The influence of different stabilizers and salt addition on the stability of model emulsions containing olive or sesame oil

Stabilizers are widely used in low-fat emulsion production. However, food industry pays attention to ingredients, such as resistant starch (RS) that also present substantial benefits to human health. Low-fat model emulsions of either olive or sesame oil that also contained xanthan gum (XG), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and undigested (resistant) starch (RS) were produced and stored at 5 °C. Salt was added in selected samples. A multiple light scattering technique was applied for investigating destabilization phenomena. Microscopic observations and droplet size measurements took place. Rheological properties performing a heating–cooling cycle experiment (5–25–5 °C) were measured. Olive oil emulsions presented the greatest stability and the lowest droplet size. RS plays the role of solid particle stabilizer, mainly entrapped in the matrix of the continuous phase. By salt addition stability was significantly improved, whereas droplet size was decreased. Those samples had a more pronounced elastic character and significantly greater viscosity values than their counterparts without salt.

► Coarse emulsions of low oil content with either olive or sesame oil.
► Emulsifiers/stabilizers: whey protein, xanthan gum and resistant starch.
► Stability depended on type of the oil, salt addition and resistant starch concentration.
► The most stable samples presented heating–cooling stability, pseudoplastic behavior and lower droplet size.