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In this study, we investigated the tailoring of food emulsions using interactions between rice bran cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and lauric arginate (LAE), which is food-grade cationic surfactant. Complexes of anionic CNCs and cationic LAE (CNCs/LAE) were formed through electrostatic attraction which were characterized using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), turbidity, and zeta-potential measurements. The saturation complexes could be formed at ratios of 1:2 (w/w) CNCs-to-LAE. Furthermore, the physical and oxidative stability of oil-in-water emulsions containing lipid droplets coated by CNCs/LAE complexes was determined. Electrostatic complexes formed from 0.02% CNCs and 0.1% LAE produced stable Pickering emulsions that were resistant to droplet coalescence. It was also exhibited that 0.02% CNCs and 0.1% LAE complexes stabilized-emulsions was able to extend the lag phase to 20 days for lipid hydroperoxide and to 14 days for hexanal production. This study shows that food-grade Pickering emulsions with good stability can be produced by CNCs with LAE complexes.

Natural emulsifiers, particularly those extracted from plants, are highly wanted by food industry to meet consumers demand for clean label food and beverage products. The potential utilization of soy lecithin as an emulsifier in model coffee creamer was investigated in this study. The model oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions consisted of 10 wt% medium chain triglyceride were stabilized using either 1% or 5% soy lecithin (pH 7.0). The O/W emulsions were of whitish milky color (L* = 88–92) and were able to whiten black coffee solutions (L* from 5.5 for black coffee to 44–56 for white coffees). Model O/W emulsions with smaller mean droplet diameters (0.11 to 1.09 μm), higher surface potentials (ζ = −62 to −72 mV), and better stabilities in hot coffee were fabricated using higher lecithin levels because there was more emulsifier to coat the oil droplet surfaces. Alteration of the electrostatic interactions in the model O/W emulsions (5% lecithin) by pH adjustment or calcium addition led to droplet aggregation under certain conditions, which was attributed to charge reduction by protonation of lecithin head groups and electrostatic screening by counter-ion accumulation and ion-binding. In particular, phase separation of the model creamer occurred at pH value around 4.5 when the system was acidified at a slow rate. Overall, this study suggests that lecithin-stabilized O/W emulsions may become unstable in coffee solutions with high acidity or calcium levels. The information obtained from this study provides insights on the use of plant-based emulsifiers in commercial food and beverage systems.

The functional attributes of globular proteins can be extended by controlling the nature of the aggregates they form. In this study, the effect of thermal treatment (85°C/20 min) and high pressure microfluidization (20,000 psi, 1 pass) on the physical properties of whey protein isolate solutions (5–9%; pH 2) was investigated. Heating solutions of native whey protein isolate (8 wt%) under these acidic conditions led to the formation of highly viscous solutions (η = 306 mPa s) with low turbidity (τ = 0.04 cm−1), which was attributed to the formation of protein fibrils (effective d = 310 nm). Microfluidization of these protein fibrils decreased their length (effective d = 97 nm) leading to a substantial reduction in solution viscosity (η = 3.8 mPa s), and a slight reduction in turbidity (τ 1 cm−1) were formed at pH values close to the isoelectric point of the whey proteins (pH 4.5) due to protein self-association caused by reduction of the electrostatic repulsion between the protein molecules. Highly viscous or gelled solutions were formed for the heated and heated-microfluidized proteins across a wide pH range, which was attributed to the presence of fibrils. The study showed that the functional attributes of whey proteins can be modulated by thermal and high-pressure homogenization treatment.

Tocotrienols have been reported to have stronger bioactivities than tocopherols, and may therefore be suitable as a potent source of vitamin E in functional foods, supplements, and pharmaceuticals. However, their inclusion into new products is hindered by their low water-solubility and oral bioavailability. Oil-in-water emulsions (O/W) could provide an adequate delivery system for these bioactive compounds. Tocotrienols were tested in bulk oil and within O/W conventional emulsions (10μm) and nanoemulsions (350nm). The emulsions were prepared with medium chain triglycerides (MCT) as an oil phase (5 to 40% wt) and quillaja saponins as a natural surfactant. The gastrointestinal fate of the emulsion-based delivery systems was investigated using a simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The physical properties of the emulsions (color, apparent viscosity) were affected with increased droplet concentration. The lipid phase composition (emulsion type and particle size) had a pronounced impact on the microstructure of the emulsions in different regions of the GIT. At simulated small intestine conditions, the rate of lipid digestion and tocotrienol bioaccessibility decreased in the following order: nanoemulsionsemulsionsbulk oil. These results suggest that emulsions containing small lipid droplets are particularly suitable for delivering tocotrienols.

The development of plant-based foods and beverages is becoming increasingly popular because of growing consumer concerns about perceived ethical, health, and environmental issues. The current study examined the influence of oil droplet concentration on the physicochemical properties of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions stabilized with a plant-based surfactant. Emulsions were utilized as model creamers, which consisted of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) as the oil phase and quillaja saponin as a plant-based surfactant. The optical, rheological and stability properties of these model creamers were measured at varied oil content from 0 to 15%, at a constant surfactant-to-oil ratio (1:15). The model creamers had an appearance similar to that of commercial non-dairy creamers, and their whiteness increased with increasing droplet concentration due to enhanced light scattering: L* from 77 to 91 for creamer and L* from 5 to 55 for white coffee. The quillaja saponin-coated lipid droplets were stable to aggregation and gravitational separation when added to hot acidic coffee solutions (85°C, pH4.9), which was attributed to strong steric and electrostatic repulsions. The apparent viscosity of the model creamers increased with increasing droplet concentration due to increased frictional losses associated with the presence of the droplets. This study provides valuable information into the impact of oil content on the physicochemical properties of liquid creamers using plant based surfactants, which is important for the formulation of healthier products.

Rising consumer demand for food products made with natural and plant-based ingredients has led to a search for natural alternatives to synthetic food ingredients. The present study compared the ability of two natural small molecule surfactants – quillaja saponin (0.5–2.5%) and soy lecithin (1–5%) – to stabilize 10% oil-in-water emulsions. Emulsion lightness decreased with increasing emulsifier concentration in both systems, which was attributed to the inherent color of the emulsifiers (increased absorption) and the decrease in droplet size (decreased scattering). The mean droplet diameter decreased with increasing emulsifier concentration (0.5–0.15 μm for quillaja saponin and 0.8 to 0.14 μm for soy lecithin) due to their ability to cover more surface area. Both emulsifiers led to the formation of oil droplets with a high negative charge (ζ = −45 to −70 mV), thereby generating a strong electrostatic repulsion that helped protect them against aggregation. The emulsions remained physically stable when added to an acidic hot coffee solution (85 °C), with no visible phase separation or increase in particle size. This study provides insight into the potential of two natural emulsifiers to form stable emulsions suitable for application in coffee creamers.

Consumer demands for natural and clean label ingredients is promoting food and beverage manufacturers to replace synthetic emulsifiers with natural alternatives. This study examined the potential use of quillaja saponin (Q-Naturale 200®) as a natural emulsifier in model coffee creamers. The model liquid creamer was an oil-in-water emulsion (2% quillaja saponin, 10% medium chain triglycerides) that had a whitish milk color (lightness, L* = 86–90) similar to a commercial liquid creamer (L* = 91–93). The model creamer was stable to droplet aggregation and creaming from pH 3.5 to 7.0, which was attributed to the small droplet diameter (d

Consumer concern about human and environmental health is encouraging food manufacturers to use more natural and sustainable food ingredients. In particular, there is interest in replacing synthetic ingredients with natural ones, and in replacing animal-based ingredients with plant-based ones. This article provides a review of the various types of natural emulsifiers with potential application in the food industry, including phospholipids, biosurfactants, proteins, polysaccharides, and natural colloidal particles. Increased utilization of natural emulsifiers in food products may lead to a healthier and more sustainable food supply. However, more research is needed to identify, isolate, and characterize new sources of commercially viable natural emulsifiers suitable for food use.

Oil-in-water emulsions are the main component of creamers, which are used to cream cold or hot coffee. These emulsions must provide the required lightening power and remain physically stable when introduced into hot acidic coffee solutions. In this study, model oil-in-water emulsions stabilized with mixed emulsifiers of sodium caseinate (0.5%) and soy lecithin (0.5%) were fabricated and their physical properties were examined over a range of pH values (pH 3.5 to 7). These model oil-in-water emulsions had strong lightening power (L* ≈ 87) and good physical stability from pH 5.5 to 7 but were unstable to gravitational separation below pH 5 due to caseinate aggregation around its isoelectric point. Addition of λ-carrageenan (0.05 to 0.175%) to the formulations prior to homogenization effectively improved their pH stability, while addition of κ-carrageenan was ineffective. The significantly higher level of sulfated ester groups in λ-carrageenan may have created a strong electrostatic repulsion between the oil particles, inhibiting their association. Our study suggests that some of the caseinate in coffee creamers can be replaced with plant-based lecithins, but that a plant-based polysaccharide is also needed to ensure their stability when added to hot acidic coffees.

This study investigated the potential of gum arabic to improve the stability of anthocyanins that are used in commercial beverages as natural colourants. The degradation of purple carrot anthocyanin in model beverage systems (pH 3.0) containing L-ascorbic acid proceeded with a first-order reaction rate during storage (40 °C for 5 days in light). The addition of gum arabic (0.05-5.0%) significantly enhanced the colour stability of anthocyanin, with the most stable systems observed at intermediate levels (1.5%). A further increase in concentration (>1.5%) reduced its efficacy due to a change in the conformation of the gum arabic molecules that hindered their exposure to the anthocyanins. Fluorescence quenching measurements showed that the anthocyanin could have interacted with the glycoprotein fractions of the gum arabic through hydrogen bonding, resulting in enhanced stability. Overall, this study provides valuable information about enhancing the stability of anthocyanins in beverage systems using natural ingredients.

There is an increasing market for food and beverage products enriched in proteins and dietary fibers due to their potential health benefits. In this study, the effect of heating (85 °C, 20 min), microfluidization (20,000 psi), and pH (2 to 6.5) on the physicochemical properties of aqueous solutions containing mixtures of whey protein fibrils (7.5%; WPF) and chitosan (0.5%; CN) were examined. Heating of the mixed systems increased their turbidity and apparent viscosity, which was attributed to the formation of protein-rich particles. Interestingly, heating the mixed systems and then applying microfluidization led to phase separation and a lower apparent viscosity, which was attributed to high-pressure disruption of the whey protein fibrils. The pH of the systems significantly influenced their appearance, turbidity, particle size, and apparent viscosity, with high turbidity and viscosity, and large particle size occurring from pH 3.5 to 5.5. These effects were attributed to protein aggregation close to its isoelectric point (pH 5) coupled with electrostatic attraction between anionic groups on the whey protein and cationic groups on the chitosan. The addition of chitosan increased the net isoelectric point from pH 5 for pure whey protein to pH 6 for the mixed system. Overall, this study showed that the appearance and rheological properties of protein-dietary fiber mixtures could be manipulated by heating, microfluidization, and pH adjustment. This information may be useful for designing protein and fiber enriched food and beverage products with desirable physical and sensory properties.

The physicochemical properties of nanoemulsions play an important role in determining their functional attributes and suitability for application in commercial products, such as food, supplements, pharmaceutical, or personal care products. In particular, the optical properties (appearance), rheology (texture), and stability (shelf life) of nanoemulsion-based products strongly impact their ability to be used in specific applications. This chapter provides an overview of the different analytical tools available to characterize the optical, stability, and rheological properties of nanoemulsions.

Fat plays multiple important roles in imparting desirable sensory attributes to emulsion-based food products, such as sauces, dressings, soups, beverages, and desserts. However, there is concern that over consumption of fats leads to increased incidences of chronic diseases, such as obesity, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. Consequently, there is a need to develop reduced fat products with desirable sensory profiles that match those of their full-fat counterparts. The successful design of high quality reduced-fat products requires an understanding of the many roles that fat plays in determining the sensory attributes of food emulsions, and of appropriate strategies to replace some or all of these attributes. This paper reviews our current understanding of the influence of fat on the physicochemical and physiological attributes of food emulsions, and highlights some of the main approaches that can be used to create high quality emulsion-based food products with reduced fat contents.

There is a growing demand for use of natural ingredients in food manufacturing. This study utilized a natural emulsifier, quillaja saponin (1%) to fabricate non-dairy model creamer emulsions (containing 10% medium chain triglycerides oil). Varying homogenization conditions, ranging from a high-shear mixer to passing through a microfluidizer at 20,000psi, were applied to fabricate emulsions. The effect of particle size on the appearance, tristimulus color coordinates, and electrical characteristics of the model creamers and white coffee drinks were investigated. The average droplet size varied from 0.2 to 16μm. All model creamers had whitish milk-like appearance and the white coffee solutions had light brown color. All systems were physically stable except for the systems with largest oil droplets (1.8 and 16μm), which had creaming. The lightness, L* (whiteness) of the model creamer and the white coffee increased with decreasing oil droplet size, as smaller droplets scatter more light. Decreasing the oil droplet size led to lower zeta potential (from -73 to -54mV) due to lesser negative charge group accumulated on the interfacial layer of the droplets. The oil droplets were also found to be stable to aggregation in hot acidic coffee solutions prepared using model hard water. Overall, this study found that oil droplets stabilized with natural plant-based surfactant have potential for application in liquid coffee creamers and their stability and whitening power were dependent on the droplet size.

This article focuses on hydrogel-based strategies for creating reduced calorie foods with desirable physicochemical, sensory, and nutritional properties. Initially, the role of fat droplets and starch granules in foods is discussed, and then different methods for fabricating hydrogel beads are reviewed, including phase separation, antisolvent precipitation, injection, and emulsion template methods. Finally, the potential application of hydrogel beads as fat droplet and starch granule replacements is discussed. There is still a need for large-scale, high-throughout, and economical methods of fabricating hydrogel beads suitable for utilization within the food industry.

Anthocyanins are prone to chemical degradation and color fading in the presence of vitamin C. The potential of three amino acids (l-phenylalanine, l-tyrosine, l-tryptophan) and a polypeptide (e-poly-l-lysine) in prolonging the color stability of purple carrot anthocyanins (0.025%) in model beverages (0.05% l-ascorbic acid, citric acid, pH 3.0) stored at elevated temperature (40°C/7 days) was examined. In the absence of amino acids or peptides, anthocyanin degraded at first-order reaction rate. Addition of amino acids or peptide (0.1%) increased the color stability of anthocyanins, with the most significant improvement observed for l-tryptophan. The average half-life of anthocyanin color increased from 2 days to 6 days with l-tryptophan addition. Fluorescence quenching measurements revealed that the l-tryptophan interacted with anthocyanins mainly through hydrogen bonding, although some hydrophobic interaction may also have been involved. Overall, this study suggests that amino acid or peptide addition may prolong the color stability of anthocyanin in beverage products.

Anthocyanins are widely used as natural colorants in foods, but they are highly susceptible to chemical degradation during storage leading to color fading. This study examined the potential of natural quillaja saponin and polyphenols (vanillin, epigallocatechin gallate, green tea extract, and protocatechualdehyde) at inhibiting color fading of anthocyanins in model beverages. The purple carrot anthocyanin (0.025%) in model beverages (citric acid, pH 3.0) containing l-ascorbic acid (0.050%) degraded with a first-order reaction rate during storage (40°C/7days in light). The addition of polyphenols (0.2%) delayed color fading, with the most notable improvement observed with green tea extract addition. The half-life for anthocyanin color fading increased from 2.9 to 6.7days with green tea extract. Fluorescence quenching measurements showed that the green tea extract contained components that interacted with anthocyanins probably through hydrophobic interactions. Overall, this study provides valuable information about enhancing the stability of anthocyanins in beverage systems using polyphenols.