Beverage emulsions containing flavor oils that have a relatively high water-solubility are unstable to droplet growth due to Ostwald ripening. The aim of this study was to improve the stability of model beverage emulsions to this kind of droplet growth by incorporating poorly water-soluble triglyceride oils. High pressure homogenization was used to prepare a series of 5 wt% oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by modified starch that had different lipid phase compositions (orange oil : corn oil). Emulsions prepared using only orange oil as the lipid phase were highly unstable to droplet growth during storage, which was attributed to Ostwald ripening resulting from the relatively high water-solubility of orange oil. Droplet growth could be effectively inhibited by incorporating ≥ 10% corn oil into the lipid phase prior to homogenization. In addition, creaming was also retarded because the lipid phase density was closer to that of the aqueous phase density. These results illustrate a simple method of improving the physical stability of orange oil emulsions for utilization in the food, beverage, and fragrance industries.

Citral is widely used in the beverage, food, and fragrance industries for its characteristic flavor profile. However, it chemically degrades over time in aqueous solutions due to an acid-catalyzed reaction, which leads to loss of desirable flavor notes and formation of off-flavor notes. The objective of this research was to examine the impact of organic phase composition [triacetin and medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCT)] on the oil-water partitioning and chemical degradation of citral in oil-in-water emulsions. MCT was present as emulsion droplets (d approximately 900 nm), whereas triacetin was present as microemulsion droplets (d approximately 10 nm). In the absence of organic phase, the rate of citral degradation increased as the aqueous phase pH was reduced from 7 to 3. The percentage of citral within the aqueous phase increased with increasing triacetin concentration at both pH 3 and 7, which was attributed to a reduction in MCT droplet concentration. There was no significant change in the particle size distribution of the emulsions during storage, independent of triacetin concentration and pH, which indicated that they were physically stable. Both 5 wt % MCT as emulsion droplets and 5 wt % triacetin as microemulsion droplets were able to appreciably slow citral degradation at pH 3. These results may have important implications for understanding and improving the chemical stability of citral in beverage emulsions.

The chemical stability of citral, a flavor component widely used in beverage, food, and fragrance products, in oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by surfactants with different charge characteristics was investigated. Emulsions were prepared using cationic (lauryl alginate, LAE), non-ionic (polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether, Brij 35), and anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) surfactants at pH 3.5. The citral concentration decreased over time in all the emulsions, but the rate of decrease depended on surfactant type. After 7 d storage, the citral concentrations remaining in the emulsions were around 60% for LAE- or Brij 35-stabilized emulsions and 10% for SDS-stabilized emulsions. An increase in the local proton (H(+)) concentration around negatively charged droplet surfaces may account for the more rapid citral degradation observed in SDS-stabilized emulsions. A strong metal ion chelator (EDTA), which has previously been shown to be effective at increasing the oxidative stability of labile components, had no effect on citral stability in LAE- or Brij 35-stabilized emulsions, but it slightly decreased the initial rate of citral degradation in SDS-stabilized emulsions. These results suggest the surfactant type used to prepare emulsions should be controlled to improve the chemical stability of citral in emulsion systems.

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