High-load emulsions are used to emulsify flavors, colors and clouds and mainly are found in soft drinks and other carbonated beverages as well as juice applications.

Emulsion innovation extends beverage stability

Constraints on beverage emulsion technology have centered on oil loading capacity, increased viscosity profiles and overall emulsion stability, according to TIC Gums, White Marsh, Md. In response the company is offering TICAmulsion products that provide high oil loading capacity emulsion concentrates with minimal viscosity build, which creates emulsions with excellent stability, according to TIC Gums.

TICAmulsion involves an OSA (octenyl succinic anhydride) modified acacia gum, said Jigar Rathod, a food scientist for TIC Gums. It is non-bioengineered. TIC Gums in December added to the line by launching TICAmulsion 3020, which uses patented technology to improve upon the natural emulsifying capabilities of acacia gum, according to TIC Gums.

High-load emulsions are used to emulsify flavors, colors and clouds and mainly are found in soft drinks and other carbonated beverages as well as juice applications, Mr. Rathod said. A smaller oil droplet is important.

“Physical separation of oil and water phases is a concern for all emulsions,” Mr. Rathod said. “The creaming rate or the rate at which these two phases separates depends heavily on oil droplet radius. The smaller the droplet size, the longer the shelf life of the emulsion.”

The high oil load capacity expands product development opportunities by enabling increased efficiencies and opportunities within beverage fortification, according to TIC Gums. An emulsifier concentrate manufacturer might be able to double the initial concentration of a nutritional oil or add multiple nutritional oils to the same emulsion concentrate.