Effect of Homogenization Pressure and Supplementation with Sucrose Fatty Acid Ester on the Physical Properties of Dairy Cream-based Emulsions

In this study, the droplet size distribution, rheological properties, and stability of dairy cream-based emulsions homogenized with different sucrose fatty acid ester (SFAE, a non-ionic small-molecule emulsifier) concentrations (0.08%, 0.16%, and 0.24% w/w) at different homogenization pressures (10 MPa and 20 MPa) were examined. Homogenization at a high pressure resulted in a smaller droplet size and narrower droplet size distribution. The D[4,3] (volume-weighted mean) and D[3,2] (surface-weighted mean) values of the emulsions decreased with an increase in the SFAE concentration. The flow properties of the emulsions homogenized with SFAE showed shear-thinning (n=0.21-0.46) behavior. The apparent viscosity (ηa,10) and consistency index (K) of the homogenized emulsions were lower than those of the control sample that is non-homogenized and without SFAE, and decreased with an increase in SFAE concentration. The storage modulus (G ) and loss modulus (G ) of all emulsions homogenized with SFAE were also lower than those of the control sample. The stability of all emulsions with SFAE did not show any significant change for 30 d at 5℃. However, the emulsions stored at 40℃ were unstable over the storage period. Therefore, the addition of SFAE enhanced the stability of dairy cream emulsions during storage at refrigeration temperature (5℃).