Design of food emulsions with the addition of encapsulated rice and pea proteins, and thyme oil extract

The use of plant proteins as sources of essential nutrients in the development of new products for people with specific dietary needs is of growing interest to the food sector. The aim of the present research was to design emulsion products i.e. mayonnaises supplemented with encapsulated rice and pea proteins and enriched with thyme oil extract as a source of bioactive compounds. The physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the products were monitored during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 20 days. The values of the emulsifying activity index and the emulsion stability index showed that the emulsion base was stable during the storage period. Regarding their microbiological quality, they retained a low number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms, yeasts and fungi, which were within the permissible limits (5×102 cfu.g-1) on the 15th day of storage in all samples. The results from the sensory evaluation showed very good acceptance by the consumers. Therefore, the newly designed mayonnaises enriched with rice and pea proteins, and thyme as a source of bioactive compounds can be considered as products with improved quality and functional features, which can be used by people with specific dietary requirements.