High Moisture Extrusion Texturization of Air-Classified Barley Protein for the Production of Novel Plant-Based Meat Analogues

Barley, primarily used for malting and animal feed, holds untapped potential as a human food source. Plant-based meat analogues, aimed at mimicking attributes of animal meats, typically rely on refined ingredients like soy protein or wheat gluten. To address ingredient sustainability and diversification in the plant-based food sector, this study used protein-enriched ingredients from two dry-fractionated barley varieties. Blends of pea protein and protein-enriched barley flour from two varieties (CDC Austenson and CDC Valdres) were extruded under high moisture conditions. The effects of two barley inclusion levels (15 and 30% w/w) and three feed moisture levels (47.5, 52.5, and 57.5% wb) were investigated on meat analogue’s physical and techno-functional properties. Barley’s inclusion led to texturized meat analogues with sufficiently fibrous characteristics and texture comparable with recent studies on meat analogues. Meat analogues containing 15% of protein-enriched barley flour from CDC Austenson and processed at 57.5% feed moisture had the highest anisotropy index (1.57). An increase in barley inclusion in the formulation led to an increase in the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of the meat analogues. However, increasing moisture content led to a decrease in hardness, gumminess, chewiness, density, and color change. In terms of techno-functionality, extrusion led to a reduction in the water and oil holding capacities of the meat analogues compared to the raw formulations. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the effective inclusion of protein-enriched barley flours as ingredients for high moisture meat analogues. Findings are expected to encourage the usage of barley in human food applications and promote ingredient diversification.