November 2024

Extrusion CoP #12 – Micro Compounder Applications in Plant Protein Transformation

In this session, we were joined by Dr Belal Hasan from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, who presented on:
“Applications of Micro Compounder as Analytical Tool to Study Plant Protein Transformation.”

Dr Hasan shared how micro compounders can be used as precise, small-scale analytical tools to investigate plant protein behaviour under extrusion-like conditions. He discussed his research into the physicochemical transformations of proteins, particularly water management, disulfide bonding, and pH effects during processing. He also introduced the Swelling Anisotropic Index, a technique he co-developed to rapidly assess the degree of texturisation—now adopted by industry.

The session provided valuable insights into low-volume analytical approaches that support rapid formulation screening and quality control for meat analogue development.