The potential of protein-polysaccharide-based O/W and W/O emulsion gels strengthened by solid fat crystallization as...

Herein, we develop novel O/W and W/O emulsion gels based on soybean protein isolate nanoparticles, xanthan gum, and crystalline fat to enhance 3D printability and achieve an effective alternative to butter. Palm mid fraction can self-assemble to form a fat crystal network, thus improving the structural strength of emulsion gels. Different emulsion gels are obtained by adjusting the sequence of crystallization and emulsification. The increased viscoelastic modulus of O/W emulsion gel is attributed to the tighter network structure between emulsion droplets. W/O emulsion gels exhibit better freeze-thaw stability due to the presence of fat crystal networks at the oil-water interface and the continuous phase. W/O emulsion gels with 60 wt% oil phase fractions had minimal print deformation rate. Both W/O and O/W emulsion gels significantly improve the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of baked cakes. These findings provide new strategies for designing emulsion gels utilized in 3D printing and fat replacement.