FOOD BIOPOLYMERS AND FUNCTIONAL PROTEIN INGREDIENTS QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY
LATEST UPDATE 2026
what are biopolymers - Answers large molecules of natural origin - proteins, fats/oils, carbohydrates
key properties of protein - Answers amino acids (polar, nonpolar, hydrophobic, hydrophilic), peptide
bonds, chain length (number of amino acid residues), post-translational modification (eg
glycosylation, phosphorylation), structure (eg open/filamentous vs globular), dietary sources,
important source of energy in diet (4kcal/g)
what impact do side chains (r-groups) have on amino acids - Answers impacts on the interactions and
functionality of the resultant protein (solubility, gelation, bitterness)
what are individual amino acids joined together to form - Answers peptides/proteins via a
condensation reaction (H2O lost)
types of bonds/interactions involved in protein structuring - Answers hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic
interactions, ionic bonds, covalent bonds eg disulphide linkages
key properties of fats/oils - Answers difference between two is temperature, chain length (short,
medium, long chain fatty acids), fatty acid profile (relative % of each type of fatty acid), degree of
saturation/double bonds, mono-/poly-unsaturated fatty acids, cis vs trans fats, energy (9kcal/g)
structure of fatty acid - Answers polar head, non-polar tail, double bonds (unsaturation) cause bends
in structure and prevent close packing therefore less structured (more liquid like)
physicochemical functionality of oil/fat ingredients - Answers fatty acid profile (blend in specific
ratios), melting properties (hard/soft oils/fats), susceptibility to oxidation, fatty acid positional
distribution
key properties of carbohydrates - Answers mono-, di-, tri-, oligo-, poly-saccharides, important source
of energy in diet (4kcal/g), important structural components in food (eg fibre), sources include dairy,
cereal, vegetable, marine, bacterial
role of protein in the diet - Answers source of energy (4kcal/g), carrier/stabiliser of micronutrients (eg
minerals), source of essential amino acids, specific bio-activities (eg mineral transport, anti-infective,
immune function)
assessment of protein quality - Answers true protein and non-protein nitrogen (urea, creatine, uric
acid), amino acid profile (essential amino acids & branched chain amino acids), chemical score/amino
acid score, protein efficiency ratio (PER), biological value, net protein utilisation
what is a functional food protein - Answers a protein that performs some unique functional property
in a food
functional property of a protein - Answers any physico-chemical property which affects the processing
and behaviour of a protein in a food system as judged by the quality of the final product containing
the protein, reflect complex interactions between the composition, structure, conformation and
physico-chemical properties of the protein itself and interactions with other components of the food
system
what is pour-el - Answers any property of a food ingredient other than its nutritional value that affects
its utilisation
what is kinsella - Answers any physicochemical property which affects the processing and behaviour
of protein in food systems as judged by the quality attributes of the final product
functions of ingredient protein in meat-based products - Answers improves uniform emulsion
formation and stabilisation, gelation improves firmness, pliability and texture, facilitates cleaner,
smoother slicing, reduces cooking shrinkage and drip by entrapping/binding fats and water, prevents
fat separation, enhances binding of meat particles without stickiness, improves moisture-holding and
mouthfeel, may impart antioxidant effects
physicochemical properties of food proteins - Answers solubility, emulsification, foaming, buffering
capacity, viscosity, heat stability, gelation, water binding/holding
what foods are proteins the principal structural and functional constituents of - Answers gels/jellies,
beverages, foams, meat, cheese, bread
two situations of functional proteins - Answers proteins perform function on processing of the
material in which they are naturally present, proteins are isolated from the material in which they are
naturally present
substrates for protein recovery - Answers milk, eggs, blood, fish, cereals, oilseeds, legumes, single cell
protein, aquatic plants/algae
LATEST UPDATE 2026
what are biopolymers - Answers large molecules of natural origin - proteins, fats/oils, carbohydrates
key properties of protein - Answers amino acids (polar, nonpolar, hydrophobic, hydrophilic), peptide
bonds, chain length (number of amino acid residues), post-translational modification (eg
glycosylation, phosphorylation), structure (eg open/filamentous vs globular), dietary sources,
important source of energy in diet (4kcal/g)
what impact do side chains (r-groups) have on amino acids - Answers impacts on the interactions and
functionality of the resultant protein (solubility, gelation, bitterness)
what are individual amino acids joined together to form - Answers peptides/proteins via a
condensation reaction (H2O lost)
types of bonds/interactions involved in protein structuring - Answers hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic
interactions, ionic bonds, covalent bonds eg disulphide linkages
key properties of fats/oils - Answers difference between two is temperature, chain length (short,
medium, long chain fatty acids), fatty acid profile (relative % of each type of fatty acid), degree of
saturation/double bonds, mono-/poly-unsaturated fatty acids, cis vs trans fats, energy (9kcal/g)
structure of fatty acid - Answers polar head, non-polar tail, double bonds (unsaturation) cause bends
in structure and prevent close packing therefore less structured (more liquid like)
physicochemical functionality of oil/fat ingredients - Answers fatty acid profile (blend in specific
ratios), melting properties (hard/soft oils/fats), susceptibility to oxidation, fatty acid positional
distribution
key properties of carbohydrates - Answers mono-, di-, tri-, oligo-, poly-saccharides, important source
of energy in diet (4kcal/g), important structural components in food (eg fibre), sources include dairy,
cereal, vegetable, marine, bacterial
role of protein in the diet - Answers source of energy (4kcal/g), carrier/stabiliser of micronutrients (eg
minerals), source of essential amino acids, specific bio-activities (eg mineral transport, anti-infective,
immune function)
assessment of protein quality - Answers true protein and non-protein nitrogen (urea, creatine, uric
acid), amino acid profile (essential amino acids & branched chain amino acids), chemical score/amino
acid score, protein efficiency ratio (PER), biological value, net protein utilisation
what is a functional food protein - Answers a protein that performs some unique functional property
in a food
functional property of a protein - Answers any physico-chemical property which affects the processing
and behaviour of a protein in a food system as judged by the quality of the final product containing
the protein, reflect complex interactions between the composition, structure, conformation and
physico-chemical properties of the protein itself and interactions with other components of the food
system
what is pour-el - Answers any property of a food ingredient other than its nutritional value that affects
its utilisation
what is kinsella - Answers any physicochemical property which affects the processing and behaviour
of protein in food systems as judged by the quality attributes of the final product
functions of ingredient protein in meat-based products - Answers improves uniform emulsion
formation and stabilisation, gelation improves firmness, pliability and texture, facilitates cleaner,
smoother slicing, reduces cooking shrinkage and drip by entrapping/binding fats and water, prevents
fat separation, enhances binding of meat particles without stickiness, improves moisture-holding and
mouthfeel, may impart antioxidant effects
physicochemical properties of food proteins - Answers solubility, emulsification, foaming, buffering
capacity, viscosity, heat stability, gelation, water binding/holding
what foods are proteins the principal structural and functional constituents of - Answers gels/jellies,
beverages, foams, meat, cheese, bread
two situations of functional proteins - Answers proteins perform function on processing of the
material in which they are naturally present, proteins are isolated from the material in which they are
naturally present
substrates for protein recovery - Answers milk, eggs, blood, fish, cereals, oilseeds, legumes, single cell
protein, aquatic plants/algae
