ABSTRACT
In addition to providing the eight essential am ino acids (plus histidine for infants) required by adults, as well as nitrogen, proteins also provide flavor and functionality in foods. Functionality o f proteins is defined as any physicochemical property that affects the processing and behavior o f proteins in a food system, as judged by the quality attributes of the final product. T he particular functionality required varies with the food system and application. No single protein can m eet all the functional properties required in various foods (Kinsella, 1982). In fluid milk, the desired functionality is met ideally by the micellar state o f the casein-calcium phosphate complex, while in cheese it is the precipitated caseins, and their subsequent derivatives, that are responsible for the difference am ong cottage cheese, C heddar cheese, and blue cheese. Egg, muscle, and wheat proteins provide completely d ifferen t functional properties in foods. Some of the desired functional properties of proteins are shown in Table 9.1.
