Plant protein-based particles as food foam and emulsion stabilizing agents

Foams and emulsions give texture and mouthfeel to food products such as sauces, meringues, coffee foams and many more. They usually consist of finely dispersed air bubbles or oil droplets in an aqueous phase. Such dispersions are often stabilized by animal proteins, such as those of egg white or milk. Such proteins position themselves at the surface of air bubbles or oil droplets, thereby preventing the dispersions from separating into two phases. As plant proteins are more sustainable than animal proteins it would be very interesting to use them rather than animal proteins in food applications. However, they often lack functionality and thus require additional modifications to improve their foaming or emulsifying characteristics. In non-food industries, particles made from e.g. latex or silica, are used to stabilize foams or emulsions. Such particles adsorb almost irreversibly to interfaces, thereby making them very stable. However, they are usually not food-grade. It is my aim to provide a scientific basis for producing plant (soy, maize, wheat) protein-based particles which can stabilize food foams and emulsions. Different techniques will be used to make particles. These will then be fully characterized and tested for their ability to form and stabilize foams and emulsions. With this work, I hope to initiate an entirely new approach to improve the functionality of plant proteins in food systems.