ABSTRACT
T hough a great deal o f research has been devoted to the study o f proteins and polysaccharides in both solution and, where appropriate, gelled systems, m uch o f this work has been concerned with the behavior o f a single type o f macromolecule. However, food products often contain a m ixture o f two or m ore hydrocolloids, such m ixtures having im proved eating and/or processing qualities. T he desired effects may be achieved by mixing two (or more) polysaccharides or proteins. W hether the m ix ture consists o f two d ifferent polysaccharides, two d ifferent proteins, o r a protein and a polysaccharide, the general effects and their in terp re ta tion are similar. Protein-polysaccharide interactions are thus not specific classes o f interactions but are typical o f the types o f interactions that may occur between d ifferent types o f polym er in solution. It is probably true to say that, with the possible exception o f mixed polysaccharide gels (Morris, 1990,), it is the potential applications o f protein-polysaccharide
m ixtures in food technology that are arousing most interest at the present time (Ledward, 1979; Tolstoguzov, 1986, 1988a,b, 1991; Aguilera, 1992).
