Effects of high‐moisture extrusion processing on reducing anti‐nutritional factors and allergenicity in plant‐based materials—A mini review

Abstract The rising demand for plant‐based meat alternatives has had advancements in processing technologies such as extrusion to meet consumer preferences for enhanced sensory qualities and nutritional benefits. High moisture extrusion (HME), a thermo‐mechanical process employing elevated moisture levels (40%–70%), has emerged as a promising method for producing meat analogues with fibrous meat‐like textures. Beyond its textural optimisation capabilities, HME offers potential benefits in reducing anti‐nutritional factors (ANFs) and allergens while enhancing protein digestibility in plant‐based materials. This short review explores the current findings on the effects of HME on these critical factors. Studies demonstrate that HME significantly reduces ANFs in soy and mung bean powders, such as trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid and polyphenols, through heat‐ and moisture‐induced structural modifications, enhancing protein digestibility in plant‐based protein sources. Similarly, HME processing decreases allergenicity in soybean/corn and peanut powders by disrupting molecular epitopes and facilitating protein denaturation, aggregation and conformational changes. However, the combined effects of moisture content, temperature and screw speed on these outcomes remain underexplored, particularly for specific ANFs and allergens across diverse plant‐based raw materials. This review underscores the need for further research to optimise HME parameters for creating safe and digestible plant‐based foods while addressing the existing gaps in knowledge.