Ingredient technology to produce clean-label products that meet quality expectations is leading development in gums, binders and other emulsifiers. Additionally, use of gums, binders and emulsifiers to make plant-protein-based meat analogs more similar to meat products continues to progress, says Wes Schilling, professor of food science at Mississippi State University.
Label-friendly ingredients — even in this ingredient category, in which many are derived from plant materials — is where development is happening, says Edward Mills, associate professor of meat science at Penn State University, in University Park, Pa. For example, pea protein, which has been around for a while, is still finding different uses. Because it is a protein, it has the potential to be an emulsifier in certain circumstances. The protein structure is such that pea protein is not a good emulsifier for pork or beef fat, but possibly well suited for poultry products where the fat has a lower melting point, Mills explains.