Role of protein-lipid interactions for food and food-based applications

Food structure is governed by the assembly and interactions between macromolecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. A deeper understanding on the science governing food structure is integral for manufacturers seeking opportunities to develop food and food-based products with enhanced performance, safety, sustainability, and nutritional profiles. While interactions between protein and polysaccharides are generally well characterised for a range of applications, much less is known of the factors governing protein-lipid interactions (PLI) for food and food-based applications. This review examines the factors and mechanism of PLI for food and food-based applications. The influence of factors such as processing method, type of lipids and type of proteins on PLI and/or protein-lipid structures are summarised. In addition, we report a link between PLI and protein-lipid structures on techno-functional properties in food and food-based applications. Based on the analytical data on protein and lipid structures, we postulate a mechanism involved in PLI at the emulsion interfacial region. The findings from this study provides a starting point on understanding PLI and highlights the potential of PLI to influence techno-functional properties in food and food-based applications.