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Precise formation of food applied Pickering droplets and microspheres using microfluidic technology
Xiangying Wei1, Xiaolin Yao2, Wenguang Liu2
1School of Food Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China; Guangxi Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530001, Guangxi, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanning 530001, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruits, Nanning 530001, China.
Microfluidics technology enables precise control over food structures, producing highly uniform Pickering droplets and sodium alginate microspheres with enhanced properties for innovative food design.
Area of Science:
- Food science and technology
- Materials science
- Chemical engineering
Background:
- Traditional methods for preparing food droplets and microspheres often result in poor monodispersity, wide size distribution, and inhomogeneous morphology.
- These limitations hinder their application in advanced food structures and product development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microfluidics-based method for preparing highly controllable and uniform Pickering droplets and microspheres.
- To investigate the structural and physical properties of the prepared food structures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized microfluidics to generate Pickering droplets stabilized by cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs).
- Introduced sodium alginate (SA) and crosslinked with calcium ions (Ca2+) to form uniform microspheres.
- Characterized droplet size distribution using coefficient of variation (CV) and microsphere uniformity via the area-to-circumference ratio (ACR).
Main Results:
- Achieved narrow droplet size distribution (CV < 4.5%) with an average diameter of 92.23 ± 4.62 μm for CNC-stabilized droplets.
- Produced microspheres with high uniformity (|ACR - 1| < 0.035), demonstrating moderate deformation-resistant hardness and elastic properties.
- Confirmed the safety and non-toxicity of the ingredients used.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidics method significantly enhances the homogeneity and controllability of food droplets and microspheres.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for innovative food structure design with tailored properties.
- The safe and non-toxic nature of the materials makes it suitable for food applications.
