Development of corn starch-sodium alginate emulsion gels as animal fat substitute: Effect of oil concentration

Emulsion gels were prepared utilizing corn starch (CS), sodium alginate (SA), and corn oil through calcium ion induction for animal-fat analogs. The influence of oil concentration on the rheological properties, microstructure and lipid oxidation of the emulsion gel was analyzed. Results revealed that the emulsion gel containing 30% (v/v) oil exhibited no surplus oil leakage and demonstrated the highest gel strength. The results of the small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) test proved that the emulsion gel exhibited the greatest elasticity and deformation resistance when the oil content was 30% (v/v), imparting suitable mouth feel and transport stability as an animal fat substitute. Microstructure analysis indicated that SA crosslinked with Ca2+ to generate a network structure accompanied by the reinforcing effect of starch granules, enabling the dense network to capture an optimal quantity of oil to form a uniform gel network structure. Furthermore, the emulsion gel exhibited markedly lower lipid oxidation compared to bulk oil after 14 days of storage. As a new fat analog system, the CS-SA emulsion gel holds promising potential for applications in the food industry.