Abstract:According to an estimate, protein consumed by people globally constitutes 20% of their total calorie intake. However, the ‘building blocks of life’, proteins are not only lacking in the diet of people of most developed and developing nations but are often overlooked. Today there is an unprecedented challenge to produce and feed adequate protein to over 8 billion people in an environmentally friendly and affordable way. Interestingly, health and climatic conditions, especially the Covid 19 pandemic have led to a paradigm shift in consumer eating habits and mindset. They are reconsidering diets, viewing foods as medicine, and are inclined toward paying an added amount for sustainable healthy foods. Plant-based proteins present exciting opportunities to meet the food challenges of the future and deliver healthy and responsible food choices. They are a potential solution to our nutritional needs due to their long history of crop use and cultivation, lower cost of production, and easy access But, the poor techno-functional and bio-functional properties of plant proteins such as low solubility, poor foaming, emulsifying, and gelling properties, along with low bioactivity and digestibility limit their use in food products and formulations. Relative to animal proteins, including dairy products, plant protein manufacturing, and processing requirements are still at a nascent stage and small businesses or startups fail to find a steady start. To mitigate such issues, technological advances are required in the development of plant protein ingredients and foods. This review focuses on the challenges and opportunities in the process of implementing plant protein ingredients in foods. It elucidates the functional properties of plant-derived proteins, the technical challenges behind incorporating them in food systems, and some novel physical, chemical, and biological processing operations that can be employed to improve their extraction, functionality, nutritional profile, and sensory attributes. Finally, the science behind formulating innovative plant-based meat, egg, and dairy alternative products is also discussed to present a roadmap for creating future foods with plant proteins.1. Introduction- Apart from meeting our calorie requirement, the most crucial nutrition imperative for body metabolism is protein. With the global population expected to rise above 9 billion people by 2050, we face an unprecedented challenge to manufacture and feed adequate protein to an ever-growing population. A 2017 survey shows that 73 percent of South Asians suffer from protein deficiency while above 90 percent are unaware of the daily protein requirement. Also, protein manufacturing and processing is a major concern because conventional animal protein production requires an intensive amount of land and resources [1]. Alternative proteins like plant-based proteins provide a viable solution to overcome these difficulties. Owing to their long history of crop use and cultivation, lower cost of production and easy access, the manufacturing of plant protein-based foods is also environmentally sustainable and affordable [2]. However, lower protein quality and poor functional properties of plant proteins like poor solubility, foaming, emulsifying, and gelling properties, along with low bioactivity and digestion problems limit their use as food ingredients and whole food products. Relative to animal proteins, including dairy products, plant protein manufacturing, and processing requirements are still at a nascent stage and small businesses or startups fail to find a steady start. To mitigate such issues, technological advances and knowledge creation are required in the development of plant protein ingredients and foods. This review focuses on the challenges and opportunities in the process of implementing plant protein ingredients in foods. It elucidates the functional properties of plant-derived proteins, the technical challenges behind incorporating them in food systems, and some novel physical, chemical, and biological processing operations that can be employed to improve their extraction, functionality, nutritional profile, and sensory attributes. Finally, the science behind formulating plant-based meat, egg, and dairy alternatives is also discussed to present a roadmap for creating future foods with plant proteins. Although the focus of this review on plant proteins is in a global scenario it is essential to recognize the manufacturing and commercialization challenges of plant-based protein foods in less developed nations, especially in South Asia and Africa. This review is therefore expected to stimulate food scientists in developing countries to consider creating low-cost and environmentally sustainable alternative protein sources for consumption.