Effects of electric fields and electromagnetic wave on food protein structure and functionality: A review

Publication date: Available online 1 March 2018 Source:Trends in Food Science & Technology Author(s): Zhong Han, Meng-jie Cai, Jun-Hu Cheng, Da-Wen Sun Background Protein is an essential component of human diet and can be applied to many aspects in food systems due to its abundant nutritional value and functional properties. There are many physical methods that have been used to modify the inherent structure of protein to expand its application areas in the food industry. Among them, electric fields and electromagnetic wave technologies have attracted increasing attention on their abilities to modify food protein structure and functionality, due to the advantages of energy efficiency, food safety and minimal loss of nutrients. Scope and approach The current review presents the effects of electric fields and electromagnetic wave including pulsed electric field, microwave, radio frequency and gamma irradiation on the changes in food protein structure (primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary) and functionality (solubility, apparent viscosity, emulsifying, foaming, and gelling properties). The affecting factors such as protein concentration and pH, and the strength and duration of electric fields and electromagnetic wave on the mechanisms and effectiveness of changes in protein structure and functional properties are introduced, and the advantages and limitations of these technologies for protein modification are also discussed. Key findings and conclusions Ap...
Source: Trends in Food Science and Technology - Category: Food Science Source Type: research