Effect of cold plasma on the techno-functional properties of animal protein food ingredients

Proteins, as food ingredients, are employed in the food industry, not only for their high nutritional value, but also because of their techno-functional properties. Modifications of their native structure due to the action of external factors such as pH, temperature or processing by emerging technologies, can lead to changes in their functionality; and consequently, their applicability. The present study investigates the effects of cold atmospheric air plasma on the techno-functional properties of two common food ingredients (haemoglobin and gelatine from pork), and a novel source of functional proteins extracted from a meat co-product (bovine lung protein). Significant effects were found for their functional, rheological and gelling properties. However, the effects were found to depend on the native structure and nature of the protein. The findings point to the specific nature of plasma-protein interactions and the need for individual proteins to be studied as a function of plasma conditions. Industrial relevance text: Cold plasma is increasingly being investigated as a non-thermal technology for food and other biological applications such as primary agriculture and medicine. In addition to microbial and pest decontamination, it can be also be used to modify the functionality of food ingredients to achieve the desired properties of a specific food product.