Plant proteins as emulsifiers
Because of its great fat and water binding Heliaflor® has excellent emulsifying capabilities. Application as binding agent, consistency enhancer and stabilizer is possible. Comparison showed that Heliaflor®55 can achieve a better and more stable fat binding than Heliaflor®45. On the other hand Heliaflor®45 showed great water binding capabilities. Almond flour showed the best fat binding capabilities, followed by Heliaflor®55, Heliaflor®45 and finally soy milk powder.
- Protein enrichment from 100% organic sunflower seeds
- Ideal for use in natural foods for 100% organic
- Clean Labelling
- GMO-free
- Binding agent with emulsifying effect
- Improves consistency and has a stabilizing effect
- Water and fat binding
- Optimal for steady viscosity
- Vegetable protein
- Vegan
- Rich in protein and fiber
- Low Carb and low fat
- B-vitamins and especially rich in folic acid
- Rich in polyphenols
- Gluten-free cereal substitute
- Supports spicy foods
- Dietary supplement
- Usable in cold and warm emulsions
Emulsifying properties in general
Due to its strong emulsifying capabilities sunflower protein Heliaflor® is very versatile in its application. The spectrum of products made from emulsions ranges from cosmetics like salves to food products like milk, ice cream, spreads or salad dressings (Schubert, 2005). Emulsions are heterogeneous compounds made out of two or only few dissolvable liquids, e.g. water and oil. Substances with emulsifying qualities are added in order to stop the heterogeneous compound from separating. These substances are called emulsifiers or stabilizers. Emulsifying agents can act as a link between two liquids that usually can’t be connected.
The following diagrams show water and fat binding of different emulsions. Used emulsifiers are Heliaflor®, almond flour and soy milk powder. Emulsions were made out of one part protein and four parts water.
Figure 2 shows water binding capacity of plant proteins and appropriate flow curve of Heliaflor® 45, Heliaflor® 55, soy milk powder and almond flour. Shear stress [Pa], which equates to viscosity of a substance, is plotted against shear rate [s-1].The higher viscosity the better is water binding of plant protein. In contrast to soy milk powder and almond flour Heliaflor® shows structurally viscous flow behaviour, this means suspension is obtained. Flow curves rise up with a lower shear stress. With increasing shear stress curve gradient decreases. Both types of Heliaflor® have the highest values for viscosity and therefore a great water binding capacity. Results for Heliaflor® 45 are higher in comparison to Heliaflor® 55. Flow curves of soy milk powder and almond flour are rather low and flat. This results in a low water binding capacity.
Functional properties of Heliaflor® 45 and 55 compared to almond flour and soy milk powder
The following are two diagrams showing the water and fat binding of different emulsions. Heliaflor® 45 and 55, almond flour and soy milk powder were used as emulsifiers. For the emulsions, one part sample and four parts water were used.
Figure 2 gives an overview of the water binding of the plant proteins and shows the flow curves of Heliaflor® 45, Heliaflor® 55, soy milk powder and almond flour. The shear stress [Pa] is plotted against the shear rate [s-1]. The shear stress is equivalent to the viscosity of a substance. The higher the viscosity, the better the water binding of the protein. In contrast to soy milk powder and almond flour, Heliaflor® shows structurally viscous flow behaviour, i.e. a bound mass (suspension) is formed. The flow curves rise steeply at low shear rates and show a decreasing slope at increasing shear rates. Comparing the viscosity, both Heliaflor® variants show significantly higher values. Accordingly, they show good water binding. The results for Heliaflor® 45 are about six times higher compared to Heliaflor® 55. In contrast, the flow curves of soy milk powder and almond flour are low and flat. This corresponds to poor water binding.
Description of the results
Figure 2: Water binding
This figure gives an overview of the flow curves of Heliaflor® 45, Heliaflor® 55, soy milk powder and almond flour at a mixing ratio of 1:4. In contrast to soy milk powder and almond flour, the flow curves of Heliaflor® show structurally viscous flow behaviour (i.e. a bound mass/suspension has developed). The flow curves rise steeply at a low shear rate and show a decreasing slope at an increasing shear rate. Comparing the viscosity (shear stress), both Heliaflor® variants show significantly higher values. The values of the shear stress of Heliaflor® 45 are approximately 6 times higher than those of Heliaflor® 55. [The flow curves of soy milk powder and almond flour are similarly low and flat. This means that for both proteins, at this protein-water ratio, there is only a low viscosity, which is equivalent to poor water binding.
Figure 8: Fat binding
This figure shows the results for fat binding in %. Both Heliaflor® and almond meal show very good fat binding properties. Over a longer period of time, this is better for Heliaflor® 45 than for Heliaflor® 55. The fat-binding property of sunflower protein is mainly due to the high number of non-polar side chains (Zayas, 1997).
