Nanoemulsion Formation and Stability in Food Systems
Summary
Nanoemulsions are oil-in-water dispersions characterised by droplet diameters typically below 100 nm, offering enhanced optical clarity, kinetic stability and improved delivery of lipophilic bioactives. Formation relies on either high-energy techniques—such as high-pressure homogenisation, microfluidisation and ultrasonication—or low-energy approaches including phase inversion and spontaneous emulsification. Key to successful formation is reducing interfacial tension through the selection of appropriate surfactants or biopolymeric stabilisers (proteins, phospholipids, polysaccharides) which adsorb rapidly at oil–water interfaces. Stability against gravity-driven creaming, coalescence and Ostwald ripening is achieved by balancing electrostatic and steric barriers, tailoring droplet surface charge, and by modifying the viscosity of the continuous phase with thickeners or gelling agents. Practical applications span enrichment of beverages with lipophilic nutrients, encapsulation of essential oils for flavour retention, and fortification of dairy and plant-based analogues with vitamins and antioxidants. Advances in green formulations and clean-label emulsifiers reflect growing consumer demand for natural, sustainable food ingredients on a global scale.
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Nanoemulsion Formation and Stability in Food Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoemulsion formation and stability in food systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Nanoemulsion: A submicrometre oil-in-water emulsion with droplet diameters below 100 nm, used for solubilising and delivering lipophilic compounds.
Surfactant: A molecule with both hydrophilic and lipophilic regions that adsorbs at interfaces to reduce interfacial tension and stabilise emulsions.
Ostwald ripening: A destabilisation process in which smaller droplets dissolve and re-deposit onto larger ones, driven by differences in Laplace pressure.
Creaming: The upward migration and concentration of dispersed droplets under gravity, typically reversible but indicative of incipient instability.
Microfluidisation: A high-shear process in which fluid streams collide at high velocity in micro-channels, producing fine emulsions with narrow size distributions.
References
- Characterization of Nanoemulsions Stabilized with Different Emulsifiers and Their Encapsulation Efficiency for Oregano Essential Oil: Tween 80, Soybean Protein Isolate, Tea Saponin, and Soy Lecithin. Foods (2023).
- Relation between Droplet Size Distributions and Physical Stability for Zein Microfluidized Emulsions. Polymers (2022).
- Evaluation of rheological and optical properties plus stability of beverage cloud emulsions prepared with corn oil, gum rosin, and modified starch. Food Science & Nutrition (2022).
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