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Protein Denaturation and Functionality Losses

  • Chapter
Quality in Frozen Food

Abstract

Frozen storage is one of the most important preservation methods for maintaining microbiological and chemical stability and extending the shelf life of food products. Deteriorations in texture, flavor, and color, resulting from biochemical, enzymatic, and functional changes in proteins, however, are problems associated with freezing and subsequent storage at subfreezing temperatures for many fresh and processed foods. Freeze-induced protein denaturation, enzyme inactivation, and related functionality losses are commonly observed in frozen fish, meat, poultry, egg products, and doughs. Muscle proteins are particularly susceptible to freeze denaturation compared to plant-derived proteins, and this is especially true for fish species. Denaturation of proteins during freezing and frozen storage can be monitored by measuring alterations in protein surface hydrophobicity, amino acid composition, conformational stability, solubility, aggregation, and enzyme activity. Losses in functional properties of proteins are commonly assessed by comparing water-holding ability, viscosity, gelation, emulsification, foaming, and whipping properties.

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Authors
  1. Youling L. Xiong
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Food Safety and Quality Enhancement Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Georgia, USA

    Marilyn C. Erickson  & Yen-Con Hung  & 

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Xiong, Y.L. (1997). Protein Denaturation and Functionality Losses. In: Erickson, M.C., Hung, YC. (eds) Quality in Frozen Food. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5975-7_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5975-7_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7738-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5975-7

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