Impact of oil composition and dry matter content on the structure and texture of highly concentrated faba bean protein gels
Abstract
Plant proteins from legumes like faba bean are promising ingredients for developing alternatives to animal-based foods due to high protein content. However, their gelling behavior remains insufficiently explored. In this study, a faba bean concentrate (65% protein) was used to produce gels through a tofu-like process. The soluble protein fraction was extracted under alkaline conditions and emulsified with sunflower and coconut oil to mimic milk compositions. After heat treatment, gelation was induced by calcium addition at high temperature, followed by pressing to control moisture. Pressing allowed the production of concentrated gels with dry matter contents up to 50%, exceeding values typically reported for plant-protein gels. Texture and structure were investigated using rheology, compression tests, and SEM. Reducing water content from 68% to 50% increased gel hardness by 100% and cohesiveness by 20%, while gels formulated with 100% coconut oil were twice as firm and 15% less cohesive than sunflower oil gels. Microscopy provided insights on protein-oil network organization. These results highlight the role of water removal and oil composition in structuring faba bean protein gels and contribute to understanding gel formation mechanisms, supporting the design of dense matrices with structures suitable for pressed cheese analogues.
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BibTeX
@article{fiscarelli2026impact,
title = {{Impact of oil composition and dry matter content on the structure and texture of highly concentrated faba bean protein gels}},
author = {Alban Fiscarelli and Solange Buchin and Florence Husson and Rémi Saurel},
journal = {Future Foods},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1016/j.fufo.2026.101111},
url = {https://institut-agro-dijon.hal.science/hal-05674183v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Impact of oil composition and dry matter content on the structure and texture of highly concentrated faba bean protein gels
AU - Alban Fiscarelli
AU - Solange Buchin
AU - Florence Husson
AU - Rémi Saurel
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/25
JO - Future Foods
DO - 10.1016/j.fufo.2026.101111
UR - https://institut-agro-dijon.hal.science/hal-05674183v1
AB - Plant proteins from legumes like faba bean are promising ingredients for developing alternatives to animal-based foods due to high protein content. However, their gelling behavior remains insufficiently explored. In this study, a faba bean concentrate (65% protein) was used to produce gels through a tofu-like process. The soluble protein fraction was extracted under alkaline conditions and emulsified with sunflower and coconut oil to mimic milk compositions. After heat treatment, gelation was induced by calcium addition at high temperature, followed by pressing to control moisture. Pressing allowed the production of concentrated gels with dry matter contents up to 50%, exceeding values typically reported for plant-protein gels. Texture and structure were investigated using rheology, compression tests, and SEM. Reducing water content from 68% to 50% increased gel hardness by 100% and cohesiveness by 20%, while gels formulated with 100% coconut oil were twice as firm and 15% less cohesive than sunflower oil gels. Microscopy provided insights on protein-oil network organization. These results highlight the role of water removal and oil composition in structuring faba bean protein gels and contribute to understanding gel formation mechanisms, supporting the design of dense matrices with structures suitable for pressed cheese analogues.
SN - 2666-8335
ER -