Heat- and acid-induced gelation of dairy/plant protein dispersions and emulsions

Gelation of dairy/plant protein mixed dispersions and emulsions was achieved upon heat or acid treatment. The presence of plant proteins is generally leading to a lowering of the gel strength compared to dairy proteins alone. This is mostly due to the formation of independent networks by the different protein sources, which do not often interact strongly. As well, plant proteins were shown to compete with dairy proteins for calcium chelation, which can influence gel properties. Addition of a dispersed oil phase generally allows to better control the gel strength as it induces a specific protein distribution at the interface and enables formation of active oil droplets embedded in the protein network.