Protein antioxidants for the stabilization of lipid foods: Current and potential applications

Fats and oils that are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids are generally regarded as beneficial to human health yet are extremely liable to oxidative deterioration. The number of antioxidant intervention strategies available for foods is limited and will likely decline as the consumer demand for 'all natural' products increases. New antioxidant technologies are clearly needed, especially those based on non-synthetic compounds. Proteins and peptides have the potential to fill this niche, as they are capable of inhibiting oxidative rancidity by a number of mechanisms, including radical scavenging, metal chelation, two-electron peroxide reduction, and aldehyde quenching. This chapter focuses on the demonstrated and potential use of food proteins as antioxidants in lipid foods, as well as their limitations.