Mechanism and application of fermentation to remove beany flavor from plant-based meat analogs: A mini review

Abstract

Over the past few decades, there has been a noticeable surge in the market of plant-based meat analogs (PBMA). Such popularity stems from their environmentally friendly production procedures as well as their positive health effects. In order to meet the market demand, it is necessary to look for plant protein processing techniques that can help them match the quality of conventional meat protein from the aspects of sensory, quality and functionality. Bean proteins are ideal options for PBMA with their easy accessibility, high nutrient-density and reasonable price. However, the high polyunsaturated lipids content of beans inevitably leads to the unpleasant beany flavor of soy protein products, which severely affects the promotion of soy protein-based PBMA. In order to solve this issue, various methods including bleaching, enzyme and fermentation etc. are developed. Among these, fermentation is widely investigated due to its high efficiency, less harm to the protein matrix, targeted performance and low budget. In addition, proper utilization of microbiome during the fermentation process not only reduces the unpleasant beany flavors, but also enhances the aroma profile of the final product. In this review, we provide a thorough and succinct overview of the mechanism underlying the formation and elimination of beany flavor with associated fermentation process. The pros and cons of typical fermentation technologies for removing beany flavors are discussed in alongside with their application scenarios. Additionally, the variations among different methods are compared in terms of the strains, fermentation condition, target functionality, matrix for application, sensory perception etc.

Sensory and Physical Properties of Fibrous Meat Analogs Made from Faba Bean, Pea, and Oat Using High-Moisture Extrusion

“…'Umami' and 'meaty' attributes could be beneficial for the acceptance of meat analogs, but the lack of these attributes may not be crucial, since it should be possible to add meaty and umami notes to products using flavorings. However, the extrudate samples were described as 'beany' by quite a few participants, implying that the beany flavor, typical of faba and other beans [33,34], needs to be addressed through other means, such as breeding [35], fermentation [36], or enzymes [37]. Nevertheless, the pleasantness of taste of the samples was rated, on average, around the middle of the scale ('neither pleasant nor unpleasant'), suggesting that the samples did not present serious flavor challenges.…”

Fermentation improves flavors, bioactive substances, and antioxidant capacity of Bian-Que Triple-Bean Soup by lactic acid bacteria

“…The “beany odor,” also called beany flavor, is a long-standing problem in soybean products. Some studies have shown that short chain aliphatic alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes cause this kind of flavor, and aldehydes (such as hexanal, nonanal and cis-6-nonenal) having the greatest impact on the beany taste ( Wu et al, 2018 ; Tao et al, 2022 ; Wang Z. et al, 2022 ). LAB fermentation has been used to improve the shelf life and flavor of food.…”

“…Other methods to reduce the beany odor include enzyme treatment, supercritical CO 2 extraction, new cultivars breeding, genetic engineering, etc. However, some of these methods have hidden risks for food safety and quality compared to LAB fermentation, while the high cost and extra energy consumption also bring about new problems ( Tao et al, 2022 ). Also, LAB fermentation significantly increases the content of bioactive substances improving the prebiotic and antioxidant properties of legume-based beverages.…”