ABSTRACT

The interfacial region that separates the oil from the aqueous phase constitutes only a small fraction of the total volume of an emulsion (Table 1.1). Nevertheless, it has a major influence on the bulk physicochemical and sensory properties of food emulsions, including their formation, stability, rheology, and flavor (Chapters 6-9). Food scientists would like to know how interfacial characteristics (such as composition, structure, thickness, and rheology) impact emulsion properties, and how these interfacial characteristics depend on the type, concentration, and properties of the surface-active components in the system, so that they can rationally create emulsion-based foods with improved quality (Dickinson, 1992; Wilde, 2000).