LIPIDS AND COLLOIDAL STABILITY

Polar lipids have an important role as emulsifiers and stability contr olling agents in the food industry. The principal effects of the emuls ifiers have been found to depend on the situation in which they are ap plied. They may act as stabilising additives, creating repulsive inter actions between droplets. They may act as emulsifying agents, or they may destabilise emulsions by reducing protein adsorption at the oil/wa ter interface. They may also destabilise emulsions by increasing wetta bility of fat crystals. Furthermore, they may form micellar or liposom al aggregates in the dispersion, influencing interactions and aggregat ion.