Abstract:

The most complex emulsions are those of foods and, therefore, are difficult to stabilize. An infinite no. of microstructures of combinations of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and lipids are present in food systems. There is an increasing awareness of many investigators to the relevance of the principles of colloid and surface science to many of the technol. problems related to advanced foods. Amphiphilic mols. play a key role in the stabilization of many of the food colloids. It is, therefore, very important to understand the interfacial behavior of these mols. and to select the proper ones for the proper activity. Synthetic surfactants and emulsifiers are widely used in many of our foods, but, it becomes very important to replace them by natural mols. with good health records. The following review with 49 refs. discusses the main natural occurring mols. that are in use today and the future trends in this area. Monomeric emulsifiers such as mono- and diglycerides, lecithins and lysolecithins are still key players. Glycolipids are present only in very minor concns. in plants and animals and therefore are not com. available. Saponins are a very interesting group of materials with increasing potential. The polymeric amphiphilic compds. are "native" and enzymically modified proteins. However, in situ products chem. modified by a Maillard reaction can also be used as emulsifiers. The most interesting new emulsifiers are some selected hydrocolloids that exhibit surface properties and emulsification capabilities. Enzymically modified hydrocolloids show significant promise. Bio-surfactants have also been studied and considered as emulsifiers, but are not food grade products. New trends and progress will also be discussed. [on SciFinder(R)]