Plant proteins and alternatives: what choices are available between
process, functionality and nutrition?

Intervention by Marwa Kadi, IMPROVE Project Manager for Protein Analysis and Food Applications, at the Health Food Days (JAS)June 19-20, 2024, La Rochelle

Over the past year, plant and alternative proteins have gained in popularity as a sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative to animal proteins.
These proteins are known for their multiple functionalities once used in food matrices (emulsifier, binder, foaming agent), but also for their nutritional aspects (essential amino acids, vitamins, polyphenols, etc.).).
They are obtained from a variety of sources (legumes, cereals, seeds, yeast, precision fermentation, etc.).
In addition, there are numerous extraction processes which enable different types of protein ingredients to be obtained, and which influence the functional and nutritional aspects of these alternative proteins.

At IMPROVEwe've been working for years on plant and alternative proteins, from seeds to ready-to-use ingredients (isolates, concentrates, etc.).

Numerous studies on functional and nutritional aspects have been carried out at IMPROVE to determine the capabilities of these sources as an alternative to animal proteins.