Lupin Proteins Aid Low-Fat Products

FREISING, GermanyNew research out of Germany has found lupin seeds yield a creamy protein suspension suitable for the production of low-fat sausage products. The findings suggest sustainable vegetable ingredients one day could replace animal raw materials.

According to researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, plant-based food ingredients can be expected to play a particularly important role as a substitute for raw materials derived from animals.

Dr. Ing. Peter Eisner presented a milk substitute" made from lupin proteins and suitable as a basis for foods such as ice cream or cheese. It contains no lactose, has a neutral flavor, is cholesterol-free and rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Lupin seeds are also the basic ingredient in a new vegetable protein isolate with fat-like properties that has been developed by IVV researcher Daniela Sussmann. A special production method applied to the lupin seed yields a highly viscous protein suspension with a very creamy consistency.

The microscopic structure of this product resembles that of the fat particles in sausage meat. So you can use it to produce low-fat sausage products that taste just as good as the original," she said.

In sensory tests she investigated whether adding lupin protein could improve the juicy and creamy impression of a low-fat sausage recipe. By adding 10 percent protein isolate, we were able to markedly improve the fat-like impression of low-fat liverwurst," she said.