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Design principles of food gels

Nature Food volume 1, pages 106–118 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Naturally sourced gels from food biopolymers have advanced in recent decades to compare favourably in performance and breadth of application to their synthetic counterparts. Here, we comprehensively review the constitutive nature, gelling mechanisms, design approaches, and structural and mechanical properties of food gels. We then consider how these food gel design principles alter rheological and tribological properties for food quality improvement, nutrient-modification of foods while preserving sensory perception, and targeted delivery of drugs and bioactives within the gastrointestinal tract. We propose that food gels may offer advantages over their synthetic counterparts owing to their source renewability, low cost, biocompatibility and biodegradability. We also identify emerging approaches and trends that may improve and expand the current scope, properties and functionalities of food gels and inspire new applications.

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Fig. 1: Mechanisms of food gel formation and their typical structures.
Fig. 2: Gel particle preparations.
Fig. 3: The morphology of β-lactoglobulin amyloid fibril aerogels obtained from different drying techniques.
Fig. 4: Types of food polymer network.
Fig. 5: The linear elasticity and non-linear elasticity of semiflexible polymer networks.
Fig. 6: Food hydrogel–body interaction.
Fig. 7: Translation of general findings from other disciplines into food gels.

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Acknowledgements

Y. C. acknowledges financial support from ETH Zurich and the China Scholarship Council.

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  1. Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Yiping Cao & Raffaele Mezzenga

  2. Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Raffaele Mezzenga

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  1. Yiping Cao
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Correspondence to Raffaele Mezzenga.

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Cao, Y., Mezzenga, R. Design principles of food gels. Nat Food 1, 106–118 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-019-0009-x

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