Effects of Spray Drying and Lactic Acid Fermentation on the Technological Characteristics of Yellow and Green Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Protein Products

This research evaluates a pH-shifting and drying process for producing powdered protein products from yellow and green peas (Pisum sativum L.), aiming to enhance their technological characteristics. In the precipitation stage, lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus lantarum and Lactobacillus lactis) served as a generally recognized safe precipitant agent. The fine fraction (<150 µm) from yellow and green peas milling acted as an encapsulant/adjuvant agent in the drying stage. Results showed high process productivity (0.41–0.51 kg protein product/kg pea flour) and low specific water consumption (52.58–62.39 kg water/kg protein product) with this approach. Variations in processing parameters affected protein content, yield, and specific water consumption. Significant differences were observed in wetting time, water activity, flowability (Carr index), cohesiveness (Hausner index), density, particle size, and colour of the protein products, depending on the processing alternatives. This flexibility allows tailoring the properties of the powdered protein product for various food technology applications.