Investigation of various plant protein ingredients for processed cheese analogues: physical properties and microstructure compared with milk proteins

Abstract This study evaluated various structural and physical properties of several plant proteins in the context of processed cheese analogues (PCAs). A total of 9 plant protein sources were selected to formulate PCA samples. The samples were processed at 90 °C for 10 min using either a rapid visco analyzer or water bath for different tests. Rheological analysis revealed that PCA samples formulated with plant proteins all exhibited solid-like behaviour. PCAs containing legume proteins had a higher storage modulus (G’) than that of rennet casein (RC) cheese samples, while canola protein samples showed the lowest G’ values. Zein-based PCA had the highest hardness and chewiness but softened when subjected to heat during the stretchability test. In contrast, PCAs containing chickpea, mung bean, or pea proteins exhibited similar hardness to RC-based cheeses but had poorer springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience. Plant protein-based PCAs also lacked melting and stretchability properties due to the absence of a continuous protein network. When ranking all proteins in PCAs based on viscosity, rheological, and textural properties, lentil protein scored the highest, followed by hemp and quinoa proteins, performing most similarly to casein protein. The presented comparison of different plant proteins in PCAs provides valuable insights for cheese analogue development.