Fluid bed agglomeration process of plant proteins using açaí pulp: obtaining an instant protein powder enriched with bioactive compounds

• Grant number: 18/10483-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kaciane Andreola
• Grantee: Kaciane Andreola
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia Mauá (EEM). Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia. São Caetano do Sul , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Edison Paulo De Ros Triboli ; Luciane Franquelin Gomes de Souza ; Marcello Nitz da Costa ; Marina Stoll Grosso ; Osvaldir Pereira Taranto

Abstract

Consumer's concern with health and life quality has been determining trends in the food sector. This new consumer profile searches for healthy industrialized products, that are easy to prepare and to consume, and that, in addition to the nutritional quality, provide health benefits. In the scenario of healthy products, rice and pea proteins stand out due to their nutritious, nutraceutical and functional properties. The combination of these plant proteins in adequate proportions ensures enough quantity of essential amino acids required in the human diet. These proteins are sold in the powder form, which has fine and cohesive particles, with low wettability and flowability, which makes it difficult to use in industrial and domestic applications. The agglomeration process represents an efficient way to improve the properties of these protein powders, since it is used to improve flowability and wettability, resulting in instantaneous powders due to the increase in particle size and changes in physical properties occurring through the action of a binder. Açaí pulp is a potential binder for the agglomeration of protein powders, as it is rich in anthocyanins that are beneficial to human health, being able to add nutritional and functional value to the agglomerated powder. In view of the above, the aim of this project is to study and optimize the agglomeration process of a blend of rice and pea proteins in a fluid bed using açaí pulp as a binder in order to develop an instant protein powder enriched with anthocyanins. The process optimization will be carried out through experimental design. The independent variables studied will be the air temperature and the binder flow rate. The evaluated responses will be the process yield, the final mean particle size and the concentration of anthocyanins in the agglomerated powder. This study intends to contribute to the improvement of processes applied to the development of products which provide high nutritional value and health benefits. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CUSTODIO, GIOVANNA RODRIGUES; DE SOUZA, LUCIANE FRANQUELIN GOMES; NITZ, MARCELLO; ANDREOLA, KACIANE. A protein powder agglomeration process using acai pulp as the binder: An analysis of the process parameters. ADVANCED POWDER TECHNOLOGY, v. 31, n. 8, p. 3551-3561, AUG 2020. (18/10483-2)