Pea (Pisum sativum, Fabaceae) protein has various functional properties, including solubility, water- and oil-binding capacities, emulsifying, whippability, and foaming.
Pea protein has been incorporated into beef patties, salad dressings, baked goods, and encapsulated ingredient powders to improve their functional properties.
Pea protein benefits and nutrition
Pea protein can be prepared in three forms – pea flour, pea protein concentrate, and pea protein isolate. The protein content can range from 48% to 90%, with pea flower contain the least and pea protein concentrate containing the most.
Pea protein contains all nine essential amino acids your body needs, but like other plant proteins, it contains smaller amounts – especially methionine and lysine – compared with animal-based protein.1
In either case, compared with other plant-based protein, pea protein offers a high essential amino acid and branched-chain amino acid content (table 1).
Table 1 Comparison of essential amino acid profiles in pea, soybean, rice, and wheat.
| Amino acid | Pea | Soybean | Rice | Wheat |
| Valine | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| Leucine | 5.7 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 5.0 |
| Isoleucine | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Methionine | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.7 |
| Phenylalanine | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Tryptophan | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Threonine | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| Lysine | 4.7 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 1.1 |
| Histidine | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
Values are presented in gram per 100 grams of raw material. The total protein content (%) of the raw materials are 80% in pea, 72% in soybean, 79% in rice, and 81% in wheat. Adopted from ZX Lu, et al.2.
For this reason, pea protein is popular in the sports nutrition category as a plant-based alternative to whey protein. In fact, compared with whey protein, pea protein has demonstrated similar gains in muscle thickness with resistance training in men and women.3,4.
Pea protein also has antioxidant, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and antihypercholesterolemic effects to support its use as a functional food ingredient.5
However, the applications of pea protein in food products are a challenge due to its poor functional performances, especially in fortified beverages.
To expand the application of pea protein in food formulation, food scientists have explored ways to improve the functional properties of pea protein by modifying its inherent structure that involves physical, chemical, and enzymatic treatments.
Growth and market
The demand for protein as a functional food ingredient or dietary supplement continues to climb as consumers increasingly recognize the beneficial effects of protein for blood sugar control, weight management, and muscle health.
While dairy proteins remain a common and popular option for meeting this demand, many consumers’ preferences have shifted towards hypoallergenic and presumably healthier plant-based proteins like pea protein.
Indeed, the global pea protein market size was valued at $213.1 million in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7% through 2028, according to a report from Grand View Research.6
The use of pea protein and other plant-based protein in food formulations has also grown in popularity among manufacturers due to greater sustainability and lower production costs compared with some animal-based proteins.
References
- Gorissen SHM, Crombag JJR, Senden JMG, et al. Protein content and amino acid composition of commercially available plant-based protein isolates. Amino Acids. 2018;50(12):1685-1695.
- ZX Lu, JF He, YC Zhang, DJ Bing. Composition, physiochemical properties of pea protein and its application in functional foods. Crit Rev food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(15):2593-2605.
- Babault N, Paizis C, Deley G, et al. Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. whey protein. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. January 21, 2015;12(1):3.
- Banaszek A, Townsend JR, Bender D, Vantrease WC, Marshall AC, Johnson KD. The effects of whey vs. pea protein on physical adaptations following 8-weeks of high-intensity functional training (HIFT): a pilot study. Sports (Basel). January 4, 2019;7(1):12.
- Ge J, Sun CX, Corke H, Gul K, Gan RY, Fang Y. The health benefits, functional properties, modifications, and applications of pea (Pisum sativum) protein: current status, challenges, and perspectives. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. July 2020;19(4):1835-1876.
- Grand View Research. Pea protein market size, share and trends analysis report by product (hydrolysate, isolates, concentrates, textured), by application (meat substitutes, dietary supplement, bakery goods), by region, and segment forecasts, 2021-2028. Published February 2021.