Emulsion technology

Many food products contain oil and water. These phases are immiscible, but can coexist in a stable form in food products through emulsification. Emulsion technology is the route to obtain such stable mixtures. The stability and breakdown of emulsions has to be tuned to the right application: a stable product on the shelf, a specific creamy mouth feel or a satiating product. NIZO has ingredient and processing expertise to make food emulsions.

Our emulsion technologies:

• Homogenization: blending facilities and high pressure homogenizers are 
   operational on lab and pilot plant scale (sterile, up to 1500 bar). 
• Emulsifiers: with emulsifiers either available from nature (proteins,
   lecithins, gum Arabic) or lab-designed (protein
   aggregates/tubuli,  Pickering particles), stable water-oil interphases can be
   constructed 
•  Application testing: UHT processing lines and ice cream,
   mousse and margarine processing facilities are currently available on
   pilot plant scale to enable fast screening of fats and emulsifiers in|
   various product formats.
• Characterization: emulsified systems can be fully characterized for their
   structure, heat stability, texture and taste by using CSLM in combination
   with Optical Tribology, NMR, TA, MS-Nose and other techniques. 
• Shelf life tests of emulsified food systems can be performed at NIZO,
   enabling complete support from emulsion design to performance
   in application.