EMULSIFYING PROPERTIES OF PROTEIN PECTIN COMPLEXES AND THEIR USE IN OIL-CONTAINING FOODSTUFFS

The emulsifying properties of proteins have been well studied as they are important for the preparation of creams, mayonnaises and other oil/fat-containing foodstuffs. The emulsifying action of a protein is not always sufficient to obtain stable emulsions of good quality. The use of chemical stabilisers in the food industry is not desirable. One of the best ways to improve the quality of emulsions and to produce emulsions with high nutritive value is to use protein-polysaccharide complexes as emulsifiers. Varying the protein-polysaccharide ratio in the complex, and also the kind of the polymers, would vary the quality and the nutritional value of the foodstuff. Four non-conventional protein preparations were tested as emulsifiers and their emulsifying properties were improved by the addition of pectin. This makes it possible to create new foodstuffs with low oil content and high nutritional value.