Effect of denaturation on temperature cycling stability of heated acidified protein-stabilised o/w emulsion gels

The temperature cycling stability against partial coalescence was investigated for heated acidified protein-stabilised o/w emulsions. As a protein source, skim milk powder (SMP), sodium caseinate and whey protein concentrate (WPC) were used. Completely denatured pre-heated WPC-based emulsions showed the lowest temperature cycling stability in terms of firmness and droplet size. Experiments with controlled degree of denaturation of the whey protein showed that the destabilisation of the emulsion set in, when insufficient native whey protein remained to cover the droplet interface.