Transglutaminase is an enzyme that forms crosslinks between protein molecules. This crosslinkage has unique effects on protein properties, gelation capability, thermal stability, water-holding capacity, etc. A transglutaminase has been isolated from Streptoverticillium sp., and its practical use in the food industry realized. Transglutaminase is now widely used in seafood, surimi products, meat products, noodles/pasta, dairy products, baked goods, and so on. It has great potential to improve the firmness, elasticity, viscosity, heat stability, and water-holding capacity of prepared foods through the mild enzyme reaction. The overall applications of transglutaminase in the food industry are reviewed

Effect in dairy products

1. TG improves the softness and viscosity of the yoghurt, and thus it improves the yield and the taste.
2. TG catalyzes the combination of caseins, and thus it improves the strength of the gel.
3. It reduces the excretion of the whey in the product, because it improves the capacity of the binding of the water.
4. It increases the yield up to 12-15% and thus reduces the costs of production.