Food protein
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Exploring Food Protein Sources: Nutritional and Functional Insights
Global Protein Deficiency and Sources
Protein deficiency is a significant global nutritional issue, affecting nearly half of the world's population. Proteins can be derived from various sources, including animal products (meat, fish, milk, eggs), plant-based foods (cereals, legumes, oilseeds), microbiologically synthesized sources (yeast, bacteria), and synthetic or artificial means. Animal proteins, while nutritionally complete, are often expensive, prompting a shift towards alternative protein sources such as legumes, cereals, seeds, nuts, and microalgae like Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris.
Plant Proteins: A Sustainable Alternative
Plant proteins are increasingly recognized for their potential to reduce dependence on animal proteins. They are derived from a variety of sources, including cereal grains, tree nuts, oilseeds, legumes, and pulses, with protein content ranging from 6% to 45% . Despite some plant proteins having suboptimal levels of essential amino acids, they offer numerous health benefits due to bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and antioxidant properties. However, plant proteins can also contain antinutritional factors that inhibit protein digestion and may cause allergies or coeliac disease.
Technological and Nutritional Attributes of Food Proteins
The nutritional and technological properties of food proteins depend on their source, extraction, purification, and interactions with other food components during food manufacture. Traditional animal proteins are complete sources of essential amino acids but come with concerns about saturated fat content. Plant proteins, while generally lacking one or more essential amino acids, can be combined to provide similar benefits as animal proteins. Advances in plant protein technology are needed to improve their functionality, such as solubility, foaming, emulsifying, and gelling properties, to make them more suitable for food products.
Functional Applications of Proteins in Food
Proteins play a crucial role in food formulation, not only for their nutritional value but also for their ability to impart specific textures, replace fat, form gels, and stabilize emulsions. The functionality of proteins in food is influenced by their solubility, thermal stability, gelation, emulsifying, foaming, fat binding, and water binding properties. Understanding these properties is essential for developing high-protein foods and dietary supplements that meet consumer demands for healthy, sustainably produced, and non-animal proteins.
Conclusion
The exploration of various protein sources, including plant-based, microbiologically synthesized, and synthetic proteins, is crucial in addressing global protein deficiency and meeting the nutritional needs of a growing population. While animal proteins remain a complete source of essential amino acids, plant proteins offer a sustainable and health-promoting alternative. Advances in protein technology and functionality will play a vital role in the development of new food products that cater to the evolving dietary preferences and health concerns of consumers.
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