SOME PHYSICOCHEMICAL ASPECTS OF PROTEIN PROCESSING IN FOODS - MULTICOMPONENT GELS

The food industry produces an increasing variety of formulated foods. Processed food systems usually contain proteins and polysaccharides pe rforming both nutritional and structural functions. Interactions betwe en these macromolecular substances may result both in their thermodyna mic incompatibility and in complexing, thereby affecting the physico-c hemical properties and structure of many foods. Elucidation of these i nteractions is of particular importance for understanding synergistic and antagonistic effects of food additives. This paper reviews the the rmodynamic origin of food hydrocolloid functionality.