Plant Proteins in Action: Stabilizing Today’s Foods, Creating Tomorrow’s Solutions

By 2050, the global population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion, requiring about 70% more food than current production and increasing pressure on sustainable protein supply. The European Union has therefore adopted a protein strategy promoting diversified sources, with plant-based proteins central to future food security.

Interest in plant proteins is supported by evidence linking higher intake to lower mortality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and land use, improved feed-to-food conversion efficiency, and alignment with animal welfare concerns compared with animal-based production. However, the development of competitive plant-based foods remains constrained by technological, nutritional, and sensory limitations.

In this presentation, I will address these challenges and present corresponding research approaches. First, I will examine technological limitations of plant proteins, including low solubility, limited suspension stability, and weaker emulsifying properties compared with animal proteins. To address these constraints, in the Formas-funded early-career project Plant Protein Nanofibrils (PNFs): The Eco-Friendly Food Stabilizer of the Future, we convert plant proteins from native globular conformations into fibrillar assemblies with enhanced interfacial and stabilizing properties in plant-based emulsions. This approach has the potential to reduce reliance on synthetic E-number additives. I will describe the mechanisms of nanofibril formation, the physicochemical principles underlying stabilization, and the intrinsic and processing parameters that affect fibrillation and reproducibility. The objective is to develop stable plant-based systems stabilized by protein structures derived directly from the raw material.

Second, I will address nutritional and consumer-related challenges, with emphasis on consumer acceptance. In the Formas-funded collaborative project StrongPulse, we support the EU protein strategy by promoting locally produced legumes as alternatives to imported soybeans. A central focus is tofu production, a key segment of the plant-based market, to evaluate the suitability of Swedish legumes as raw materials. We systematically investigate processing parameters to produce legume-based tofu with texture and functionality comparable to soy-based products, aiming for similar textural properties, higher protein yield, and reduced by-products such as okara, supported by physicochemical characterization. In parallel, consumer studies assess sensory perception, preference, and willingness to pay. By integrating instrumental and consumer data, we identify key determinants of product acceptance and market potential.

Finally, I will outline future research directions within these projects. We will investigate plant protein nanofibrils as multifunctional systems that serve both as stabilizers and as carriers for micronutrients, such as iron, in plant-based emulsions. We will also develop flavored tofu products and evaluate tofu as a base matrix for novel plant-based foods, including meat analogues such as plant-based jerky. These activities contribute to the advancement of sustainable plant-protein foods in alignment with the EU protein strategy.