Impact of Extruded Pea Hull Fibres and Starch on Texture and Sensory Properties of Meat Analogues

Pea hulls, a by-product of pea protein production, represent a valuable source of dietary fibre, and its utilisation supports the implementation of zero-waste approaches in the development of new products. The incorporation of pea starch and extruded pea hulls as fibre sources in high-moisture extruded meat analogues represents a promising approach to obtaining products with desirable textural properties while increasing dietary fibre content. In contrast, the incorporation of fibre may disrupt the homogeneous protein–starch matrix, resulting in a less fibrous structure with shorter fibres. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of extruded pea hull fibre and starch on structure formation, texture, colour, and sensory properties of high-moisture extrudates formulated with pea protein and pea starch. The formulations were based on 80% pea protein isolate (P) and 20% pea starch (S), with extruded pea hulls (F) added at levels of 5%, 10%, and 15% by partially replacing starch. High-moisture extrusion was performed using a twin-screw extruder. Texture profile analysis showed that, compared with extruded pea protein isolate, the hardness and chewiness of samples containing starch and extruded fibre were increase. Similar trends were observed during sensory evaluation, where experts noted that the addition of extruded pea hulls reduced perceived fibrousness, resulting in softer samples that were easier to chew and more closely resembled meat texture. Moderate replacement of starch with extruded pea hulls (10%) in high-moisture extruded products may improve textural properties and provide a basis for further research into meat analogue development.