Explain about the Functional Properties of Proteins?
It may be clear by now that functionality (as implied to food ingredients) refers to 'any property aside from the nutritional attributes that influence usefulness of ingredients in the food'. Most of the functional properties affect the sensory characteristics (especially textural attributes) of foods, but also can play a major role in the physical behaviour of food and food ingredients during their preparation. Thus, functional properties of proteins are those physico-chemical properties that enable the proteins to contribute to the desirable characteristics of the food. For your convenience, we have summarized the physical properties here.
So far, we have learnt that proteins may be added as components of foods for functional, nutritional or economic benefits. Potential functional benefits include emulsification and stabilization, increased viscosity, improved appearance, taste or texture, form foams and gels and binding of fat or water. These functional properties allow the technologist to modify flow properties, emulsify, form gels and foams or bind water and fat. Nutritional benefits include lowering the caloric contents of foods, increasing the protein level and balancing the amino acid profile. Of course, the economic or cost considerations are also important while using protein as an ingredient. An example of an economic benefit would be increased yield of the product from the use of a protein additive. It is also important to know that the type of protein (animal or plant origin) and the structure of protein will determine its functional properties. Three groups of functional properties of proteins have been identified.