Vegetable Proteins are used in foodstuffs for their functional properties (binding, emulsification, water retention…) to prolong the life of food products (emulsion stability, limitation of the development of micro-organisms, control over the product’s propensity to go stale) and act on their mouthfeel (texture, softness, reduction in loss of cooking juices..)


But Vegetable Proteins are also useful for their nutritional properties because they increase quality proteins without contributing extra associated lipids. 

Vegetable proteins bring essential amino acids which complement other protein ingredients : meat and milk proteins etc.


The nutritional value of a food formula depends on how well its ingredients go together. For example, pulse proteins are rich in lysine and as such, complement cereal proteins, particularly wheat which is richer in sulphured amino acids (Methionine Cystine). 


Vegetable Proteins contribute balance to foods by diversifying the nutritional content as recommended by nutritionists, especially by increasing the vegetable part of our diet.

  

Essential amino acid content of some Vegetable Proteins compared to the average needs of an adult according to the FAO/WHO
in g/100g of protein	Flour			Concentrate		Isolate		Protein		Standard
	soya	field bean	lupin	soya	lupin	soya	peas	alfalfa	wheat	FAO/WHO
Lysine	6,9	6,7	4,5	6,9	4,5	6,4	8,2	6,0	1,8	5,8
Methionine	1,6	0,7	0,7	1,5	0,6	1,4	1,1	2,2	1,9	2,5
Cystine	1,6	2	0,5	1,4	1,5	1,2	1,2	1,6	2,9	2,5
Threonine	4,3	4,0	3,5	4,2	4,0	3,9	4,1	5,8	2,7	3,4
Leucine	7,7	8,5	7,1	8,5	7,8	8,3	8,0	9,0	7,0	7,7
Isoleucine	5,1	5,0	4,1	5,2	5,1	4,7	4,6	4,4	3,6	2,8
Phenylalanine	5,0	4,6	3,6	5,4	4,4	5,4	5,5	6,6	5,0	6,3
Tyrosine	ND	3,7	4,2	4,0	6,0	4,2	4,1	5,6	3,3	6,3
Valine	5,4	5,9	3,8	5,4	4,1	4,7	5,2	6,1	4,0	3,5
Tryptophane	1,3	1,2	0,7	1,2	0,7	1,1	1,0	3,3	1,0	1,1
Histidine	ND	3,2	2,1	2,8	2,2	2,7	2,8	3,4	2,3	1,9