Multi-Protein Meat Analogues Prepared by High Moisture Extrusion: The Effect of Protein Interaction on Their Structure and Quality

Hemp protein (HP), a plant-based protein with high nutritional value, shows promising potential for application in the production of meat analogues (MA). However, the formation mechanism of MA fiber structure produced by different proportions of HP and soy protein isolate (SPI) and its impact on the quality of MA remains unclear. In this study, MA with different HP/SPI ratios was prepared by high moisture extrusion (HME), and its texture and structure were evaluated. The results revealed that an appropriate amount of HP improve the textural properties of MA, promote the formation of fiber structure, and significantly improve its oil holding capacity (OHC). Compared with no addition of HP, the degree of texturization of MA with 40% HP was increased by 21.1%, and the OHC with 60% HP was increased by 79.9%. Furthermore, the addition of 40% HP promoted the formation of hydrogen bonds and disulfide bonds in the proteins in the cooling and extrusion zones, thereby forming MA with better fiber structure. The secondary structure also showed that the addition of HP formed more ordered structures (α-helix and β-sheet) of protein in the cooling and extrusion zone, which played an important role in maintaining the fiber structure of MA.