any of claims 15 to 22, wherein the whey protein is animal-product-free whey protein.

24. A process for improving solubility of a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of: a. hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; b. cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and c. homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend; wherein the whey protein is selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); and the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, or from 50:50 to 80:20.

25. A process for improving emulsification capacity of a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of: a. hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; b. cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and c. homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend; wherein the whey protein is selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); and the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, or from 50:50 to 80:20.

26. A process for improving gelation of a legume protein blend, comprising the steps of:a. hydrating and mixing legume protein containing material and whey protein to obtain a protein mixture; b. cooling the protein mixture to a cooling temperature from 0 to 19°C to obtain a cooled protein mixture; and c. homogenizing the cooled protein mixture to obtain the legume protein blend; wherein the whey protein is selected from the group consisting of alpha lactalbumin (ALA), beta lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA); and the whey protein and the legume protein containing material are present in the legume protein blend in a ratio of, protein content of the whey protein to protein content of legume protein containing material, from 50:50 to 95:5, from 50:50 to 90: 10, or from 50:50 to 80:20; and wherein the gelation is heat-induced gelation or acid-induced gelation.

27. The process of any of claims 24 to 26, wherein the cooled protein mixture is homogenized by a dispersing device, a high pressure homogenization, and / or an ultrasonic homogenization.

28. The process of any of claims 24 to 27, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of: al. hydrating the legume protein containing material in water to obtain a legume protein aqueous mixture; a2. hydrating whey protein in water to obtain a whey protein aqueous mixture; and a3. mixing the legume protein aqueous mixture and the whey protein aqueous mixture to obtain the protein mixture.

29. The process of any of claims 24 to 28, wherein the legume protein containing material is mixed with water in a weight ratio of, legume protein containing material to water, from 1 :3 to 1 :40, preferably from 1 :5 to 1 :45, more preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :40, to obtain the legume protein aqueous mixture.

30. The process of any of claims 24 to 29, wherein the whey protein is mixed with water in a weight ratio of, whey protein to water, from 1 :5 to 1 :60, preferably from 1 :6 to 1 :55, more preferably from 1 :8 to 1 : 50, to obtain the whey protein aqueous mixture.

31. The process of any of claims 24 to 30, wherein the whey protein is animal-product-free whey protein.

Images