Influence of Fat Crystallization on the Stability of Flocculated Emulsions

Various degrees of flocculation were induced in a 20 wt % n-hexadecane and confectionery-coating fat emulsion by adding xanthan gum (0−0.3 wt %). The emulsions were temperature cycled (40 to −10 to 40 to −10 °C) in a differential scanning calorimeter. The emulsified and de-emulsified fat crystallized at different temperatures, and the ratio of the two enthalpies was used to calculate the proportion of de-emulsified fat and hence the extent of breakdown of the emulsion. The n-hexadecane droplets were stable to temperature cycling, whereas the confectionery-coating fat destabilized to a greater or lesser extent. The maximum destabilization of the confectionery-coating fat occurred at those concentrations of xanthan required to induce creaming. Keywords: Emulsion; crystallization; flocculation; coalescence; partial coalescence