Modification on Pea Protein to Enhance Its Applications in Food Products

Abstract

Pea is an important nutrient source, as it contains high volumes of protein, starch and fibre. Pea protein is expected as growing alternative protein in current food factory, owing to its global convenience, cost effective high nutrient and wholesome. As several food companies already use pea protein as alternative meat protein to make burger patties. Pea protein is a potential food ingredient because of its solubility, ability to hold both water and oil, ability to form emulsions, and viscosity. Therefore, in this review, pea protein fractions, functional characters and modifications to enhance its applications have been studied. In terms of modifications, pea protein can be modified through physical, chemical and biological approaches. These modifications can potentially improve its solubility, emulsifying ability, digestibility and reduce unpleasant beany flavor. Via these modification techniques, pea protein can be added to meat products and meat analogues to provide nutrients, making it competitive in various processed foods.