Effect of the addition of palm stearin and storage temperatures on the thermal properties of glycerol monostearate-structured emulsions

•Palm stearin reduces phase separation of monoglyceride-structured emulsions under refrigeration temperatures•Monoglyceride-structured emulsions have lower melting and dropping points under refrigeration temperatures•Komax mixer and rotator-stator give monoglyceride-structured emulsions similar thermal properties

Monoglyceride (MG) structured oil-in-water emulsions have been developed as low fat shortening alternatives. In this work, the effect of the addition of palm stearin (PS) and storage at different temperatures on the thermal properties of glycerol monostearate (GMS)-structured emulsions were characterized. The melting profile and the dropping point of GMS-structured emulsions were investigated during five weeks of storage at 8 °C and 22 °C. Results showed that the addition of PS changed the melting profiles of GMS-structured emulsions that were stored under refrigeration temperatures, possibly by reducing phase separation between GMS and co-emulsifiers. Storage at refrigeration temperatures increased the stability of the α-gel phase while storing at room temperatures accelerated emulsion destabilization. Even though samples stored at refrigeration temperatures had lower dropping points, they were in the α-gel phase, making refrigeration temperatures the desirable storage condition to achieve maximal stability of MG-structured emulsions.