Plant-protein isolates and flavour perception: Understanding mechanisms and strategies to balance flavour retention and release

The incorporation of plant-based protein isolates (PPI) into food is steadily increasing. However, due to their structure and functional properties, proteins can interact with flavour compounds, influencing their volatility, release, and overall sensory profile. This review examines their interaction with flavour compounds, highlighting the effect of chemical bonding and processing factors on altering protein binding sites and flavour perception. A key challenge with PPI is the presence of negative flavours, like beany and bitter, which can limit its application in food formulation. Protein-focused strategies for mitigating these undesirable flavours are also discussed. While most research has focused on model systems using PPI solutions, studies incorporating PPI within food matrices have also been included where possible, to provide an authentic understanding of flavours in formulated products. By integrating current findings from both analytical and sensory studies, this review aims to outline PPI's role in improving flavour quality in food development.