Heriot-Watt and Greenwich test potato protein as gluten replacement in plant-based meat

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University and the University of Greenwich have found that potato protein can help give fava bean-based meat alternatives a strong structure without wheat gluten, although the resulting blend was more bitter and astringent.

• A blend containing 75% fava bean protein and 25% potato protein formed a strong network during high-moisture extrusion, supporting its potential for gluten-free meat alternatives.
• The gluten-containing comparison was softer and springier, while the potato blend produced a firmer structure and showed higher oil-holding capacity.
• Electronic taste testing detected greater bitterness, astringency and lingering aftertastes in the potato formulation, highlighting the need for further flavor development.

The study, published in Food Hydrocolloids, investigated whether potato protein could perform the structural role commonly assigned to wheat gluten in plant-based meat. The researchers found that the two ingredients produced different textures when combined with fava bean protein, with potato offering a gluten-free route to a firm, interconnected protein network.

Taste measurements were less encouraging. An electronic sensing system detected stronger bitterness, astringency and lingering aftertastes in the potato-containing formulation, leaving a flavor problem to address before wider use in consumer foods.

Wheat gluten is widely used in vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes because it helps develop their characteristic texture and chewiness. Its presence, however, makes those products unsuitable for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

The researchers compared three formulations: fava bean protein alone, fava bean protein combined with wheat gluten, and fava bean protein combined with potato protein. Both blends used a 75:25 ratio, allowing the team to examine how the two supporting ingredients affected the same base protein.

Each formulation underwent high-moisture extrusion, which uses heat, pressure and mechanical force to reshape proteins into structures resembling the fibers found in meat. The question was whether potato protein could help fava bean protein develop sufficient structure when gluten was removed.

“The gluten version was softer and springier, but the potato protein version was still able to provide the structure required for a meat alternative,” said Dr Parag Acharya, from the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at the University of Greenwich.

The distinction matters for product development. The potato blend provided structure, but it did not reproduce all the textural characteristics of the gluten-containing version. Manufacturers considering the ingredient would therefore be working with a different texture rather than a direct match for an existing gluten-based formulation.

Analysis reported in the paper showed that potato protein encouraged extensive protein unfolding and aggregation during extrusion, producing a strongly interconnected network. The potato-containing blend also had higher oil-holding capacity than the gluten-containing version, while water-holding capacity remained comparable across formulations. The researchers associated its oil retention with the protein surface properties and porous structure of the extruded material.

Fava beans were central to the work because of their protein content and suitability for cultivation in cooler climates. Acharya said the crop remains underused in meat alternatives, where manufacturers have largely relied on a smaller group of established protein ingredients.

“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,” he said.

“They’re still underused in the meat-free sector, which relies heavily on soy, pea protein and wheat gluten.

“Combining fava beans with potato protein could be the secret ingredient to more realistic plant-based meat.”

The flavor assessment, however, exposed a limitation that the structural results alone would not have captured. The team used an electronic taste sensing system to examine several taste characteristics, including bitterness, astringency, umami and aftertastes.

“We used an electronic taste sensing system that could detect bitterness, astringency, umami and aftertastes,” said Professor Stephen Euston, a food scientist at Heriot-Watt’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

“Unfortunately, while the potato protein version had a great structure, its taste is more bitter and astringent, and it left a stronger lingering aftertaste.”

These instrumental measurements should be distinguished from consumer preference testing. The reported taste assessment used an electronic system, so it does not establish whether consumers would prefer either formulation.

The paper identifies bitterness reduction as a necessary part of further development. Its findings support potato protein’s use as a structuring ingredient for fava bean-based meat alternatives, while showing that stronger protein networks can come with unwanted taste characteristics.

“Food companies would need to find ways of reducing the bitterness before this could be widely used in consumer products,” Euston said.

The research was funded by the Bezos Earth Fund through the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

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