Radiation processing of food proteins - A review on the recent developments

Food proteins exert various functional properties for various food products on their textural, sensory and nutritional properties. However without modification, the applications of these food proteins are limited. Food irradiation is a physical method of food preservation to retain the freshness and quality of the food products. To date, the application of irradiation is not only limited to food preservation, but also widely used in other applications such as cross-linking of synthetic polymers and biopolymers, the enhancement of health promoting phytochemicals, etc. Application of radiation has been extended to the modification of proteins. Depending on the adsorbed radiation dose or radiation exposure time, various effects can be achieved resulting in the polymerization or depolymerization of protein molecules. This review paper summarizes the recent progress made on the application and the effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation on the conformational changes of food proteins. These changes could subsequently exert improvement on the functional properties of food proteins. The information documented in this review will be beneficial for further commercialization and exploration of this exciting novel technology on a pilot scale in food industries world-wide.