June 2024

Extrusion CoP #9 – Emulsion Stability of Plant-Based Proteins

This month we welcomed Dr Leonard Sagis from Wageningen University for a fascinating session on “Emulsion Stability of Plant-Based Proteins under High Shear Deformation and Implications for High-Moisture Extrusion.”

Leonard shared his recent research exploring how plant-based proteins behave at interfaces under high shear – a condition typical in food processing. While often considered inferior to animal proteins in static stability, his findings reveal that plant proteins may actually perform better under dynamic conditions, due to their stretchable, less brittle interfaces. The implications of these insights for high-moisture extrusion and product texture development were a key point of discussion.

Dr Sagis brings decades of expertise in soft matter systems and continues to shape our understanding of plant-protein functionality in the protein transition.