The spontaneous adsorption of proteins from solution to
the air/aqueous interface is of central importance to their
foaming performance. This phenomenon is thermodynamically
favorable due to the simultaneous dehydration of the
hydrophobic interface and hydrophobic portions of the
protein (Dickinson, 1986). Hydrophobic patches on a
protein’s surface initially drive this process, and surface
hydrophobicity has been correlated with improved foaming
properties (Kato & Nakai, 1980; Moro, Gatti, & Delorenzi,
2001; Townsend & Nakai, 1983). Once contacts are made
with the interface, natural flexibility within the molecules
can expose previously buried hydrophobic portions to the
interface, potentially leading to interfacial denaturation of
the molecules