Development of an innovative oat and chickpea based fermented product

Abstract

The aim of this thesis project was to develop or lay the base for an innovative oat and chickpea based fermented product. From a previous thesis project, Glucanova AB had developed an oat and chickpea base called OatChic®. The goal of this thesis project was to evaluate the effects of fermentation on OatChic® by characterizing prototypes based on the beta-glucan content, phytic acid content, sugar content and amino acid composition. Additionally, a sensory panel could give valuable information about the perception of the fermented prototypes.

At the start of this thesis OatChic® was fermented with 11 commercially available starter cultures. For each different starter culture, the ability to acidify (i.e., decrease the pH) OatChic® over a period of 8 or 16 hours was monitored. After all the successful fermentation trials, where the pH of the sample decreased sufficiently, a taste test was done among the colleagues of Glucanova AB. The ability of the starter culture to decrease the pH together with the taste, texture and aroma of the prototypes were the deciding factors in the decision of which four starter cultures and the effect they have on OatChic® would be analyzed more thoroughly.

From the several assays executed, it was found that fermentation had the following effects. The were no apparent changes in the beta-glucan content and phytic acid content. There are indications that sucrose and glucose are used during fermentation. Results of the amino acid composition analysis done by Eurofins Food and Feed Testing AB were used to determine the PDCAAS of each essential amino acid. The PDCAAS of the limiting amino acids lysine increased during fermentation. From the results of the sensory panel, the Starter Culture B6 fermented OatChic® obtained the highest acceptance and likability. A commercial soybean fermented product, Alpro Plantgurt naturel, used as reference was liked better than the fermented OatChic® prototypes.

This thesis project built the base for the development of a plant-based fermented beverage containing oats and chickpea. Some of the future research could be optimizing the fermentation process, analyzing the sugar content pre- and post-fermentation more thoroughly using HPLC or investigating how to minimize the phase separation of the fermented product.

Popular Abstract

In this day and age, where the need for sustainable and nutritious food is increasing, the food industry is looking for plant-based material that can be formed into food products serving as an alternative for animal-based products. The up-side of plant-based alternatives is that they are less detrimental to the environment and offers a possibility to a more sustainable future (Röös et al., 2018).
Oats have been long acknowledged as a nutritious food. It is especially known for its high fiber content and protein quality (Welch, 2011). These benefits, along with the possibilities to process oats into solid food or beverages, makes it that oats are present in more and more food products. A popular oat product is oat drink or oatgurt (a dairy-free yogurt alternative based on oats). These products are delicious, nutritious and do not contribute to the climate change as the dairy versions of drink and yogurt. For example, the oat fibers, more specifically the beta-glucans, are linked to blood cholesterol and blood glucose regulation (Behall & Hallfrisch, 2011) (Mathews, 2011).
In the search for an ingredient that would complement oats and still make a tasty product, chickpea was found. Chickpea boosts the total protein quality of the product and is responsible for other health benefits when consumed. Indigestible oligosaccharides make chickpea a prebiotic food, that aids to overall gut health and stimulates microbial growth of beneficial microorganisms. (Wood & Grusak, 2007)
So, how can these two ingredients be formed into a commercial product that people want to buy? As the popularity of plant-based yogurt is high. It would be interesting to see if a tasty oat-chickpea yogurt alternative would be possible to make and if it would be a desired product for consumers.
First, an oat-chickpea base was formulated, that could be compared with an oat-chickpea drink. The oat-chickpea liquid base was fermented by different mixes of bacteria to evaluate how OatChic® would change in terms of taste and pH. From the different starter cultures used, a selection was made of the 4 better starter cultures to be analyzed more thoroughly. The effect of fermentation on the oat-chickpea base was analyzed by comparing the fermented prototypes with the unfermented base in terms of beta-glucan content, phytic acid content and protein quality. Moreover, to measure the acceptance of each prototype by potential consumers, a hedonic test with a sensory panel was performed.
All results were documented and could be used to pick one fermented prototype and develop it further to a product that could be commercially sold. The fermented prototype could act as a base for different varieties using different fruits or other flavor additives. To, in the end, offer today’s consumers alternatives to let them make the conscious decision themselves to choose sustainable and, not less important, TASTY.

• author: Kleinherenbrink, Jasper
• supervisor: Ana Rascon; Isilay Kaya
• organization: Food Technology and Nutrition (M.Sc.)
• course: KNLM01 20221
• year: 2022
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: applied nutrition and food chemistry, plant-based, fermentation, product development
• language: English
• id: 9091659
• date added to LUP: 2022-06-23 12:58:06
• date last changed: 2022-06-23 12:58:06