ProteinLab – Establishment of a laboratory for the characterization of plant proteins for use in milk and meat alternatives

Plant-based dairy and meat alternatives are currently the fastest growing food segments globally. This is due to a growing awareness of healthy eating, sustainability and animal welfare.

A value-giving and nutritionally relevant component of these products is the protein content, where not only the quantity but also the properties and composition play a role in processability, product characteristics and nutritional value.

Current problems with plant-based milk and meat alternatives are lower bioavailability of the protein and undesirable sensory properties. However, a mixture of proteins from different plant sources and processing steps can significantly improve these properties. A detailed characterization of proteins is crucial in order to assess their suitability for the manufacture of these products and to precisely define the required properties.

This project intends to establish a laboratory for the characterization of plant proteins with the aim of developing a set of standardized methods and an analytical pipeline.