Oleogels Produced by Indirect Methods

As food manufacturers continue to search for ways of improving the nutritional profile and sustainability of food products without sacrificing taste or a pleasurable eating experience, methods of structuring liquid vegetable oils have become a particular area of interest. Indirect structuring methods are emerging as a promising tool to utilize water-soluble proteins and/or polysaccharides which cannot be directly incorporated into the oil phase because of their predominantly hydrophilic nature. Due to the broad array of functional properties inherent to proteins and polysaccharides, numerous approaches to forming structured edible oils (or oleogels) have been developed. This chapter highlights the promise of using both proteins and polysaccharides to produce oleogels by indirect production methods. The described methods are divided into four main approaches: (i) emulsification, (ii) oil absorption, (iii) solvent exchange, and (iv) protein aggregates. Select examples of methods for developing fat mimetics using hybrid oleogelator systems (e.g., structured emulsions) are also highlighted. Finally, a brief outline summarizes examples of oleogels produced by indirect methods used in food products as fat replacers for trans- and saturated fatty acids.