Formation, stability and properties of multilayer emulsions for application in the food industry

The formation of multilayered interfaces around oil droplets in oil-in-water emulsions provides food technologists with a novel means of improving the quality and stability of many food products, as well as the ability to develop novel encapsulation and delivery systems. This article reviews the basic principles of multilayer emulsion formation, discusses the factors that influence the characteristics of the interfaces formed, and highlights the relationship between interfacial properties and emulsion functionality. Finally, it highlights some potential applications of the multilayer emulsion technology in the food industry for improving the stability of emulsions to environmental stresses or for developing controlled or triggered release systems. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.