Pea Protein Powder

Pea Protein Powder

How Is Pea Protein Powder Made?

Protein is an important part of any healthy diet. It is particularly crucial for people who do a lot of exercise because of its essential role in building and repairing muscle. Many people struggle to eat enough protein, but this is a particular concern for vegans and vegetarians who need to find non-animal sources of protein. Pea protein can be a great solution as a plant-based protein source.

The Origins Of Pea Protein

Pea protein is highly nutritious and easily available, and few people are allergic to it. Along with soy protein, it has become a major component of protein powder supplements as well as a substitution for other food products. For example, vegans may drink pea milk instead of cow milk. Pea protein powder is also used as an ingredient in many foods, and as a thickener, foaming agent, or emulsifier.

Pea protein, as you may assume, is derived from peas, a type of vegetable that is a member of the legume family. Pea protein powder is made from green or yellow peas, also known as pisum sativum, the same type of peas used to make split pea soup or Indian dhal. These peas are easy to grow without the need for nitrogen-based fertilisers, making them not only affordable but also more environmentally friendly than most other crops. Additionally, this kind of pea is rich in protein while being low in calories, boasting 44 grams per cup and making it ideal for protein powder.

The Pea Protein Production Process

The fresh green or yellow peas are washed after harvesting, using special equipment to make sure any other components such as wheat, barley, or other seeds are removed. This is particularly important as these impurities may cause allergic reactions in some people. Once cleaned, the peas are split and the hull, the outer part of the seed, is removed.

In commercial production, the pea protein is usually extracted in one of two ways: wet fractionation or dry fractionation. Wet fractionation uses an alkaline (basic) solution with a pH between 9.5 and 10.5 which separates off other parts of the pea such as carbohydrates from the protein. After further processing, the protein is mechanically dried through a process called spray-drying. The wet fractionation process produces a pea protein isolate, with a high concentration of protein.

Dry fractionation, on the other hand, produces pea protein concentrates which have a lower protein concentration than isolates. In this process, the peas are dried and milled into a flour. This flour is then processed to separate the smaller particles, which are rich in protein, from the larger ones, which are made of starch or fibre. The small, protein particles are collected and used as pea protein powder while the others are separated off.

Pea protein can also be extracted by soaking dried, ground peas in salt water to separate off the fibre and starch while keeping the protein. This pea protein is then purified and dried to produce a powder.

Why Do Some Powders Have More Protein Than Others?

Pea powders can have different levels of protein, depending on how they are produced.

There are three main types of pea protein powders:

  • Isolates: These have the highest concentration of protein and are made through wet fractionation. Among all three types, they contain the most protein.
  • Concentrates: These are lower in protein concentration than isolates and are produced through dry fractionation.
  • Textures: This is when the pea protein is used in food products as a substitute, such as a vegan “meat” patty.

Compare Pea Protein Powder

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