Human gut unable to unlock proteins from many plant milks

Many plant-based drinks contain little protein and our guts are currently unable to digest some plant proteins , according to research that is creating new products to address the issue.

The new project, Our Nutritious Protein, is tackling the issue that many plant drinks contain little protein and some proteins are not ‘bioavailable’, meaning the human gut is unable to process them. The team of researchers and food producers have been funded by EIT Food to develop new solutions using enzymes that make such drinks more nutritious with improved taste.

The benefits of new plant-based drinks would also mean that they could access more sustainable protein sources such as pea, and could ‘upcycle’ sources taken from the waste of other products.

Professor Ian Givens, Director of the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Heath from the University of Reading along with colleagues Drs Stella Lignou and Nur Liana Binti Sulaiman have been leading work with the food industry.

Professor Givens said:

“Plant-based diets are on the rise around the world, as more people turn away from all animal products either for ethical or environmental reasons. However, there are a number of considerations with cutting meat and dairy from one’s diet, and we know that the issue of bioavailability of certain nutrients is one of them,

“Our Nutritious Protein is an exciting way to harness the sustainability credentials of protein sources like pea or legume plants and create new products for the growing market of plant-based diets. Whereas it has previously not been possible to create plant ‘milks’ that are sustainable, minimally processed and have nutritious levels of protein, we think we’re onto a winning formula.”

The project began in 2019 with a team of scientists led by Professor Givens working with food industry companies DSM, Nestlé and Roquette. The initial research is working on a better understand of the benefit of enzyme processing to create plant-based drinks comparable to cow milk in protein content, which are more sustainable and minimally processed.

Legumes such as peas are highly sustainable crops in terms of protein productivity, but current methods of processing them to create ‘milks’ are unviable as they contain substances that impacts on the amount of protein available. Enzymes are used widely in food production and provide an exciting opportunity to make sustainable, protein-rich drinks.

More information about the project can be found at:
https://www.eitfood.eu/projects/our-nutritious-protein

EIT Food is Europe’s leading agri-food innovation initiative, with the aim to create a sustainable and future-proof food sector. The initiative is made up of a consortium of key industry players, start-ups, research centres and universities from across Europe. EIT Food aims to collaborate closely with consumers to develop new knowledge and technology-based products and services that will ultimately deliver a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for all European citizens.