Influence of different factors on the particle size distribution and solid fat content of water-in-oil emulsions

Abstract

The influence of the variation of different parameters on the particle size distribution and solid fat content (SFC) of water-in-oil emulsions was studied. The use of solid fat instead of liquid oil, higher polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) concentration or higher homogenization energy led to smaller mean particle sizes. The decrease of the emulsifier/water ratio turned the particle size distribution of the emulsions from bimodal to trimodal. The increase of PGPR concentration increased the SFC of the fat in the absence of water but it did not produce the same effect in the emulsion. This result suggested that the presence of dispersed aqueous phase prevented the modifying action of the emulsifier on the crystallization of the continuous lipid phase. The experimentation indicated that the adsorption of the surfactant at the interface would reduce its availability to affect crystallization in bulk fat, as the SFC in lipid phase decreased with increasing interfacial area.