Ultrasound-assisted formation of emulsions stabilized by biopolymers

•The ultrasonic-assisted preparation of food-grade emulsions was evaluated.•The application of ultrasound to food processing is recognized by several researchers.•The use of high-intensity ultrasound to form emulsions presents several benefits.•Ultrasound effects may cause chemical and physical changes in biopolymers.

This review highlights the use of biopolymers as emulsifiers/stabilizers in the ultrasonic-assisted preparation of food-grade emulsions. The cavitation phenomenon generated by ultrasound produces stable, smaller emulsions when compared with conventional techniques. Interest in the use of biopolymers to prepare emulsions is increasing because the use of synthetic surfactants in food products may provoke irritant skin reactions and cause toxic symptoms in humans. This represents a great challenge in the development of new food products. The application of ultrasound to food processing is recognized by several researchers as an efficient means of preparing emulsions stabilized by biopolymers. Ultrasound-emulsification techniques are efficient on laboratory scales. Therefore, many researchers are performing studies to improve the efficiency of ultrasound emulsification at larger scales. These studies seek profitable processes for producing biopolymer-stabilized emulsions.

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