Enhancing the flavor of plant-based meat analogues using flavor-capturing alginate/β-cyclodextrin hydrogel beads

Lack of flavor is a major disadvantage that hinders the widespread intake of plant-based meat analogues (PMA). Alginate-based hydrogel beads have flavor encapsulation capabilities. However, its low flavor retention rate and high viscosity limit its application in PMA. Therefore, novel alginate hydrogel beads suitable for PMA were formulated by mixing polysaccharides (such as β-cyclodextrin, gum arabic, agar, or κ-carrageenan). The beads and plant-based patties (PP) containing beads were characterized. Results showed that replacing half of the alginate with each polysaccharide decreased the viscosity. These modifications provided the proper thermal properties, size, and microstructure of the beads for application to PP. Particularly, β-cyclodextrin markedly increased the encapsulation efficiency of flavor up to 91.78 %. Adding four types of fabricated beads to each PP improved quality characteristics by reducing cooking loss and maintaining consistent color and texture profiles during 10 days of storage at 4 °C. The principal component analysis using an electronic nose demonstrated that alginate/β-cyclodextrin beads blocked flavor release in PP during the storage period. Sensory evaluation confirmed the maintenance of flavor intensity in the same PP. Collectively, these data suggest that alginate/β-cyclodextrin hydrogel beads could retain flavors and serve as an ingredient for PMA and other plant-based food systems.