Mitigating Off-Flavors of Plant-Based Proteins

Proteins and, in particular, plant-based proteins are becoming more and more important in the face of future challenges, resulting from continuous population growth, the imbalance between malnutrition and overweight/obesity, and environmental changes. Recent developments open new avenues for improving the quality and sustainable production of plant proteins. Increasing knowledge on the key drivers of the off-flavor of plant proteins, which currently limit their use, supports new strategies to reach full flavor experience, thus enhancing consumer acceptance. Current limitations and future directions for improving the flavor profiles of plant-based proteins are discussed in this perspective.

Automated summary

As population grows and environmental changes occur, plant-based proteins are becoming increasingly important. Recent advancements provide new opportunities for enhancing the quality and sustainability of plant proteins, while increasing understanding of the key drivers of off-flavor in plant proteins can lead to improved consumer acceptance through full flavor experience.