Fermentation and plant-based products

Fermentation can be used for very wide range of products. Fermentation is a natural way to improve the proteins for application of plant-based alternative products, says Renske Janssen, Product Manager for Protein Technology at NIZO food research.

When you are making plant-based products, it isn’t quite as straightforward as replacing the proteins with ones derived from plants. Plant-based proteins often have an unpleasant taste. Fermentation offers a solution, allowing you to change the characteristics of proteins ingredients. There is a huge range of microorganisms that can be used for such purposes. But not all microorganisms are suited for this. So, the first step is to find the right one by screening for the specific characteristics that your product needs. 

Janssen: “Another application of fermentation is to remove the unpleasant taste of proteins derived from plant-based sources such as pea proteins. Pea proteins often have a beany taste due to amongst others hexanal. Certain microorganisms can break down hexanal, and therefore reduce or even remove the beany taste. The same process can be used to reduce other off-flavours. 

Besides removing unwanted flavours, fermentation can also be used to create the flavours you do want. Imagine, for example, recreating the taste of dairy products in plant-based alternatives. It can also improve the texture of products through exopolysaccharide (EPS) production or hydrolytic breakdown of proteins. This approach can, for example, be used to improve the texture and mouthfeel of plant-based cream cheese. 

Finally, fermentation can be used to increase food safety by preventing the growth of unwanted bacteria. This happens through, among other things, the acidification of the product during fermentation. However, fermentation can also be used to produce antimicrobial components such as bacteriocins. In this way, outgrowth of unwanted (pathogenic) microorganisms can be inhibited.

nizo.com