Understanding multicomponent emulsion-based products: Influence of locust bean gum on fat droplet – Starch granule mixtures

The influence of composition and microstructure on the physicochemical properties of model food emulsions containing fat droplets, starch granules, and hydrocolloids was studied. These multicomponent model systems consisted of 5% protein-coated fat droplets, 3.75% modified starch, and 0–1% locust bean gum (LBG) and could be characterized as non-ideal plastics that exhibited shear-thinning behavior. The gelatinized starch granules played the most important role in determining the overall rheology of the mixed systems because of their relatively high effective volume fraction (∼38%), but the fat droplets and hydrocolloid also played an important role. The apparent viscosity (at 10 s−1) and yield stress of the mixed systems increased with increasing LBG concentration. The fat droplets and starch granules played the most important role in determining the lightness of the mixed systems, with changes in LBG concentration having little impact on the overall optical properties. This research provides some important information about the influence of hydrocolloids on the properties of multicomponent model emulsions, which may be useful in the development of reduced-fat foods with desirable sensory properties.