Plant-Based Foods: Processing & Biochemical Changes
- Plant-based diets are gaining traction amid growing populations and environmental concerns.
- The research emphasizes that varying processing techniques, intended to improve nutrition or taste, can significantly alter the biochemical composition of plant-based foods.
- Professor Kati hanhineva, a professor of food development, noted the importance of phytochemicals."Plants and plant-based products are known to contain phytochemicals, which are bioactive compounds that can have...
how Processing Impacts the Nutritional Role of Plant-Based Foods
Plant-based diets are gaining traction amid growing populations and environmental concerns. However, a recent study from the University of Turku in Finland highlights that not all plant-based products are created equal, especially when considering processing methods and their impact on nutritional value.
The research emphasizes that varying processing techniques, intended to improve nutrition or taste, can significantly alter the biochemical composition of plant-based foods. These products range from minimally processed whole beans to highly processed items containing only isolated plant proteins.
Professor Kati hanhineva, a professor of food development, noted the importance of phytochemicals.”Plants and plant-based products are known to contain phytochemicals, which are bioactive compounds that can have health benefits,” Hanhineva said. “however, until now there has not been enough research on how different processing methods affect these compounds.”
The study analyzed soy, peas, wheat, and fava bean products, revealing that processing methods have a substantial effect on their biochemical composition. Soy-based products, in particular, showed critically important variations in isoflavonoid content depending on the processing technique.
Products using protein concentrates or isolates, like plant-based burger steaks, contained minimal isoflavonoids. Conversely, lightly processed options such as tofu and soy chunks retained higher levels of these compounds from the original soybean.
“Fermentation was highlighted as an important processing method in the results. We found that in tempeh, for example, these isoflavonoids were in a form that is more readily absorbed due to the activity of the microbes used in fermentation,” said Doctoral Researcher Jasmin Raita.
The study also found that existing food classification systems might potentially be inadequate for plant-based products. Some fermented tempeh products, along with extruded items, were categorized as ultra-processed despite retaining high isoflavonoid levels.
University Research Fellow Ville Koistinen said that classification systems primarily focus on processing techniques and added ingredients, rather than the biochemical composition. “It cannot be assumed that all processing makes a product unhealthy, because ultimately it is only the nutritional components of the edible product that matter, and how they are absorbed by our bodies,” Koistinen said.
Researchers suggest future food classification systems should account for how processing affects biochemical composition, including the loss or formation of beneficial compounds.
Hanhineva added, “It is indeed also critically important to note that food processing should not be seen as exclusively harmful, as fermentation, for example, can even improve the nutritional value of a product.”
What’s next
Future research will likely focus on refining food classification systems to better reflect the nutritional realities of processed plant-based foods, possibly incorporating phytochemical content into nutritional labeling.