The research focuses in investigating the effect of proteins on both the oxidative and physical stability of food. The expert work encompasses also safety assessment of novel foods.

Protein oxidation

Similarly to lipid oxidation, protein oxidation reactions are initiated by metals, reactive oxygen (and nitrogen) species, heat, light and radiation thus leading to changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins. Overall, oxidation will have an impact on functional properties of proteins, including solubility, emulsion and foam stability, as well as water-holding and gelling capacities. Oxidation of food proteins will also lead to reduced nutritional value. In our investigations we have focused on proteins obtained from plant sources such as faba bean, oat, pseudo cereals (amaranth, quinoa) as well as from animal sources including whey proteins and proteins isolated from insects (crickets, mealworm). The focus is both on the oxidative and physical stability of the protein containing food. In addition, also reactions with other food constituents such as lipids and phenolic constituents are of interest. 

Doctoral dissertations

• Xiaocui Han (ongoing): "Oxidation and physical stability of insect protein"
• Bei Korpela (ongoing): "Protein-phenolic interactions"
• Chang Liu 2020. "Oxidative stability in emulsions prepared with faba bean proteins" http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:hulib-201512143998
• Göker Gürbüz 2018. "Chromatographic separation, fractionation and oxidation of selected beta-lactoglobulin peptides" http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:hulib-201507211768
• Tuuli Koivumäki 2018. "Whey protein oxidation : LC-MS investigations of peptide markers" http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-51-4065-4

Safety assessment of novel foods

The group leader is a member of the Novel Food working group at EFSA since 2004. The group is responsible for the safety assessment of novel foods according to the regulation(EU) 2015/2283. More information: Novel Food working group at EFSA