Oleogel: production and application

In recent years, consumer awareness on their dietary intakes, especially in relation to solid fat, saturated fat and trans fatty acid contents has increased. Together with technological innovations, both scientists and industries have been looking for alternative delivery systems to improve both nutritional and quality characteristics of food products. Oleogel is defined as a semisolid delivery system consisting of a lipophilic liquid and a solid oleogelator mixture. Different edible oleogels can be tailored using different types of oleogelators and techniques to produce the required structural, mechanical and thermal characteristics. In the food industry, oleogels can be used (1) to minimize oil migration in multicomponent food products such as chocolates, (2) as fat replacer, to reduce the usage of hydrogenated fats and trans fatty acids in foods, (3) to enhance the oxidative stability of edible oils, and (4) delivery of bioactive compounds. Owing to its wide range of applications and versatility in the food industry, oleogel is foreseen as an important technological advancement to produce affordable healthy food products.