Protein-stabilized interfaces in multiphase food: comparing structure-function relations of plant-based and animal-based proteins

Proteins are an important category of stabilizers for multiphase food systems such as foams and emulsions. In recent years, a growing interest can be observed in replacing animal-based by plant-based proteins to stabilize such products. Often, these plant-based proteins have inferior functionality compared to animal-based proteins. In this review, we will discuss recent insights into possible reasons for the differences in behavior between animal-based and plant-based proteins, and present an overview of strategies to improve the performance of plant based extracts. Improving plant-protein functionality may ultimately allow us to engineer interfaces with properties tailored to specific applications.

Automated summary

This review explores the role of proteins in stabilizing multiphase food systems and the differences in functionality between animal-based and plant-based proteins. Strategies to improve the performance of plant-based protein extracts are discussed, with the ultimate goal of engineering interfaces tailored to specific applications.