Influence of pH on thermal stability of mixed dairy and plant protein systems

The growing global population has increased the protein needs and the combination of animal with plant proteins can be an effective strategy to meet future protein demand. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pH between 6.2 and 7.0 on the thermal stability of a 1:1 mixture of chickpea protein concentrate (CPC) and whey protein isolate (WPI), and their respective control. After heat treatment, CPC:WPI mixture showed an increase in viscosity (from 20.5 mPa.s at pH 7.0 to 110.8 mPa.s at pH 6.2, respectively), and particle size (from 5.7 to 56.5 μm at pH 7.0 and 6.2, respectively). The physical stability of the heat-treated CPC:WPI mixture decreased, as the sediment increased from 3.3 mm at pH 7.0 to 7.8 mm at pH 6.2. This study highlighted the enhanced thermal stability of CPC:WPI at pHs closer to neutrality and offers valuable insights for the formulation of innovative plant protein-enriched food.