Developing plant-based mayonnaise using pea protein-xanthan gum conjugates: A maillard reaction approach

The growing interest in sustainable foods has spurred the development of plant protein-based products. This study presents a method for recreating the physical and sensory characteristics of traditional egg-based mayonnaise using a conjugate of pea protein isolate (PPI) and xanthan gum (XG), prepared via a Maillard reaction. The relative ratios of PPI and XG were optimized to improve the conjugate's emulsification and solubility properties, compared to PPI alone. Our results indicate that mayonnaise prepared with the PPI-XG conjugate exhibits a droplet size distribution, rheological behavior, and thixotropic recovery rate similar to egg yolk-based mayonnaise, suggesting similar textural and organoleptic properties. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images revealed an identical network structure between the PPI-XG based mayonnaise and traditional egg yolk mayonnaise, which is known to influence the textural properties. This study highlights the potential of PPI-XG conjugates in developing plant-based mayonnaise, presenting a viable alternative to traditional mayonnaise.