ABSTRACT
The macroscopic rheological properties of networks formed by lipids are of great importance in food products that contain signi—cant amounts of fat. Such products include butter, margarine, chocolate, peanut butter, many spreads such as cream cheese, and ice cream. Many of the sensory attributes such as spreadability, mouthfeel, snap, and texture, and even †avor release are dependent on the rheological properties of the underlying fat crystal network. In addition to this obvious industrial importance, fat crystal networks form a particular class of soft materials, which demonstrate a yield stress and viscoelastic properties, rendering these materials elastoplastic. From a materials sciences point of view, the rheological behavior of these materials is also an important —eld of fundamental study.
