ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS OF METHODS FOR OBTAINING PLANT-BASED MILK ANALOGUES

Abstract

Plant-based beverages, serving as full-fledged substitutes for traditional dairy milk, are gaining significant popularity worldwide. The increasing demand for plant-based milk alternatives (analogs) is driven by a number of factors, including the rising incidence of lactose intolerance, the popularity of vegan diets, and growing consumer awareness of the environmental and ethical aspects of production. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of key plant-based ingredients and technological processes to substantiate the most effective ingredient and production methods for a plant-based milk analog. The research confirms that the most common technology for producing plant-based milk analogs is based on a process that involves mixing water with crushed plant ingredients, followed by pressing and filtration. It is established that modern analog manufacturing technologies predominantly utilize ingredients such as oats, soy, peanuts, almonds, poppy seeds, nuts, coconut, sesame, and rice. The use of a wide range of ingredients is due to their varying impact on flavor and biological properties, as well as differences in macro- and micronutrient content. The research on the processes and methods for manufacturing plant-based milk analogs can be conventionally divided into two main areas. The first area includes studying the properties of base ingredients and their influence on nutritional and biological value. A promising application is noted for hemp seeds as a potential ingredient for plant-based milk analogs, owing to their content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. However, the study notes the practical lack of extensive scientific research on the importance of using hemp seeds for creating plant-based milk. The second area of research involves improving and searching for rational solutions to the core technological processes of dispersion, mixing, and homogenization, often utilizing ultrasound cavitation technologies.