Researchers have identified potato protein as a potential replacement for wheat gluten in plant-based meat, although flavour challenges remain unresolved.
Potato protein could help manufacturers develop gluten-free plant-based meat with improved structural properties, although new research suggests bitterness remains a significant barrier to commercialisation.
Scientists from Heriot-Watt University and the University of Greenwich found that combining potato and fava bean proteins produced a reinforced protein network with a stronger viscoelastic response than a wheat gluten-based formulation during high-moisture extrusion.
The findings, published in Food Hydrocolloids, suggest potato protein could offer an alternative to wheat gluten, which manufacturers commonly use to give meat substitutes their characteristic chewiness but makes products unsuitable for people with coeliac disease.
Can potato protein replicate the texture of meat?
The researchers compared three formulations: fava bean protein alone, a blend containing 75 percent fava bean protein and 25 percent potato protein, and a mixture containing 75 percent fava bean protein and 25 percent wheat gluten.
They processed each formulation using high-moisture extrusion, which applies heat, pressure and mechanical force to transform plant proteins into fibrous structures resembling meat.
The potato protein blend formed a reinforced protein network and showed a stronger viscoelastic response, while the gluten-containing formulation produced a softer, springier texture. The potato blend also demonstrated greater oil-holding capacity, although it required more mechanical energy during extrusion.
Dr Parag Acharya, from the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at the University of Greenwich, said: “The gluten version was softer and springier, but the potato protein version was still able to provide the structure required for a meat alternative. Fava beans are increasingly being investigated as a source of plant protein because they can be grown in cooler climates and contain high levels of protein. They’re still underused in the meat-free sector, which relies heavily on soy, pea protein and wheat gluten.”
Flavour remains a barrier to commercialisation
Despite the structural benefits, the researchers identified a significant trade-off when examining the formulations’ taste characteristics.
Using an electronic taste-sensing system, they found that the potato protein formulation produced greater bitterness and astringency than the gluten-containing alternative, alongside a stronger lingering aftertaste.
Professor Stephen Euston, a food scientist at Heriot-Watt University, said: “Unfortunately, while the potato protein version had a great structure, its taste is more bitter and astringent, and it left a stronger lingering aftertaste. Food companies would need to find ways of reducing the bitterness before this could be widely used in consumer products.”
The findings reflect a broader challenge facing alternative protein developers, with manufacturers needing to balance ingredient functionality, sensory performance and production costs.
Importantly, the study relied on electronic taste measurements rather than consumer sensory testing, leaving questions about how people would perceive the formulation in a finished product.
Unfortunately, while the potato protein version had a great structure, its taste is more bitter and astringent, and it left a stronger lingering aftertaste. Food companies would need to find ways of reducing the bitterness before this could be widely used in consumer products.”
Professor Stephen Euston, a food scientist at Heriot-Watt University
The next step will be to establish whether bitterness can be reduced without compromising the structural benefits of potato protein, and whether those properties can be maintained under commercial processing conditions.
The research received funding from the Bezos Earth Fund, through the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, and the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
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