Optimization of Protein Quality of Plant-Based Foods Through Digitalized Product Development

With the increasing availability of plant-based protein products that should serve as alternatives to animal-based protein products, it is necessary to develop not only environmentally friendly but also nutritious foods. Especially the protein content and quality are of concern in these products. The algorithm of NutriOpt was developed using linear programming to support the development of food products with a balanced amino acid profile while considering digestibility. The current version contains a database with 84 plant protein sources from different food groups (legumes, cereals, nuts, seeds) and with different grades of purification (flours, concentrates, isolates) from which NutriOpt can create mixtures with high protein quality while complying with constraints such as protein content, number of ingredients, and weight of the mixture. The program was tested through different case studies based on commercial plant-based drinks. It was possible to obtain formulations with a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) over 100 with ingredients and quantities potentially suitable for plant-based analogs. Our model can help to develop the second generation of plant-based product alternatives that can really be used as an alternative on long-term consumption. Further, there is still a great potential of expansion of the program for example to use press cakes or even to model whole menus or diets in the future.