Meat extender promises cost savings for industry

Speaking to FoodNavigator .com at FIE 2011 in Paris, Aurelie Mauray, market development manager for pea protein project at Roquette, said the powder form of its pea protein only enables a 10% replacement of meat whereas the rehydrated textured form delivers up to 30% substitution, while retaining the juiciness and texture of the meat.

“Pea protein is more stable than meat in terms of prices so using less meat will guarantees cost savings for beef steak or chicken nugget processors. ​

But the inclusion of greater amounts of a vegetable-based protein in the end product also helps boost its nutritional profile through a reduction in lipids and a better fatty acid/protein balance,”​ she added.

Mauray explained that the textured pea protein will be sold by Sotexpro under the brand name Texta pois 65/70 and is obtained by the extrusion cooking process, whereby the structure of the proteins are changed through mechanical and thermal stress to give them a more fibrous aspect comparable with that of meat.

She claims another added benefit of the pea protein is that it is gluten-n, GMO- and soybean-free and thus requires no allergen declaration on the labelling.

“The collaboration with Sotexpro on the Texta pois project was driven by Roquette’s bid to continuously add value to an ingredient that we believe is extremely versatile and sustainable - pea cultivation requires little water, no fertiliser and no irrigation,”​ stressed the pea protein project manager.

The French company also launched a clean label starch derived from pea at the trade event that is said to mimic the texture of almond powder in desserts and also the pulpiness of tomato puree due to its coarse particle size.

The supplier said that 30% of the powder in a macaroon recipe is replaced by its pea-based Pregeflo L100G without compromising on taste and texture. “Its neutral taste makes it stand out from other modified starches,”​ said Mauray.