Emulsifiers
Pages 89-94
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/1891127020.007
ISBN: 1-891127-02-0
Abstract
Topics Covered
- Flavor Emulsions
- Oil Phase
- Emulsion Stabilizers
- Emulsion Preparation
- Stability
- Creaming
- Flocculation
- Coalescence
- Microemulsions
- Troubleshooting
Introduction to Chapter
Soft drinks are consumed by people around the world. The most popular flavors are citrus (orange first, followed by lemon). In the United States, cola flavor holds the number one spot, followed by orange and lemon. Citrus flavors are essential oils extracted from the fruit peel and are insoluble in water. The beverages made with these oils consist of dilute oil/water (O/W) emulsions in dilute solutions of sugar (which may be carbonated). At the bottling plant, a concentrated emulsion is mixed with the aqueous phase, packaged in bottles or cans, and delivered to the vendor. The dilute emulsion must remain stable for at least six months and often must survive intermediate storage under either warm (>40°C) or cold (<10°C) conditions.
A characteristic desired in some beverages is cloudiness. For these drinks, the emulsion includes a flavorless oil called a weighting agent, which has a density higher than that of the flavor oil. Adjustments are made so that the density of the oil droplets approaches that of the dilute sugar solution, keeping the emulsion droplets uniformly distributed throughout the beverage during storage and consumption.
