RHEOLOGICAL AND TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF EMULSION GELS COMPOSED OF LENTIL PROTEINS

With the increasing prevalence of obesity and non-communicable chronic diseases associated with sedentary lifestyles and high-calorie diets, interest in plant-based dietary approaches is growing. Emulsion gels (EG) made from plant ingredients present a promising alternative to animal fats. The characteristics of EG are influenced by the functional properties of the protein layer stabilizing the oil droplets, which can be affected by the drying method used to process the proteins. This study evaluated the rheological and textural properties of EG prepared with freeze-dried (FP) and spray-dried (SP) lentil proteins at different oil concentrations. Results showed that FP EG exhibited higher hardness values than SP EG at both oil fractions, with an increased hardness at 50% oil fraction. A gel-like structure was observed in all of the EG tested. These findings suggest that freeze drying could be a more suitable drying method for the development of EG, although further investigation is needed.