Rheological and microstructural properties of cold-set emulsion gels fabricated from mixed proteins: Whey protein and lactoferrin.

Abstract Cold-set emulsion gels were fabricated from oil droplets coated by mixed proteins: whey protein and lactoferrin. The impact of protein composition, droplet concentration, pH, and ionic strength on the microstructure, texture, and stability of the cold-set emulsion gels was determined. Protein composition had a major influence on gel strength, with the strongest emulsion gels being formed at an optimized protein composition (0.5 wt% whey protein and 1.5 wt% lactoferrin). The storage modulus of the emulsion gels increased from 149 to 1590 Pa as the droplet concentration increased from 10 to 40 wt%. The gel strength could also be modulated by adjusting pH, with the strongest gels being formed at pH = 6.5, where the net charge on the droplets was neutral. Increasing the ionic strength weakened the electrostatic interactions, which inhibited droplet aggregation and led to a decrease in gel strength. These results may be useful for designing cold-set emulsion gels with rheological properties that can be tailored for specific commercial products. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Cold-set emulsion gels were fabricated from mixed proteins without heating. • The properties of emulsion gels depended on protein composition and pH. • The addition of NaCl disrupted the cold-set emulsion gel structure. • Stronger gel strength were obtained with an increase in oil content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]