Structuring chicken breast analogs via high moisture extrusion of dairy-plant proteins blends

Chicken analogs were structured using binary blends of soy protein isolate (SPI) and wheat gluten (WG) or whey protein concentrate (WPC), as well as trinary blends of SPI-WG-WPC via high moisture extrusion. Chicken analogs with anisotropic structures were achieved (anisotropic index >1). Although adding WPC increased hardness, by varying the ratio of SPI to WG in the trinary blends, comparable texture profile properties as cooked chicken breast were achieved. The drivers of the fiber structure formation were non-covalent protein-protein interactions like hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, and to a lesser extent, inter-protein disulfide bonds formation. β-sheets were the dominant secondary structure, and adding WPC increased the proportion of α-helix while adding WG increased the proportion of β-turns in the meat analog (MA). This study offered strategies on structuring extruded chicken analogs with WPC, a high-quality protein source, and provided insights into mechanisms underlying the formation of fiber structures.