Chickpea-Based Milk Analogue Stabilized by Transglutaminase

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Dairy Alternatives
• Plant-Based Proteins

Background:

• Plant-based milk substitutes are gaining popularity.
• Chickpea proteins (CP) possess favorable nutritional and functional properties.
• Consumer demand for clean-label, shelf-stable dairy alternatives is rising.

Purpose of the Study:

• To produce and characterize chickpea protein (CP) milk analogue emulsions.
• To evaluate the impact of transglutaminase (TG) crosslinking on CP emulsion stability.
• To compare TG-modified CP milk analogue with conventional soymilk.

Main Methods:

• Production of oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions using chickpea protein isolate (3% w/w) and canola oil (3% w/w).
• Application of transglutaminase (TG) (50 U/g protein) to crosslink chickpea proteins.
• Characterization of emulsions via particle size distribution, zeta potential, viscosity, and microstructure analysis.
• Comparison with commercial soymilk as a reference.

Main Results:

• TG-crosslinked chickpea protein milk analogue exhibited enhanced stability with a zeta potential of -24.7 mV.
• TG treatment led to a longer shelf life compared to non-TG treated CP and soymilk.
• Stable particle size distribution (D[3,2] 0.11-0.17 µm) and desirable shear-thinning viscosity (2.16 mPas at 300 1/s) were observed.
• TG-modified CP milk analogue demonstrated improved emulsion stability.

Conclusions:

• TG-crosslinked chickpea protein milk analogue is a viable, stable, and functional alternative to dairy and soy milk.
• This formulation offers a clean-label, shelf-stable option for the food industry.
• Further optimization of protein concentration and processing could enhance functionality.