{"id":580,"date":"2014-05-23T08:00:26","date_gmt":"2014-05-23T14:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulprospector.com\/knowledge\/?p=580"},"modified":"2021-04-01T15:25:34","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T21:25:34","slug":"going-green-plant-proteins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/580\/going-green-plant-proteins\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Green with Plant Proteins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"peaproteinsm\"Consumers are looking to plant proteins in their quest to eat clean,\u00a0be “green” by\u00a0choosing ingredients that\u00a0are sustainable for the planet, and save “green” on their grocery bills.\u00a0Trends like Meatless\u00a0Mondays have caught on internationally, with campuses, restaurants\u00a0and communities getting on board in 34 countries.<\/p>\n

Mintel<\/a> (EU<\/a>) reported meat alternative sales reached $553 million in 2012 with 36% of consumers using meat alternatives either alone or paired with meat. The use of plant proteins within the food industry should continue to grow to meet these consumer need trends.<\/p>\n

Protein Basics:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

In the body, protein is broken down into amino acid<\/a> (EU<\/a>) building blocks needed to sustain life.\u00a0When the human body cannot manufacture an amino acid, it is considered an essential amino acid<\/a> (EU<\/a>).\u00a0 Those essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.<\/p>\n

Protein from most animal sources is considered a complete protein, meaning they contain the essential amino acids.\u00a0 Many plant-based proteins are incomplete, sometimes lacking one or two of the essential amino acids, while some like quinoa and soy contain complete proteins.\u00a0 Those who may prefer to eat plant-based proteins over animal proteins should try consuming a wide variety of sources to assure a well rounded amino acid profile over the entire day.<\/p>\n

Protein Quality:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Methods for determining the quality of proteins have changed over time.\u00a0During the previous century, the Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) was widely used to evaluate the quality of protein in food.\u00a0 The FAO\/WHO and the US FDA adopted the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) in the 1990\u2019s as a means of evaluating protein quality based on amino acid requirements and digestibility. In 2013, the FAO proposed a new measurement scale called the Digestible Indispensible Amino Acid Score (DIAAS), which takes into account the protein source and bioavailability of amino acids when creating the score.<\/p>\n

Be aware of which method is being used when discussing protein quality.<\/p>\n

Plant Protein Sources:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Plant Protein<\/a> (EU<\/a>) sources are diverse. Forms can range from minimally processed and close to their natural form, i.e. whole soybeans, to processed into concentrates, i.e. soy protein isolate. Categories of plants with protein sources include:<\/p>\n

Soy Protein<\/a> (EU<\/a>):<\/strong><\/p>\n