Physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of vegan protein bars formulated with sweet potato and rice protein

In response to the growing interest in plant-based alternatives and vegan diets, this study aimed to develop novel sweet potato-based vegan protein bars enriched with rice protein (RP) as an alternative protein source. The vegan protein bars (VPBs) formulated with varying RP content (0-32 g) were evaluated for nutritional, textural, microstructural and sensory properties. Nutritional analysis revealed a proportional increase in protein content (8.94%-21.77%) and energy value (310.29-353.32 kcal/100 g) with increasing RP content. The progressive inclusion of RP significantly (P < 0.05) improved the textural properties of VPBs, notably increasing cohesiveness (0.07%-0.60%), chewiness (8.71-105.02 g) and firmness (1453.80-3444.03 kg cm(-2)), with all VPBs receiving favourable sensory evaluation scores. Importantly, all VPBs received favourable sensory scores. Microstructural analysis revealed the mechanism for textural enhancement in enriched VPBs, indicating a positive correlation between higher RP content and the number and size of surface clumps. Amino acid profiling indicated over 50% increases in valine content and essential amino acid scores in enriched VPBs compared to those without RP. Moreover, protein-enriched VPBs exhibited superior antioxidant activity. In conclusion, these findings suggest the potential of sweet potato and RP in developing VPBs, highlighting the value of plant-based ingredients in vegan food products.