Quality and Stability of Emulsions Made of Whey Protein, Soy Protein, Arabic Gum, and Maltodextrin

Food safety and preservation methods are important issues, and food scientists and technologists are investigating new methods such as edible coating and microencapsulation. Most of these methods depend on the production of stable emulsions. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of homogenizer speed, the ratio of the dispersed to the continuous phase, and the type of biopolymer on characteristics of emulsions.  In this study, Arabic gum (AG), soy protein concentrate (SPC), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and maltodextrin (DM) were used as biopolymers. Samples were divided into two groups based on the homogenizer speed and ratio of the dispersed to the continuous phase, including group one (14,000 rpm, 10% v/v) and group two (18,000 rpm, 20% v/v).  On the first and sixth day of production, the smallest droplet size belonged to the samples produced by AG+DM in group one and those produced by SPC+DM in group two, respectively. The highest viscosity was observed in the samples of group two, which were produced by SPC+DM, while the lowest measured creaming index belonged to the samples in group two, which were produced by AG+DM on the first day of production. Finally, the most intense color based on the ‘a’ parameter was observed in the samples of group one, which were produced by AG+DM on the first day.  According to the results, the most stable emulsions could be produced by SPC+DM at 18,000 rpm.