Which plant proteins are suitable for mass production, in taste, functionality and profitability? This question is critical, as the world population is expected to grow above 9 billion people in 2050 and the demand for high nutritional foods and proteins will increase. Common issues with commercial plant proteins are their low solubility and off-taste. NIZO studied these issues and created new opportunities with green pea proteins.

Nutrition can help maintaining one’s health. Health can be assessed by looking at the body’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances and to show sufficient resilience. This concept of ability to adapt to stressors, forms the basis of so-called challenge models.

NIZO has produced the world’s first soft serve ice cream under 100 kcal. It contains very low-fat (0,8%) and 25% less sugar, yet tastes creamy and delicious. NIZO’s ice cream contains only 99kcal per 100 grams of ice cream. Regular soft serve has more than 160 kcal per 100g. NIZO’s soft serve uses the natural properties of dairy proteins to substitute for the creaminess of fat and the body of sugar.

The use of modelling allows the exploration of numerous processing conditions, while evaluating the effect on process efficiency and product quality.

Emulsified oil, in products  such as mayonnaise, sauces and margarine, owe their specific mouth feel to destabilization of the oil globules on the oral surface, resulting in a film of oil that covers the tongue. Human perception is set to appreciate this experience of fattiness. Emulsions of water-soluble ingredients offer the possibility to simulate the experience of fat with low-caloric substitutes. Water-water emulsions have certain characteristics that make them suitable for use as substitutes for oil-water emulsions.