Effects of pea protein isolate on 3D printing performance, nutritional and sensory properties of mango pulp

Combining proteins with polysaccharides or polysaccharide-rich fruits to improve print performance had become a hot research topic. This study aims to develop a new 3D-printed food construct based on mango. The rheo-logical properties analysis of pea protein isolate (PPI)-mango mixtures was carried out, and the 3D printing process was simulated by their behavior during the extrusion process (depending on viscosity) and after printing (depending on storage modulus G & PRIME;, structural recovery, and tacky adhesion). The texture and nutritional char-acteristics were also determined. The results showed that the addition of PPI improved the rheological properties and texture characteristics of the mango pulp. This made them show a gel-like structure and more suitable for 3D printing. Besides, the mixture with 60/100 g PPI had the best 3D printing structure at 0.84 mm nozzle diameter and 35 mm/s printing speed, matching the target geometry and having a fine resolution, a smoother surface texture, and fewer point defects without compression deformation. Moreover, the mixture with 60/100 g PPI had the highest overall acceptability score in the sensory evaluation experiment, which was significantly higher than other samples (p < 0.05). The results indicated that adding PPI at the optimal concentration enhanced the interaction between protein and polysaccharide, resulting in a more robust and stable gel network. Therefore, the mango and PPI mixture was a promising material for 3D food printing.