Modification of pea protein gels: Extending applications in future food industry

Pea protein has become an important and promising alternative to animal protein due to its sustainability and renewability advantages. However, broadening its applications requires enhanced gel properties by modification. This review focuses on the gel formation of pea proteins, the latest modification methods and applications. Pea protein gel formation involves three stages of denaturation, aggregation and gelation. Additionally, physical, chemical and biological modification methods can effectively tune the gel properties of pea protein, such as gel strength and water-holding capacity, enabling the design of gels for specific applications. Nowadays, Pea protein gels have been used in meat analogue, yogurt, 3D printing and biomaterials field. Future efforts still should focus on the modification mechanisms and methods to facilitate the full application of pea protein gels. This work provides valuable guidance on the molecular mechanisms research, innovative technologies development and application expansion of pea protein gel in the future.