By swapping fat particles for water or air, manufacturers have achieved up to 20% fat reductions in chocolate and cheese - but the technology can be applied to almost any water-in-fat suspensions, according to emulsion experts Micropore.
Changes in type or fat content of emulsion can have a significant impact on the structural properties and sensory properties of foods, according to researchers from Unilever R&D and the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).
To produce food emulsions with improved sensory qualities, better knowledge of the effects of emulsifiers and stabilisers on the flavour and texture of emulsions is needed, says research.
Leatherhead Food International (LFI) is investigating the potential of novel and emerging technologies for emulsions which could help food manufacturers reduce fat content of products without sacrificing mouth-feel.
The controlled release of food ingredients, like bioactive
compounds and flavours, is far behind the pharmaceutical world, but
the balance is slowly being redressed.
Using enzymes to cross-link pectin may produce new emulsions with
enhanced functional properties, and opportunities for food
formulators, American researchers report.
Researchers from Unilever have reported breakthrough results that
proteins from fungus could produce food foams with stability that
exceeds anything currently available.
A chitosan-containing complex was more effective at stabilising
citrus flavours and could offer a cost-effective alternative to gum
arabic, suggests joint Italian-US research.
The release of flavour from food is dependent on the oil content of
the emulsion, says new research from Canada that offer insights
into better formulation and flavour.
A protein-polysaccharide combination for stabilising
water-in-oil-in-water emulsions could lead to customised double
emulsions with differing release behaviours, German researchers
report.
Food scientists are continuing to explore the potential of fish
gelatin as stabilisers for food emulsions, in keeping with the
trend to replace synthetic with natural emulsifiers.
Japanese scientists have reported that monoacyl sugar alcohols
could be 'very promising emulsifiers' and could offer an
alternative to the widely used monoacyl glycerols.
Modification of whey protein concentrates with high phospholipid
proportions could turn standard emulsifiers into functional health
promoting ingredients, results that could have important
implications for the food industry.
