Increasing the pasteurization temperature of liquid egg white by phosphorylation modification: Exploring the...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Protein Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Pasteurization of liquid egg white (LEW) is limited by protein aggregation at higher temperatures.
• Current methods struggle to balance effective sterilization with maintaining LEW processing quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the thermal stability and pasteurization temperature of LEW using phosphorylation.
• To improve the sterilizing effect and shelf life of LEW.

Main Methods:

• Phosphorylation modification of LEW proteins.
• Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to confirm grafting.
• Analysis of protein aggregation, particle size, electrostatic repulsion, and functional properties (emulsifying, foaming).

Main Results:

• Successful grafting of phosphate groups onto LEW proteins, increasing molecular order.
• Pasteurization temperature increased from 58°C to 61°C without thermal aggregation.
• Reduced turbidity due to decreased particle size and increased electrostatic repulsion.
• Improved emulsifying and foaming properties.

Conclusions:

• Phosphorylation significantly enhances LEW thermal stability and pasteurization temperature.
• This modification offers a viable strategy to improve LEW safety and functionality.
• Phosphorylation holds potential for extending the shelf life of egg white products.