Processing, oilseeds, legumes, ingredients, physico-chemical and technofunctional properties, dairy alternatives
Topic 2: New foods – Fostering innovations in food design, processing and supply via demand-and-supply reorientation
The Professorship of Plant Proteins and Nutrition, part of the Life Science Engineering department, focuses on obtaining and characterizing functional ingredients from plant-based raw materials and food industry by-products, emphasizing proteins.
The Plant Proteins and Nutrition research group concentrates on extracting and characterizing functional ingredients from plant-based materials for food applications, particularly plant proteins. These proteins serve as functional ingredients in various foods and offer a viable alternative (though not a substitute) to animal proteins in food production.
The professorship features a large technical centre equipped for protein extraction and fractionation from plant-based raw materials, with equipment such as comminution equipment, homogenizers, membrane filtration units, spray dryers, and freeze dryers. Additionally, a well-equipped laboratory enables comprehensive analysis of protein ingredients, assessing their chemical properties (e.g., dry matter, ash, protein, fat content, molecular weight composition), physicochemical properties (e.g., protein solubility, degree of denaturation, charge distribution), and technofunctional properties (e.g., emulsifying, foaming activity, gelling properties).
We also have a comprehensively equipped pilot plant for the production of dairy alternatives.
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s top universities, recognized for its excellence in research, teaching, and innovation. With a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, TUM drives advancements in science, engineering, life sciences, and beyond.
The TUM School of Life Sciences, located on the Weihenstephan campus, is a leading center for research and education in biology, agriculture, food, and environmental sciences. It addresses critical global challenges such as food security, biodiversity, sustainability, and human health. By integrating the One Health approach, the school emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, fostering holistic solutions for a sustainable and healthy future.
