The field of food colloids is concerned with the physical chemistry of food systems viewed as assemblies of particles and macromolecules in various states of supramolecular and microscopic organization. The objective is to relate the equilibrium and dynamic properties of the system to the inter- actions amongst the constituent molecular and particulate entities. The emphasis is on structure and kinetics at the colloidal scale, and with the distribution of molecular food components (proteins, lipids, poly- saccharides, etc.) between dispersed and continuous bulk phases (water, fat, air, etc.) and various kinds of interfaces (oil-water, air-water, etc.). Food products such as butter, cheese, ice-cream, margarine, mayonnaise of food colloids. and yoghurt are all examples This book describes some recent experimental and theoretical develop- ments in the field of food colloids. By way of background, we start with a brief survey of the current consumer trends which may point the way towards future research opportunities in the field. Chapter 1 also attempts to illustrate the way in which advances in instrumental methods and experimental investigations of well-defined mixed protein-surfactant systems are offering new insights into the structure of protein adsorbed layers and the competitive adsorption of proteins in oil-in-water emulsion systems.
