3. Gel rheology

The ability to gel is a functional property of many proteins. They play a major role in the preparation of a large number of foods (dairy products, coagulated egg white, gelatin, bakery doughs, etc.). Protein gelation is used not only to form specific textures, but also to improve water absorption, thickening, particle binding or emulsion stabilization.

There are many conditions under which gelling can occur (heat treatment, acidification, etc.).

Gels can be classified into four types:

• well-ordered structures ;

• completely disordered covalent networks ;

• networks formed by physical aggregation ;

• disordered particle structures.

Characterizing the structure of...