Development of High-Protein Vegetable Creams by Using Single-Cell Ingredients from Some Microalgae Species

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to develop high-protein vegetable creams through the incorporation of microalgae. Single-cell ingredients from Arthrospiraplatensis (spirulina), Chlorella vulgaris, Tetraselmis chui, and Nannochloropsis oceanica were incorporated at two levels of addition (1.5% and 3.0%) to a standard vegetable cream (STD). Effects of incorporation were assessed in terms of physicochemical and rheological attributes as well as nutritional labeling facts. Creams formulated with 3% A. platensis, N. oceanica, or T. chui showed strong color differences (6 A. platensis, T. chui, or N. oceanica showed perceptible differences (3 C. vulgaris at 1.5 and 3% exhibited small differences (ΔE A. platensis, which showed comparable values to STD. Principal component analysis indicated that creams made with 1.5% C. vulgaris were the most similar to STD considering all evaluated parameters. Estimation of the nutritional labeling facts showed that the four formulations could be labeled as having “high protein content” following the present EU legislation.

Keywords

• viscosity
• color
• nutritional labeling
• spirulina
• Chlorella
• Tetraselmis