ABSTRACT

Inspection of the labels of most commercially available food emulsions indicates that they contain a wide variety of different constituents, for example, oil, emulsifiers, thickening agents, gelling agents, buffering systems, preservatives, antioxidants, chelating agents, sweeteners, salts, colorants, flavors. Each of these constituents has its own unique molecular and functional characteristics. Ultimately, the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of a product depend on the type of constituents present, their physical location, and their interactions with each other. The efficient production of high-quality food emulsions therefore depends on knowledge of the contribution that each individual constituent makes to the overall properties, and how this contribution is influenced by the presence of the other constituents. One of the most important decisions that a food manufacturer must make during the design, formulation, and production of a food product is the selection of the most appropriate constituents for that particular product. Each ingredient must exhibit its desired functional properties within the food, while also being economically viable, convenient to use, of reliably high quality, compatible with other ingredients, readily available, and possibly “label friendly.”