Plant-based edible emulsion gels from rye secalin for 3D-printed fat mimetics

Plant proteins are lauded as sustainable proteins for climate control and have been intensively researched as muscle meat mimetics, yet far less attention has been paid to plant-based oil systems for mimicking fat tissues, which is critical in embarking flavor and texture of the meat. Herein, we developed fat mimetics from sunflower oil and secalin, a rye prolamin, which served as both an emulsifier and gelator. The mechanical properties of secalin-based emulsion gels (SEGs) could be fine-tuned by adjusting the ratio of sunflower oil to 70 % ethanol (O:E), acting as templating agent and solvent. Increasing O:E ratio from 30:64 to 50:44 reduced interfacial tension, leading to smaller, more uniform oil droplets, and thereby forming more rigid, stable and homogeneous emulsion gels. Secalin not only effectively encapsulated oil droplets to form stable gels but also protected them from autoxidation, enabling shear-thinning and gelling properties suitable for edible inks in fabricating customizable fat mimetics using an extrusion-based 3D printer. These findings offered valuable insights into the formulation of plant protein-based edible emulsion gels with favorable printability, which demonstrate great potential for applications in functional foods and plant-based fat mimetics.