Impact of processing and rehydration conditions on the rehydration kinetics and quality attributes of protein-based foods

• Rehydration kinects of protein-based foods were evaluated. • The rehydration process affected the characteristics of the dried protein sources • Temperature should be considered the primary factor when optimizing the rehydration • The Zugarramurdi and Lupín model showed a correlation with the experimental data Dehydration and rehydration are processes that induce structural modifications in foods and determine the final product quality. Foods such as chicken, lamb, beef, shrimp, and chickpeas are widely consumed protein sources worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of processing steps, and rehydration on the physicochemical properties of protein-based foods, including chicken, lamb, beef, shrimp, and chickpeas. The influence of steaming, freeze-drying, and rehydration conditions (time points: 3, 7, 12, 18, 24, 30, 45, 60, 105, and 150 minutes; temperatures: 20, 50, and 90°C) was assessed through analyses of water activity, moisture content, cooking loss, rehydration capacity, and texture profile. To describe rehydration kinetics, the empirical model proposed by Zugarramurdi and Lupín was applied. The results indicate that rehydration conditions (rehydration time and temperature) significantly influence rehydration kinetics and the quality attributes of the final product. Beef samples showed the lowest rehydration capacity (from 40 to 48%), while chickpea samples exhibited the highest (from 102 to 114%). The cooking process did not influence water activity values among the different protein sources. Meat samples showed cooking loss values ranging from 26.96% to 32.48%. Notably, freeze-drying and rehydration did not significantly alter the texture parameters of shrimp and chickpea samples. The Zugarramurdi and Lupín model effectively predicted the moisture content during the rehydration process of protein-based samples. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the physicochemical changes induced by processing and rehydration parameters, offering valuable data for the optimization of rehydration strategies in freeze-dried protein-based foods.