Wheat bran: from by-product to egg replacer

Wheat bran is produced in large volumes worldwide, yet remains underutilized in food applications. This is despite its content of valuable proteins. Research from the University of Groningen shows that this by-product has potential as a functional ingredient in products such as mayonnaise and bakery items.

Functional properties mapped

Wheat bran is a by-product of wheat processing and is often used as animal feed. In her PhD research, Varshini Krishnamoorthy focused on the valorization of protein from this stream.

She examined the functional properties of fractionated wheat bran protein. The focus was on interaction with oil, foaming capacity, and solubility. The antioxidant potential was also analyzed. The results provide insight into how this protein behaves in different applications. In particular, its emulsifying capacity proved relevant for use in food products.

Application in mayonnaise, cookies and cake

Based on these properties, the protein was applied in vegan mayonnaise. In this formulation, it fully replaced egg. The mayonnaise showed rheological properties comparable to traditional egg-based variants.

In addition, Krishnamoorthy developed formulations for cookies and cakes without egg. The vegan cookies had a higher protein content and a comparable spread ratio and brittleness. In cakes, improvements were observed in volume, density, and elasticity. Protein content and chewiness also increased.

Enzymatic treatment shows no effect

The study also examined enzymatic crosslinking using transglutaminase (TGase). This treatment aimed to improve the functional properties of the protein. However, the results showed no significant improvement in the relevant properties for food applications.

The research was conducted at the Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG). Krishnamoorthy now continues her work there as a postdoctoral researcher.

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