Food emulsions—their structures and structure-forming properties

This paper gives a brief overview of oil-in-water food emulsions and their properties, especially those that can lead to the creation of structures in foods. These structures in turn give rise to the perception of texture as they are consumed. There are a number of possibilities (some, at the present time impractical) that can be used to modify the interactions of the emulsion droplets with the constituents of the foods, which contain them. Certain foams are also briefly discussed, with emphasis on those important in chilled or frozen products, and whipped creams. These products depend upon the structure-forming properties of emulsion droplets.