Pilot-Scale Production of Spray Dried Pulse Protein-Polyphenol Particles and Protein Bars

Pulses are still under-consumed in the USA and in most of the Western world. Scalable, industrially friendly production strategies that deliver good-tasting pulse ingredients and products are necessary to intensify the use of pulse proteins. In this work, the pilot-scale spray drying production of plant-based microparticles PP-BC made with pulse protein (pea, PP) and polyphenols (blackcurrant extract, BC) was investigated as an effective strategy to create new pulse ingredients for the marketplace. Lab-scale spray drying experiments defined operational conditions for the pilot-scale production of PP-BC microparticles that were comprehensively characterized for their physicochemical and morphological attributes and phytochemical composition. The microparticles were used to produce protein bars that were evaluated for sensory attributes and storage stability. The solubility of PP-BC was pH-dependent and increased from pH 4 (36.3% ± 0.2%) to pH 10 (56.3% ± 0.4%). PP-BC contained a high total phenolic content (48.2 mg GAE/g), and anthocyanins were the main polyphenol compounds in PP-BC (22.65 mg C3G/g), followed by flavonols (9.63 mg/g). When protein bars produced with PP-BC or non-complexed PP and BC were compared, polyphenols in PP-BC particles were preserved from degradation (95.2% retention), while free, non-encapsulated polyphenols significantly decreased during 8 weeks of accelerated storage (78.2% retention; p < 0.05). Moreover, protein bars made with complexed pulse protein-polyphenol particles had better sensory scores than bars made with non-complexed PP and BC. Spray dried protein-polyphenol particles are a sensible and realistic strategy to offer diversified and stable pulse products for the emerging wellness-oriented market.