Rheology-Based Techniques

Rheology reveals information about static and dynamic microscopic ensembles and deformations imposed upon them during processing, use, and consumption of fats and oleogels. Material properties such as the viscoelastic moduli vastly change depending on the composition-process space. Such properties are intimately related to performance and textural attributes of lipid-containing products. Therefore, measuring rheological properties is crucial for design of oleogels that meet the “no trans, low saturates” desirable criteria without sacrificing functionality. This chapter provides a general account of traditional and modern methods to asssess the rheology and texture of lipid-based materials, tailored to the researcher’s specific instrument availability and requirements. Several technical examples on traditional lipid structuring relevant to oleogel-structuring systems are also provided.