Soy/whey protein isolates: interfacial properties and effects on the stability of oil‐in‐water emulsions

BACKGROUND The adsorption of proteins at oil/water interfaces can reduce interfacial tension and increase emulsion stability. However, emulsions stabilized by soy protein isolate (SPI) are not sufficiently stable. Using SPI as a control, a theoretical basis for the adsorption behavior of mixed SPI and whey protein isolate (WPI) at the oil/water interface was established and the effects of the protein ratio and content on the emulsion stability were studied. RESULTS Compared to SPI solution, SPI–WPI mixed solutions were found to reduce the size distribution of emulsion droplets and significantly improve the emulsion stability. Among the studied protein contents and ratios, the protein content of 0.2 g kg−1 and SPI/WPI mass ratio of 1:9 offered the lowest creaming stability index (15%), the smallest droplet size (278 nm), and the largest absolute value ζ‐potential (35 mV), i.e. the emulsion stability was excellent. The largest dilatational modulus (10.08 mN m−1), dilatational elasticity (10.01 mN m−1), and dilatational viscosity (1.18 mN m−1), were observed with a protein content of 0.15 g kg−1 (SPI/WPI ratio of 1:9), along with a high interfacial protein adsorption capacity (47.33%). SPI–WPI complexes form a thick adsorption layer around oil droplets, resulting in an increase of the expansion modulus of the interfacial layer. CONCLUSION SPI–WPI complexes can form a thick adsorption layer around oil droplets, resulting in increased expansion modulus of the interfacial layer, which improves emulsion stability. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry