Product Overview
Wheat contains about 13% protein, mainly composed of albumin, globulin, gliadin, and glutenin. Wheat gluten protein primarily includes gliadin and glutenin, which together account for 80% of wheat protein on a dry basis. Gliadin provides extensibility, while glutenin offers elasticity, forming a network structure with water. This results in excellent viscoelasticity, extensibility, water absorption, fat emulsification, film-forming properties, and a mild, slightly grainy taste. The protein content varies among wheat varieties, generally 8%-16% by total grain weight and 8%-15% in flour. Wheat protein can be classified into albumin, globulin, gliadin, and glutenin based on solubility. Albumin makes up 3%-5% of wheat protein, is found mainly in the germ, soluble in water and dilute salt solutions, but heat unstable. Globulin constitutes 6%-10% of wheat protein, soluble in 10% NaCl but insoluble in water. Gliadin accounts for 40%-50% of wheat protein, is the primary wheat protein, insoluble in water and neutral salt solutions, but soluble in 70%-90% ethanol. Glutenin makes up 30%-40% of total wheat protein, insoluble in water or ethanol, but soluble in acidic or alkaline solutions. Gliadin and glutenin are the main components of gluten protein, crucial indicators of wheat flour quality. Wheat protein can be categorized into monomeric proteins (single peptide chain) and aggregated proteins (two or more peptide chains). Aggregated proteins contain about 85% glutenin, while monomeric proteins are mainly gliadin, albumin, and globulin. Albumin and globulin are mainly found in the germ and aleurone layer, with some in the endosperm, molecular weight of 12-60 kDa, and high lysine, tryptophan, and methionine content. These proteins are involved in various metabolic processes, contributing to balanced nutrition and determining wheat’s nutritional quality.
Wheat Protein Production Process
I. Overview
Wheat protein powder is a natural plant protein used in health foods, nutritional supplements, beverages, and meat products. The production process includes raw material preparation, acid-base treatment, and alcohol purification, detailed as follows.
II. Raw Material Preparation
The raw material for wheat protein powder is wheat protein. To enhance the protein content and purity, high-quality wheat and appropriate processing methods are selected. Typically, acid-base treatment or hydrolysis is used to release wheat proteins, followed by purification with solvents like methanol. The resulting wheat protein powder is white or light yellow and fine.
III. Acid-Base Treatment
This is a key step in wheat protein production. Wheat protein is mixed with alkaline solution and stirred to dissolve the protein. Acid is then added to neutralize, causing the dissolved protein to precipitate. This step extracts the protein from the wheat and removes impurities.
IV. Alcohol Purification
Alcohol purification is another important step. After acid-base treatment, the wheat protein contains many impurities and requires further purification. The protein is dissolved in methanol, which is then evaporated to obtain high-purity wheat protein powder. Temperature and pH must be carefully controlled to ensure quality and purity.
V. Post-Treatment
After preparation, wheat protein powder undergoes post-treatment to improve taste and storage stability. Common methods include drying, heating, micronization, and crystallization. Different post-treatment techniques affect the quality and properties of wheat protein and are selected based on production needs.
Wheat Protein Benefits and Uses
- Viscoelasticity
- Extensibility
- Water absorption
Applications
As a binder, emulsifier, foaming agent, etc.
Wheat protein has a wide range of uses in food, including as a binder, emulsifier, foaming agent, gum base, and in products like beverages, edible casings, cheese, acidic drinks, edible films, protein films, baked goods, cereals, pet food, and meat products.
Bread
Wheat gluten enhances dough strength, retains gas, and controls expansion, ensuring consistent bread volume. Its water absorption and retention properties improve yield, keep bread soft, extend shelf life, and enhance flavor, resulting in various high-quality bread products.
Noodle Processing
Adding 1%-2% active gluten to noodle dough improves shaping, softness, and strength, making production easier and enhancing texture. It also increases yield, prevents over-softening or breakage, and delays noodle extension.
Meat Products
In meat products, wheat gluten protein offers many advantages as a binder and filler. Using 1%-5% wheat gluten as a binder in restructured meat products enhances viscoelasticity, hardness, color stability, yield, and water retention, reducing processing loss. In other meat cuts and processed products, using 1%-13% wheat protein improves yield, viscosity, texture, and sensory characteristics. In Frankfurt sausages, adding 3.5% wheat protein powder increases viscosity, adhesion, water retention, and stability, reducing cooking loss and increasing yield by 5.76%. Protein content increases slightly, while fat decreases and ash content rises, improving nutritional structure. Textural changes include increased firmness and cohesiveness, with slight reductions in color brightness but enhanced meat flavor.
Wheat gluten's adhesive, film-forming, and heat-coagulating properties help bind meat and vegetables into steaks or coat meat slices. It can also be used in poultry rolls, canned hamburgers, and bread slices to reduce processing and cooking losses. The addition level is 2%-3.5%. Gluten can also be used in meat patties and as a binder in sausages and other meat products. When hydrated, gluten expands and can be made into various meat analogs, such as crab meat analogs or artificial caviar. Alcohol-soluble gluten can be used to create edible films (e.g., sausage casings).
Pet Food
High-protein gluten is used in pet foods like canned sausages and liquid foods for its water absorption and emulsification properties, improving yield and quality. Adding wheat protein powder to dog food dough before baking enhances break resistance during packaging and transport and provides essential nutrition.
Cereal and Nutritional Snacks
Gluten’s unique flavor and nutrition have made gluten-enriched cereal products popular, especially when consumed with milk. Gluten not only provides essential nutrients but also helps bind vitamins and minerals during processing, enhancing cereal products. In nutritional snacks, gluten offers rich nutrition and crispness, typically added at 1%-2%, though some Australian products contain 30%-45% gluten. One example is a high-protein snack made from potato strips, breadcrumbs, and gluten.
Pasta Products
Although durum wheat is suitable for pasta, gluten is added to improve its rheological properties and color. Gluten reduces cooking loss and prevents thinning, cracking, and increases strength and heat resistance in canned products. Pasta mixed with gluten, soy protein, and whey protein is used in U.S. school lunches to meet PER nutrition requirements.
Cheese Analogues and Pizza
Synthetic cheeses made with gluten are similar in texture and taste to natural cheese. Recent research shows that wheat protein powder alone or mixed with soy protein can replace about 30% of expensive casein, significantly lowering cheese production costs. Wheat protein powder also strengthens pizza crusts, allowing for thin and thick surfaces from the same flour, providing a hard crust, crispy texture, and reducing moisture migration. The addition level is 1%-2% of the flour base.
Packaging and Storage
【Storage Conditions】Keep sealed and shielded from light, store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.
【Packaging】Bulk: 25kg in cardboard drums; Samples: 1kg in aluminum foil bags; Custom packaging available upon request.
【Transportation】Courier or logistics; domestic courier delivery within three days, logistics within five days. Prices generally include domestic shipping costs.
【Shelf Life】Two years
Plant Source
Wheat (Scientific Name: Triticum aestivum L.) is a herbaceous plant in the Poaceae family and Triticum genus, annual or biennial, with erect stems reaching up to 100 cm. The leaf sheaths are loose around the stem, and the leaf blades are long and lance-shaped. The spike-like inflorescence is upright, with multiple florets in each spikelet. The glumes are oval, with the outer glume long and lanceolate and the inner glume nearly equal in length. Flowering and fruiting occur from May to July. Wheat is widely cultivated throughout China with many varieties, each differing in characteristics. The grain is a staple food, ground into flour for bread, buns, cookies, noodles, and fermented to produce beer, alcohol, and vodka, or used as biomass fuel.
