Optimization of emulsifying activity of soy protein isolate using computer-aided techniques

The random-centroid optimization (RCO) method using computer was applied to determine the optimum conditions of the emulsifying activity of soy protein isolate. Levels of factors including the temperature during emulsification, pH of the protein solution and the concentration of NaCl were optimized. After the second cycle of measurement of the emulsifying activity in 22 samples, we were able to determine the optimum conditions for practical use, namely, a temperature of 30degreesC, pH 8.2, and concentration of NaCl of 0.35 mol/l. We concluded that this RCO method is suitable for the optimization of food processing conditions with a minimum number of measurements.