Publication
Authors
Jerish Joyner Janahar, Graduate Student, Food Science and Technology (FST)
V.M. Balasubramaniam, Professor, FST and Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE)
Rafael Jimenez-Flores, Professor and J.T. 'Stubby' Parker Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods, FST
Osvaldo H. Campanella, Professor and Carl E. Haas Endowed Chair in Food Industries, FST
Israel García-Cano, Postdoc, FST
Da Chen, Postdoc, FST
Quick Take
Looking for a milk alternative, but disappointed with the taste and texture of plant-based milk? You’re not alone. Some consumers report that these products can be too nutty or bitter and are missing the signature “dairy” flavor and feel, especially when used for cooking or mixed into beverages like coffee or tea.
Pea milk is one plant-based option that provides high protein and nutritional content, doesn’t cost much, and is considered sustainable. However, the liquid often doesn’t stay evenly distributed, with proteins settling on the bottom of the mixture. On the other hand, dairy-based milk has a familiar flavor and texture, functions as expected, and stays well-mixed due to homogenization, meaning it won’t separate.
For flexitarians—people who move between plant-based and dairy-based diets—researchers are trying to get the best of both worlds and create a blend of these products: a pea/dairy-milk hybrid.
To do this, researchers from The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences added pea protein powder to milk in different ratios.
They used new ultra-shear technology that blends these proteins using high pressure, shear, and temperature. (During this process, liquids under high pressure are released through a valve, which vigorously mixes the fluid.) Then, they studied how changing these conditions affected the quality of the pea/dairy hybrid milk.
Results
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Researchers found that by using this technology, the resulting hybrid blend was stable, reducing the need for additional preservatives or binding agents to prevent separation.
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When treating the blend with high pressure or temperature alone, the resulting mixtures were not homogenous. But applying all three conditions (high pressure, shear, and temperature) produced liquids of various consistencies.
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Lower ratios of dairy to pea protein (1 to 1) resulted in pea/dairy hybrids suitable for creams, sauces, and milk products. Higher ratios of dairy to pea protein (1 to 3) produced thicker mixtures—great for gels or more viscous products.
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Going forward, the researchers want to continue creating new hybrid milk products with various characteristics. They also want to study and blend other types of pea and dairy proteins to see if they produce different results.
Citation
Janahar, J.J, Balasubramaniam, V.M., Jimenez-Flores, R., Campanella, O.H., García-Cano, I., Chen, D. “Pressure, shear, thermal, and interaction effects on quality attributes of pea–dairy protein colloidal dispersions.” Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 131, October 2022, p. 107811., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.107811