THE IMPACT OF SURFACTANTS ON VEGETBLE WHIPPED CREAM PROPERTIES IN RELATION WITH THE EMPLOYED FAT

Vegetable whipped creams are nowadays a popular alternative to the traditional dairy whipped creams. The emulsions standing at the base of vegetable whipped creams are classified as O/W emulsions. During whipping air is incorporated and entrapped by a fat crystallize network. This is achieved by the fat droplets interaction through the partial coalescence mechanism. Hence the presence of a crystalline fat phase is imperative within the formulation of the whipped cream. In order to control the partial coalescence and stabilize both the emulsion and the whipped cream, emulsifiers are required. Therefore in such systems, proteins and LMW surfactants coexists and dictate the degree and rate of partial coalesce. This allows the tailoring of the sensorial attributes and physico-chemical properties of the whipped cream (e.g. stability, overrun, texture). Nevertheless the impact of the components on the whipped cream properties has to be understood as a whole and not as individual effects of fats, proteins and LMW surfactants.