Stable multiple emulsions comprising interfacial gelatinous layer, flavor-encapsulating multiple emulsions and low/no-fat food products comprising the same

A method for making an edible W/O/W multiple emulsion for use in a food product having a substantially continuous gelatinous layer being disposed at an interfacial region between the internal aqueous phase and a lipid phase of the multiple emulsion, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a water-in-oil emulsion having (i) an aqueous phase which includes a concentration of an aqueous soluble/gellable polysaccharide effective to form a substantially continuous gelatinous layer at the aqueous/oil interface of the water-in-oil emulsion and (ii) a lipid phase which includes an amount of lipophilic emulsifier which is effective to form a water-in-oil emulsion and a metal cation-containing lipophilic surface active agent in an amount sufficient to present an effective concentration of said metal cation to said aqueous oil interface to form said substantially continuous gelatinous layer;
• and
• emulsifying said water-in-oil emulsion with an external aqueous phase to form said W/O/w multiple emulsion.

An edible flavor encapsulating water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) multiple emulsion for use in a food product comprising (i) an internal aqueous phase comprising at least one concentrated aqueous soluble flavor, the concentration of said flavor being from about 10-fold to about 350-fold as compared to the concentration of said flavor in a food vehicle base when said flavor is added with other ingredients, (ii) a lipid phase comprising an edible lipid and a lipophilic emulsifier (iii) an external aqueous phase comprising a hydrophilic emulsifier, said internal aqueous phase being dispersed within said limped phase and said lipid phase being dispersed within said external aqueous phase, said multiple emulsion further comprising substantially continuous gelled layer at an interfacial region between the internal aqueous phase and the lipid phase, said substantially continuous gelled layer being formed by the reaction of a gellable polysaccharide which is soluble in said internal aqueous phase and a lipophilic surface active agent which comprises a metal cation present in said intermediate lipid phase which is reactive with said polysaccharide to form said gelled layer to provide an edible multiple emulsion for use in a food product.

A stable, edible water-in-oil-in-water multiple emulsion for use as a food product comprising an internal aqueous phase which is dispersed in an intermediate lipid phase which includes an emulsifying-effective amount of a lipophilic emulsifier and an emulsion-stabilizing-effective amount of ethylcellulose, wherein the intermediate lipid phase is dispersed in an external aqueous phase which includes a hydrophilic emulsifier, said multiple emulsion further comprising a substantially continuous gelled layer at an interfacial region between the internal aqueous phase and the lipid phase, said substantially continuous gelled layer being formed by the reaction of a gellable polysaccharide which is soluble in said internal aqueous phase and a lipophilic surface active agent which comprises a metal cation present in said intermediate lipid phase which is reactive with said polysaccharide to form said gelled layer to provide an edible multiple emulsion for use in a food product.

An edible oil-in-water-in-oil multiple emulsion for use in a food product having an internal oil phase which is dispersed in an intermediate aqueous phase which includes a hydrophilic emulsifier, which aqueous phase is dispersed in an external oil phase which includes a lipophilic emulsifier, said multiple emulsion further comprising a substantially continuous gelled layer at an interfacial region between the intermediate internal aqueous phase and the internal oil phase, said substantially continuous gelled layer being formed by the reaction of a gellable polysaccharide which is soluble in said intermediate aqueous phase and a lipophilic surface active agent which comprises a metal cation present in said internal oil phase which is reactive with said polysaccharide to form said gelled layer to provide an edible multiple emulsion for use in a food product.

An edible flavor-encapsulating W/O/W multiple emulsion according toclaim 34, wherein said lipophilic emulsifier is decaglycerol decaoleate.

A low-fat or no-fat viscous or pourable food product comprising from about 80 to about 99 weight percent low-fat or no-fat, aqueous-based food vehicle which comprises a fat replacer or fat mimetic;

• and from about 1 l to about 20 weight percent of a flavor-encapsulating W/O/W multiple emulsion according toclaim 22, said multiple emulsion including a concentrated solution of at least one aqueous soluble flavor.