Question

Examine the ingredient list for Yves Jumbo Veggie Dogs (Water, soy protein, wheat gluten, tofu (water, soybeans, magnesium chloride), cane sugar, wheat starch, salt, yeast extract, spices, carrageenan (from seaweed), natural liquid smoke, beetroot powder, potassium chloride, vitamin and mineral blend. Contains soy, wheat and mustard.) Vegetable protein and a vegetable gum are included to help give the product its structure. Identify which ingredients from the list contribute to structure and belong to either classification (i.e., vegetable protein or vegetable gum) and discuss their functionality with respect to product structure.

Answer 1

Soy protein and wheat gluten are vegetable proteins. Soy protein is the most common plant-derived protein used for microencapsulation because of its competitive advantages compared to other protein sources. It has great functionality in gel-formation, emulsifying, and surface tension reduction .Wheat gluten is another vegetable protein known for its viscoelasticity. Wheat gluten is commonly used as a dough strengthener, but can also be used as a formulation aid, stabilizer, and thickener. It is also used in vegetarian meat products because it can imitate the chewy properties of meat.

Carrageenan and wheat starch are vegetable gums. Vegetable gums can be added as thickeners to change the viscosity of a mixture without affecting taste. Carrageenan is a soluble fibre commonly used to gel, thicken, or suspend. It is mainly used in dairy products such as ice cream and milk. It’s similarity to gelatin makes it an excellent vegan alternative. Wheat starch is a carbohydrate commonly sourced from wheat, corn, potatoes, or tapioca. It can be used to assist several properties like texture and adhesion and can also be used a fat substitute. While wheat starch can be used as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and clouding agent, it is primarily used as a thickening agent .

The vegetable protein is Soy protein, while the gum is carrageenan.
In the case with vegetarian "meat" soy protein is processed to become Textured Vegetable Protein, or TVP.TVP is extruded, causing a change in the structure of the soy protein which results in a fibrous spongy matrix that is similar in texture to meat.
As for the carrageenan, it's a compound that's derived from seaweed and serves as a thickener.probably so as to give the proper consistency to resemble meat
More specifically: substitute for fat, increase water retention and increase volume, or improve sliceability