Pickering Emulsion Stabilization Techniques in Food Science

Pickering emulsions are dispersions of immiscible fluids stabilised exclusively by solid particles adsorbing at the interface, offering superior resistance to coalescence compared with conventional surfactant systems. In food science, tailoring the interfacial layer with edible, biocompatible particles such as proteins, polysaccharides, polyphenol crystals or solid lipids has become a major focus. Strategies include modification of particle surface chemistry to adjust wettability, formation of hybrid particles through covalent or ionic interactions, and exploitation of synergistic particle–particle complexes. Advances in fabrication techniques range from anti-solvent precipitation for water-insoluble biopolymers to controlled assembly in microfluidic devices. These approaches enable robust encapsulation and controlled release of bioactive lipophilic ingredients, texture enhancement and environmental sustainability by reducing synthetic surfactant use. The global significance of these systems lies in their potential for clean-label formulations, improved nutrient bioaccessibility and novel material fabrication via phase inversion and interfacial structuring.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have revealed that particles once thought irreversibly bound to emulsion droplets can in fact exchange between interfaces under gentle agitation. By preparing two sets of oil-in-water emulsions, each stabilised with colloidal particles of a different fluorescent colour, researchers observed how bridging between droplets enables dynamic unbridging and rebridging pathways. Particle exchange occurs both through collective rearrangement of interfacial bridges and, more rarely, via discrete particle ejection and re-adsorption. This finding challenges the traditional view of immobile Pickering interfaces and opens avenues for designing emulsions whose stability and droplet interactions can be tuned through controlled wettability and shear protocols.

Pickering Emulsion Stabilization Techniques in Food Science publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in pickering emulsion stabilization techniques in food science across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Pickering emulsion: An emulsion stabilised by solid particles irreversibly adsorbed at the oil–water interface, rather than by surfactant molecules.

Wettability (contact angle): A measure of a particle’s affinity for oil versus water, determining its position and stability at the interface.

Interfacial shear viscosity: The resistance to flow within the particle-laden layer at an interface, indicative of film strength against coalescence.

Particle bridging: The formation of connections between adjacent droplets via shared particles at their interfaces, influencing emulsion structure and stability.

Hybrid particle: A composite colloid engineered from two or more materials (e.g. protein–polysaccharide) to impart multifunctional interfacial properties.

References

1. An Overview of Pickering Emulsions: Solid-Particle Materials, Classification, Morphology, and Applications. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2017).
2. Food-grade Pickering emulsions stabilised with solid lipid particles. Food & Function (2016).
3. Hybrid particles for stabilization of food-grade Pickering emulsions: Fabrication principles and interfacial properties. Trends in Food Science & Technology (2023).
4. The secret life of Pickering emulsions: particle exchange revealed using two colours of particle. Scientific Reports (2016).
5. Water-in-oil Pickering emulsions stabilized by an interfacial complex of water-insoluble polyphenol crystals and protein. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2019).
6. Water-in-Oil Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Synergistic Particle–Particle Interactions. Langmuir (2019).
7. Controlling Pickering Emulsion Destabilisation: A Route to Fabricating New Materials by Phase Inversion. Materials (2016).