CHAPTER 4 - Biopolymers in Food Emulsions

Abstract

Biopolymers are widely used as emulsifiers in the food industry to improve the stability and physicochemical properties of food emulsions. This chapter aims to describe the formation, stability, and properties of food emulsions and consider the application of biopolymers as functional ingredients in emulsion-based foods. The electrical characteristics of the droplets in an emulsion-based food product may play an important role in determining their properties and shelf life. The overall properties of an emulsion-based food product depend on the type and concentration of ingredients that it contains as well as the processing operations used to manufacture it. The industrial production of a food emulsion usually involves a number of consecutive steps, which depend on the nature of the starting materials and the desired properties of the end product. These processes can be divided into pre-homogenization, homogenization, and post-homogenization steps. Emulsifiers used in the food industry vary greatly in their ability to form and stabilize emulsions and it is important for food manufacturers to identify the most appropriate emulsifier for each application. Food scientists use rheological measurements as an analytical tool to provide fundamental information about the structural organization and interactions of the components within emulsions.