Understanding the relationship between processing conditions and structure-functionality of pulse protein ingredients for food application

AGT食品公司使用各种加工技术（干磨、干分馏和脱味）从萨斯喀彻温省的豆类中生产浓缩蛋白和分离蛋白。这些蛋白质分离物用于食品应用，包括各种基于乳液的食品，例如，沙拉酱、涂抹酱、蛋黄酱等。然而，尽管使用了来自类似脉冲源的成分，该公司仍面临着最终产品特性不一致的问题。据推测，脉冲源和各种技术涉及的富含蛋白质的成分的制备可能是直接负责其功能特性的变化。为了解决这个问题，并深入了解脉冲处理如何影响蛋白质组分的乳化行为，来自美国的研究人员提出了一个全面的调查的界面和乳化性能的脉冲蛋白质作为一个功能的各种技术沿着其应用在模型食品系统，如沙拉酱和涂抹。干磨、干法分级和脱味技术产生具有不同粒度、聚集行为和分子结构的蛋白质。这些特性如何影响蛋白质的功能，特别是界面和乳化行为是该Engage赠款申请的重点。利用各种先进的蛋白质结构分析，我们将建立这种现象的机制，这将对AGT食品公司建立自己的市场领导者地位，并在竞争激烈的豆类蛋白质配料市场中获得全球关注大有裨益。凭借这种先进的结构-功能关系知识，该公司将能够解决现场应用过程中最终产品不均匀的问题，并通过提供增值，健康和可持续的食品成分，为加拿大豆类行业和加拿大人民带来重大利益。

AGT Foods produces protein concentrates and isolates from Saskatchewan pulses using various processing technologies (dry milling, dry fractionation and de-flavouring). These protein isolates are used in food applications, including various emulsion-based foods, e.g., salad dressings, spreads, mayonnaise, etc. However, the company is facing issues in terms of non-uniformity in the final product characteristics, despite using ingredients from similar pulse sources. It has been hypothesized that the pulse sources and various technologies involved in the preparation of protein-rich ingredients could be directly responsible for the variation in their functional properties. To resolve this problem and develop an in-depth understanding of how pulse processing influences emulsification behaviour of the protein fractions, researchers from U of S proposed a thorough investigation of the interfacial and emulsification properties of the pulse proteins as a function of various technologies along with their application in model food systems, such as salad dressings and spreadables. Dry milling, dry fractionation and de-flavouring technologies yield proteins with various particle size, aggregation behaviour and molecular structure. How these characteristics influence proteins' functionality, especially interfacial and emulsification behaviour is the focus of this Engage grant application. Using various advanced structural analyses of proteins, we will establish the mechanism of the phenomena, which would be of tremendous benefit to AGT Foods to establish themselves as a market leader and to secure global attention in a highly competitive pulse protein ingredient market. With this advanced knowledge on the structure-functional relationship the company would be able to resolve their problem of non-uniformity in final products during on-site applications, and providing significant benefit to Canadian pulse industry and to Canadian people by providing value-added, healthy and sustainable food ingredients.