Peas and pea protein are becoming increasingly popular

In ancient times, human ancestors mastered hunting skills and began to live on birds and beasts given by nature. In the era of scarce food resources, nutritious animal-based foods such as meat have always been a rare energy substance. In recent years, with the emergence of issues such as climate change, animal welfare and human health, various types of plant-based foods such as "plant milk" and "plant meat" have flooded the market. Plant-based products not only make the human body healthier, but also make the earth healthier. Medical research shows that since plant-based foods usually have the characteristics of low calories and high fiber, it is more beneficial to health to consume a certain amount of plant protein in the diet to replace animal protein. At the same time, compared with animal protein, plant protein will produce less greenhouse gas emissions and less resource consumption. Among them, peas and pea protein have been the darlings of the plant-based market in recent years.

Pea is a nutritious legume crop with low allergenicity, high protein, and low fat. It also has nutritional benefits such as improving human immune function and preventing cancer. As a common legume crop, peas are grown in more than 90 countries and regions around the world, and their output accounts for about one-third of the world's total legume output. Peas are rich in protein, accounting for 21% to 28%, and are also rich in various bioactive substances, including saponins, flavonoids, tannins and other compounds, accounting for about 8% to 9%.

The main plant-based proteins include soy protein, pea protein and mung bean protein. Compared with the other two, pea protein has the advantages of low cost, low beany smell, low allergenicity, high bioaddition, rich in SOD enzyme, good antioxidant properties, and a relatively balanced amino acid composition. It is estimated that by 2026, the total output value of the global pea protein industry will reach US$2.6 billion, and the global market compound annual growth rate will reach 12.38%.

Roquette and Cargill are both major suppliers of pea protein in the world. Take Roquette as an example. The pea protein produced by the company has more than ten different types and functions of pea protein, which are mainly divided into two categories: organized particles and functional protein powder. These pea proteins vary in solubility, viscosity, salt content, particle size, etc., so that they can be used to process different types of products, such as sausages, patties, meatballs, chicken nuggets, meat sauce, plant meat, dairy products, beverages, skin-free baked goods, etc. They can dissolve quickly in the product, play a role in supporting structure, emulsifying oils, forming gels, and strengthening nutrition.

Pea protein products

1. Plant beverages and plant milk
Although soy protein was the first plant protein used in beverages and dairy products, consumers' concerns about allergens, phytoestrogens and other issues highlight the importance of pea protein in the market. Pea protein can be used to enhance beverage nutrition and is used in plant beverages and plant milks such as protein shakes, sports drinks and protein juice mixtures. This can meet the needs of different consumers for nutrients in beverages. Sports nutrition products represented by pea protein are rich in three essential branched-chain amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine and valine, which can promote muscle growth. At the same time, pea protein has a high digestibility and a more balanced amino acid composition, and is a special nutrient.

2. Plant meat
Pea protein can bind water and fat, becoming a unique and effective adhesive, filler and functional enhancer, and has been used in various forms of meat products and vegetarian meat products (meat product analogs). In sausages, patties, reconstituted steaks and other products, the addition of pea protein (mainly pea protein isolate and pea protein concentrate) not only increases the protein content in the product, but also gives the product a preset sensory property, such as softer and smoother, or more chewy. When used with transglutaminase, pea protein can help form a stronger protein network structure, thereby improving the chewiness of the product; combined with different addition methods, it can improve the cuttability of low-salt meat products, so that low-salt sausages that are originally fragile and rough can also have a smooth cross-section. In vegan meat products, pea protein can form a fiber structure like "meat shreds" under certain conditions, obtaining a taste similar to meat.