Whey protein-Carbohydrate conjugates

Whey proteins may be modified by conjugation with carbohydrates through the Maillard reaction, a process that can occur naturally during thermal processing and storage. However, most academic and industrial interest is in the exploitation of conjugation as a means to modify, extend, and control the technological and nutritional functionality of whey proteins in premium nutritional applications such as protein beverages. This chapter provides an overview of the work to date on this rapidly expanding topic, focusing on a review of the substrates used for conjugation and a comparison of the different approaches used for production of conjugated ingredients. It also contains a detailed investigation of the impact of conjugation on selected technological and nutritional properties of whey proteins. Approaches under investigation for the enrichment and purification of whey protein conjugates are discussed and several thought-provoking topics are presented in the final section on perspectives and future research needs.