ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an updated overview of recent advances in emulsion-based delivery systems for food flavors. Volatile flavors are perceived when they are in contact with receptors in the nose either orthonasally by directly sniffing foods or retronasally via the delivery of volatiles during mastication and/or swallowing. Flavor release is mainly controlled by two factors, the volatility of flavor compounds and the resistance to mass transfer from the emulsion to the air phase. Static headspace analysis is widely applied to evaluate flavor release, and it is based on the theory of partition equilibrium. The eating processes usually finish in a short time, and flavor release hardly reaches equilibrium. Therefore, the perception of volatile flavor mainly depends on the initial dynamic release. Food in the mouth undergoes mastication, salivation, bolus formation, and finally swallowing. Flavors in different oils generally have different release behaviors, due to their affinity for different oils.
