ABSTRACT
The textural and water-holding properties of food play a major role in food product quality, as they are recognized by consumers and are factors behind food choice. Proteins along with carbohydrates and fats are the main components affecting the textural and water-holding properties of foods. Cross-linking and aggregation of protein molecules into three-dimensional networks is an essential mechanism for developing food structures with desirable mechanical properties. Cross-links can be introduced to a food protein matrix by chemical, physical and enzymatic means. Enzymatic cross-linking is an attractive approach due to the high specificity of the enzyme catalysis. The Louis Camille Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, usually requiring the addition of heat. This reaction is the basis of the flavouring industry, since the type of amino acid determines the resulting flavour. Protein-protein interactions comprise the underlying molecular mechanism of a multitude of complex biological processes.
