George Fuller

Citation

Thesis Title
Studies on the Shear Stability of Partially Crystalline Oil-in-Water Emulsions

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Partially crystalline oil-in-water emulsions are prone to destabilisation through partial coalescence or fusion of the dispersed fat globules. In the food industry, partial coalescence may have either deleterious or beneficial effects on the appearance, functionality and shelf-life of many food products. Mr Fuller''sresearch focused on understanding the factors affecting the susceptibility of a model emulsion to partial coalescence. The effects of solid fat content, interfacial film composition, emulsifier properties and emulsifier concentration, at a fixed droplet size, were investigated using a variety of techniques including rheology (the flow of matter), nuclear magnetic resonance, particle size analysis and compositional testing. The results help explain the relative importance of the variables studied as well as how interactions between the variables affect the partial coalescence process. These findings will aid the food industry by improving their ability to control the partial coalescence process.

Supervisors
Professor Matt Golding
Dr Alastair MacGibbon
Dr Therese Considine
Associate Professor Lara Matia-Merino