An overview of the functional properties of egg white proteins and their application in the food industry

Abstract

Egg white proteins (EWPs), in addition to their nutritional values, possess excellent functional properties that facilitate their use in the food industry. This review collates the published information concerning the major functional properties of EWPs such as gelling, foaming, and emulsifying. Gelation of EWPs has several applications in various food products such as puddings and desserts. Foaming is an important element in the manufacture of the foods such as cakes, bread, meringues, and cookies. However, the application of EWPs as an emulsifier in food products is limited, and thus, various techniques and methods for improving the emulsifying ability of these proteins have been investigated. The effect of various parameters on the functional properties of EWPs and possible correlations between structure and function, with a focus on practical performance in food systems, are discussed in this paper. These findings can lead to enriching the research systems on the functional properties of EWPs and providing information for the development of new EWPs -derived/enriched food products. • Environmental conditions change hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio of egg white proteins. • Heat treatments potentially denature egg white proteins (EWPs) and change their structure. • Emulsifying stability of egg white proteins under neutral and alkaline conditions is poor. • Electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions are important during gel formation of EWPs. • EWPs have considerable applications in foods such as meringues and cake batters.