Impact of food processing on the structural and allergenic properties of egg white

Publication date: August 2018Source: Trends in Food Science & Technology, Volume 78Author(s): Yao Zhu, Sai Kranthi Vanga, Jin Wang, Vijaya RaghavanAbstractBackgroundEgg is one of the most nutritious foods that is easily available and it has become a favorite source of major nutrients like lipids and proteins around the world. However, eggs can trigger severe allergic reactions, especially in infants and children. The reactions are mostly IgE-mediated with a range of symptoms related to nose and throat and further can lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis. A total of ten allergens have been recognized to date and researchers are actively working on understanding their structure-function relationship which could help reduce the allergy incidences. Major egg allergens are abundant in egg white which include ovalbumin (OA), ovomucoid (OVM), ovotransferrin (OVT) and lysozyme (Lys). In addition to allergens, avidin present in egg white is also extensively studied due to its anti-nutritional properties. Avidin is known to form a complex with biotin which makes it unavailable for absorption.Scope and approachThis review focuses on the effects of thermal and non-thermal processing methods on the structure and functional properties of various egg proteins including a wide range of allergens and anti-nutrients.Key findings and conclusionsNovel processing techniques including various non-thermal techniques show promising results in reducing the allergic reactions of egg. Anti-nutrients li...
Source: Trends in Food Science and Technology - Category: Food Science Source Type: research