ABSTRACT
The macroscopic rheological properties of polycrystalline networks formed by lipids are of great importance in food products that contain significant amounts of fats. Such products include
butter, margarine, chocolate, peanut butter, cream cheese, and ice cream. Many of the sensory attributes such as spreadability, mouthfeel, texture, and snap are dependent on the mechanical strength of the underlying network of fat crystals [1-6]. 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 plastic. From a materials sciences point of view, therefore, these materials are also extremely important.
