Egg products: functional ingredients for complex matrices
Résumé
Hen egg is a polyfunctional ingredient as it can bring concurrently different functionalities in formulated foods. Its emulsifying, foaming, gelling, thickening, colouring and aromatising properties are largely researched. At industrial scale, egg is transformed in egg products of first (whole egg, yolk, albumen) or second (classical recipes) transformation. This industry is rather recent and is knowing a continuous growth. During the last fifteen years, laboratory researches have brought important knowledge concerning constituents and different levels of egg structure, understanding of functional mechanisms and thermomechanical treatment impact. These knowledges serve now to better control functionalities of egg products in food applications. Furthermore, advances realised on extraction of minor constituents could serve for new applications in biological and pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this paper is to describe the different steps to obtain egg products, with a brief presentation of structure, constituents and functionalities of egg.