Effects of processing conditions on structural and functional parameters of whipped dairy emulsions containing various fatty acid compositions

An understanding of the effects of processing parameters can be applied to formulate emulsions with higher unsaturated fatty acid content. Emulsions using the typical ice cream formulation were produced by anhydrous milk fat alone or in a mixture with either olein or stearin at a 2:1 weight ratio. Effects of both pasteurization holding time (40 or 120 s at 80°C) and aging time (ranging from 2 to 24 h) on the structural and whipping properties of the emulsions were studied. Effects of these processing conditions on emulsion structural characteristics were determined using laser light-scattering measurements, rheological properties, microscopic observations, and image analyses of the whipped emulsions. Furthermore, foaming properties of these emulsions were compared and discussed with regard to effects of both processing and composition on properties of the emulsions, such as thixotropy and sensitivity to shearing. We observed changes in fat globules when different pasteurization holding times were applied, but no changes in either apparent viscosity values or sensitivity to shearing were traceable. However, enrichment of milk fat with the olein fraction increased the whipping ability of the emulsions, as evaluated in terms of overrun and the homogeneity of air bubbles, whatever the aging time. The lowest monodispersity of air bubbles was observed in the formulation rich in stearin. After 24 h of aging, this formulation showed the same overrun as the emulsion made with anhydrous milk fat. Increasing the aging time decreased the overrun by approximately 30%, and increasing the pasteurization holding times decreased it by approximately 20%. In general, in our conditions, increasing the aging time and unsaturated fatty acid content reduced changes in the dynamic rheological and structural properties observed just after production of the emulsions, whatever the pasteurization holding time or fat composition applied.