Analytical Techniques for Studying the Physical Properties of Lipid Emulsions

MARIA LIDIA HERRERA

Springer

Lugar: New York; Año: 2012 p. 66

978-1-4614-3255-5

Water and lipids are critical for sustaining life and health, but their poor miscibility has posed a challenge for both nature and man. Emulsions are colloidal dispersions that consist of two immiscible liquids, with one of the liquids being dispersed in the other one. Oil dispersions in the form of small spherical droplets are stabilized in the aqueous phase by proteins or surfactants giving an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion. The surface-active ingredient is adsorbed at the interface between oil and the aqueous phase to lower surface tension and prevent oil droplets from coming close enough together to aggregate. Emulsions are materials with a widespread range of applications, the most important ones including cosmetics, foods, detergency, adhesives, coatings, paints, surface treatment, road surfacing, and pharmaceutics. Among edible materials a considerable number of natural and processed foods consist either partly or wholly as emulsions, or have been in an emulsified state sometime during their production, including milk, cream, fruit beverages, infant formula, soups, cake batters, salad dressings, mayonnaise, cream-liqueurs, sauces, deserts, salad cream, ice cream, coffee whitener, spreads, butter, and margarine.