ReviewDry heating of whey proteins

- Dry heating of whey proteins is a natural alternative to their modification.
- Dry heating of whey proteins involves glycation via the Maillard reaction.
- Dry heating can either produce carbohydrate-protein conjugated or protein aggregates.
- Conditions used in the dry heating of whey proteins are reviewed.
- Functional properties of dry heated proteins are considered.

Whey protein products are of widespread use as food ingredients because of their high nutritional, biological and functional properties. Whey proteins are important structural components in many foods as used in their native form, for example for their heat-induced gelation abilities. Furthermore, they also offer reliable functionalities when modified by heating processes as denatured or aggregated proteins. Heat treatment of whey proteins in a liquid state has received much attention in recent years. While dry heating of whey proteins, say heating whey proteins in the dry state, is frequently cited in the literature as a potential and efficient means to improve the functional properties of proteins, it has received very little attention. We report first on the dry heating of whey products as applied to promote glycation of whey proteins with a low denaturation, and second, to promote their denaturation and aggregation and on their consequences on the functional properties of whey proteins.

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