The Science of Alt Protein: Enzymatic treatment of hemp for highly functional plant-based meat ingredient in commercial manufacturing

Event description

Join us for a presentation from Dr. Simsek, who will share insights from her GFI-funded project on the enzymatic treatment of hemp by-products. This project aims to create hemp-based protein ingredients with improved functionality for plant-based meat, incorporating dietary fiber and providing good nutritional value. Her findings provide a pathway to transforming agricultural by-products into high-value ingredients for sustainable food production.

Hemp seed cake can be upcycled into a highly functional food ingredient with high protein and high dietary fiber. Enzyme treatments can improve the dietary fiber profiles of a plant-based protein source from hemp seed cake. Cellulase, xylanase, and pectinase were employed to improve dietary fiber solubility in plant-based protein ingredients. Enzyme treatments can also alter the water-holding capacity of the hemp cake, leading to textural differences in the extruded meat analogs. Total protein content and protein digestibility was maintained after the enzymatic treatments. The enzyme treatments resulted in significant (p<.05) differences in the proportion of soluble dietary fiber (SDF). Hemp cake treated with cellulase had 5.3% SDF compared to the 3.1% SDF found in the control hemp cake. After producing meat ball type product, texture analysis showed that enzyme treatments can change the firmness of the cooked product. Utilizing different enzymatic treatments could result in custom dietary fiber profiles. This project is the basis for developing hemp-based protein ingredients with good nutritional value and high dietary fiber content.