Influence of a post-processing heat treatment method on the textural properties of textured vegetable protein

Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is gaining popularity as the market for meat analogues grows, but research on processing to improve the texture of TVPs is needed. Heat treatments can change the textural properties during the processing of meat and meat analogues. Therefore, this study analyzed the textural characteristics of low-moisture TVPs following heat treatments using steaming, oven-cooking, microwaving, and vacuum-autoclaving, which combines vacuum packaging and autoclaving. The moisture content of the meat analogues had different patterns depending on the treatment used, with the most significant decrease in moisture occurred with microwaving. The morphological analysis of the meat analogues showed that oven-cooking and microwaving preserved a large air-cell structure and that steaming and vacuum-autoclaving caused a small air-cell structure to form. The texturization index tended to increase only with microwaving. Disulfide bonds were increased with steaming and vacuum-autoclaving; this was thought to be related to the increase in tiny air-cell structures. In conclusion, the most helpful cooking method was vacuum-autoclaving since it allowed the treated meat analogues to trap moisture well, and this led to the formation of a dense structure and a lowering of the texturization index. Therefore, the proposed technique of vacuum-autoclaving was shown to be significant for its potential as a way of processing meat analogues. Practical Application It is expected to improve the quality of plant-based meat analogue products by controlling the physical properties of low-moisture textured vegetable protein (TVP) through steaming, oven, microwave, and vacuum autoclave as post-heat treatments.