A dual polysaccharide and plant protein system for cheese analog with enhanced meltability and texture

Current commercial plant-based cheeses lack the dairy-like characteristics expected by consumers, often formulated with only starch and/or low protein content, underscoring the need for better solutions. This study presents a dual polysaccharide formulation with inclusion of plant-based protein to mimic the meltability of dairy-based cheese upon heating. A novel approach to starch addition into the emulsion gel was developed to ensure favorable network formations at each stage of cheese application, maximizing meltability and the creation of a soft texture after cooking. Pea protein isolate (PPI, 5 %), for O/W interface stabilization, worked in tandem with the network-forming glutinous rice flour (GRF, 0–12 %), and κ-carrageenan (κC, 0.2–0.8 %) in an emulsion gel that was tested for its mechanical properties at varying composition. Cheese-like characteristics were achieved through sequential gel-sol-gel transition κC and gelatinization of starch during cooking. Our PPI-κC-GRF emulsion gels showed excellent freeze-thaw stability (>85 %) and improvements over commercial plant-based cheese analogs in meltability (+12.39–115.75 % vs. −3.89 %, respectively). The study was able to track the changes in the structural formations of the two gel networks during cooking. Through rheology, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and Synchrotron-FTIR chemical imaging, a step-by-step map of the changes responsible for the meltability and texture of the emulsion gel was proposed. The results underline that dual polysaccharide network emulsion gel could be tailored to mimic cheese characteristics, as a possible template for future plant-based cheese development.