Hemp Protein as a Sustainable Emulsifier in Food Systems

Abstract

The present study examined the feasibility of hemp protein as a sustainable vegan-based emulsifier in food systems through the development of a protein-rich vegan mayonnaise. Hemp seeds were selected, since it has high quality protein, balanced amino acid profile and nutritional value. The primary objective was to evaluate the emulsifying efficiency and stability performance of hemp protein in comparison with a conventional (egg based) mayonnaise. Hemp based mayonnaise and the control sample were analyzed for physicochemical and microbiological parameters. The control sample (CS) exhibited a pH of 3.73 ± 0.06, whereas the hemp sample (HS) showed a higher pH of 5.77 ± 0.06, indicating a moderate difference in acidity profile. Both the samples exhibited high emulsion stability (approximately 98%), indicating good structural integrity. Further, analysis of proximate composition revealed that the hemp-based mayonnaise had higher protein (6.68 ± 0.04%) and ash (2.07 ± 0.02%) contents, along with lower fat (10.03 ± 0.08%), compared to the egg-based mayonnaise, which contained protein (2.63 ± 0.05%), ash (1.67 ± 0.03%), and fat (48.00 ± 0.12%). These results highlight the nutritional advantage of the hemp-based mayonnaise over the conventional egg-based formulation.  Microbiological evaluation confirmed that both samples were within acceptable safety limits, with the hemp-based mayonnaise showing slightly lower microbial counts and absence of Salmonella, likely due to the absence of egg.