Techno-Functional and Structural Characteristics of Coprecipitates and Protein Mixtures: A Review

Much attention has been paid to the use of plant and animal proteins due to the growing demand for nutritious ingredients with desirable techno-functional properties. Two methods to address this demand are protein coprecipitates (PoCos) and blends (PoBls) of isolates or protein concentrate. PoCos and PoBls are a way to overcome deficiencies in essential amino acid content from a single source, in addition to sensory and techno-functional characteristics. Therefore, the objective of this review was to compile and analyze recent studies related to PoCos and PoBls of animal-animal, animal-plant, and plant-vegetable origin, highlighting the methods of obtaining and the impact on the techno-functional and structural properties of the products, which could be useful for their potential application as ingredients in the food industry. According to the analysis of the recovered information, the improved nutritional and techno-functional properties of the PoCos and PoBls are due to the complementation of the amino acids and structural characteristics generated by the formation and/or combination of the different covalent and non-covalent interactions of the individual protein sources.