Understanding the mechanisms associated with quality creation in protein-rich plant-based aerated food materials during processing

鉴于动物农业食物链对环境的影响，创新食品公司正在转向资源密集度较低但营养丰富的来源，并开发工艺，从未充分利用的植物中释放富含蛋白质的成分的潜力。挤压是一种高通量过程，可以灵活地控制食品设计，并将富含植物蛋白的成分加载到食品中。挤压也是一种有效的方法，可以将气泡转化为富含蛋白质的基质，从而将致密、坚硬的材料转化为更轻、更可口和更吸引人的形式，显著提高食品质量。然而，富含蛋白质的充气食品在超市货架上很少见，因为人们对富含蛋白质的食品基质中的气体动力学知之甚少，特别是挤压过程中的气泡机制(即成核、生长、结合、坍塌、凝固)。我在食品曝气方面的背景使我能够研究富含植物蛋白的食品加工过程中的结构创造。*我的长期目标是了解如何在加工高质量、有营养的食品过程中为未来的食品可持续性和安全性量身定做食品结构，并为我的HQP培训适当的技能，以适应不断变化的食品系统。我的目标是(1)利用非破坏性超声波技术阐明蛋白质在膨化过程中的气泡成核和其周围基质的流变性中的作用，(2)使用差示扫描量热法以及截面和体积成像技术来解决富含蛋白质的挤出物的玻璃化转变和气泡破裂之间的联系，以及(3)利用X射线显微层析成像技术来研究气体掺入在由谷物和豆类制成的富含蛋白质的膨化食品的通风中的作用。*该计划的预期结果是：(1)获得关于加工条件、流变学和食品配方相互作用的基础知识，以便制定策略，在蛋白质浓度升高的情况下优化结构，以及(2)建立气体辅助挤压作为一种新技术，以减轻挤压食品中蛋白质浓缩造成的结构损害。此外，通过建立对富含蛋白质基质中气泡动力学的良好理解，我将帮助加工者开发出具有新结构的更健康的食品(例如，富含植物蛋白的配料、零食、面食产品等)。因此，我的计划可能会增加加拿大在利润丰厚的全球植物蛋白和休闲食品行业的市场份额，并扩大将接受该计划培训的9名HQP的就业机会。最终，研究充气软材料在加工过程中气泡动力学变化的驱动因素，将使我们能够提出也可以应用于了解各种聚合物和泡沫塑料特性的原理。

Given the environmental impact of the animal agri-food chain, innovative food companies are shifting to less resource-intensive yet nutritious sources, and developing processes to unlock the potential of protein-rich ingredients from underutilized plants. Extrusion is a high throughput process with the flexibility to control food design and to load plant protein-rich ingredients into foods. Extrusion is also an effective means of engineering bubbles into a protein-rich matrix, thereby converting dense, hard materials into lighter, more palatable and appealing forms, significantly enhancing food quality. However, protein-rich aerated foods are rare on supermarket shelves because very little is known about the dynamics of gases in protein-rich food-matrices, especially bubble mechanics during extrusion (i.e., nucleation, growth, coalescence, collapse, setting). My background in food aeration has uniquely positioned me to investigate structure creation during processing of plant protein-enriched foods.******My long term goal is to understand how food structure is tailored during processing of high-quality, nutritious foods for future food sustainability and security, and train my HQP with appropriate skills for an evolving food system. My objectives are to (1) Elucidate the role of proteins in bubble nucleation and rheological properties of the matrix surrounding them during extrusion using a non-destructive ultrasonic technique, (2) Resolve the link between glass transition and bubble collapse for protein-enriched extrudates using differential scanning calorimetry and cross sectional and volumetric imaging techniques, and (3) Examine the role of gas incorporation in aeration of protein-rich expanded foods made from cereals and pulses, using X-ray microtomography. ******The anticipated outcomes of this program are: (1) acquisition of foundational knowledge on processing conditions, rheology and food formulation interactions, so as to devise strategies to optimize structure at elevated protein concentrations, and (2) establishment of gas assisted extrusion as a novel technique for mitigating structural impairment caused by protein enrichment in extruded foods. Additionally, by establishing a sound understanding of bubble dynamics in protein-rich matrices, I will help processors formulate healthier foods with novel structures (e.g., plant protein-rich ingredients, snacks, pasta products, etc.). Accordingly, my program will potentially increase Canadian market share in the lucrative global plant protein and snack food industries, and expand employment opportunities for the 9 HQP who will be trained in this program. Ultimately, investigating the factors driving changes in bubble dynamics in aerated soft materials during processing will enable us to advance principles that can also be applied to understand the properties of various polymers and cellular foams.