| Abstract | This study aimed to characterize pea composites' functionalities and investigate the feasibility of pea composites-based heat modulated meat analog (MA) production. Pea composites (concentrate, flour) were used as the main source of plant-proteins in preparation of MA. Techno-functional, sensorial, microstructural, chemical, and thermal characteristics of pea composites as well as the prepared MAs were investigated. Results showed that, protein content and particles size significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the water holding capacity (0.94 g/g ± 0.03–1.17 g/g ± 0.08), oil holding capacity (1.08 g/g ± 0.02–1.32 g/g ± 0.04), foaming capacity (49.20 % ± 0.12–58.9 % ± 0.98), foam stability (63.15 % ± 0.21–71.82 % ± 0.68), emulsion stability (61.73 % ± 1.68–66.02 % ± 1.25), least gelation concentration (at pH 7: 8.02 % ± 0.91–18.02 % ± 0.21), and solubility (at pH 7:70.51 % ± 2.54–93.71 % ± 1.86) of studied pea composites; that subsequently influenced the formation of heat-modulated MAs. Color, stickiness, moldability, microstructure (surface plot, fractal dimension: 2.771 ± 0.006–2.884 ± 0.009, surface openings: 8.76 % ± 1.25−33.24 % ± 1.28), thermal (denaturization temperature:103.41 °C ± 3.87–161.20 °C ± 1.35, enthalpy: 1085.10 J/g ± 115.42–1322.71 J/g ± 185.65), and chemical attributes of MAs were associated with the protein content (25.30 % ± 0.98–60.30 % ± 1.87) and particle size (d10:2.30 μm ± 0.32–15.02 μm ± 1.35; d50:6.30 μm ± 1.02–59.01 μm ± 2.35; d90:15.11 μm ± 2.34–137.01 μm ± 15.21) of pea composites. MA formulated with pea flour showed better moldability and acceptability in comparison to pea concentrates. This study exposed the use of pea flour as a feasible option to produce heat modulated meat analogs. |
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