Novel Pickering Emulsions in Foods: Potential Applications and Recent Advances

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2026 | Viewed by 1371

Special Issue Editor


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Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Interests: rheology of complex fluids; composite nanomaterials; Pickering emulsions; soft matter; thermodynamics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pickering emulsions are suspensions of droplets of one liquid in another immiscible liquid, which are stabilized by solid particles (usually nanoparticles) adsorbed at the droplet–liquid interface and have emerged as a novel and promising class of emulsions in the food industry.

In recent years, significant advances have been made in the development and application of Pickering emulsions in food products, opening up new opportunities for the creation of innovative and functional foods.  One of the key advancements based on Pickering emulsions is their ability to encapsulate a wide range of active compounds. Moreover, Pickering emulsions have shown potential in reducing the fat content of food products while maintaining their desired texture and taste.  In terms of food production, Pickering emulsions are prepared using traditional two-step emulsification processes or more complex techniques such as microfluidic devices. Their unique properties and potential applications in encapsulation, fat reduction, and stimuli-responsive behavior make them a promising area of research for the food industry. With ongoing advancements in emulsion science and technology, Pickering emulsions could play a crucial role in the development of innovative and functional foods to meet the evolving needs and preferences of consumers.

For this Special Issue of Foods, we kindly invite you to submit original review/research articles focusing on novel ideas and applications related to this topic.

Prof. Dr. Rajinder Pal
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • emulsions
  • pickering emulsions
  • solid particle stabilizers (nanoparticles)
  • stability (coalescence, Ostwald ripening, and phase inversion)
  • creaming and sedimentation
  • the characterization of physical and chemical properties
  • rheological properties
  • interfacial properties
  • applications in foods

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 5361 KB  
Article
Rheology and Stability of Tunicate Cellulose Nanocrystal-Based Pickering Emulsions: Role of pH, Concentration, and Emulsification Method
by Sumana Majumder, Matthew J. Dunlop, Bishnu Acharya and Supratim Ghosh
Foods 2026, 15(3), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15030509 - 1 Feb 2026
Viewed by 806
Abstract
Tunicate (marine invertebrates)-derived cellulose nanocrystals (T-CNC) possess unique structural and physicochemical properties compared to other wood-based CNCs. This study aimed to characterize and utilize T-CNC as a stabilizer in Pickering emulsion (PE), highlighting a sustainable alternative to conventional surfactant-based emulsifiers. Characterization of T-CNC [...] Read more.
Tunicate (marine invertebrates)-derived cellulose nanocrystals (T-CNC) possess unique structural and physicochemical properties compared to other wood-based CNCs. This study aimed to characterize and utilize T-CNC as a stabilizer in Pickering emulsion (PE), highlighting a sustainable alternative to conventional surfactant-based emulsifiers. Characterization of T-CNC revealed a rod-shaped morphology with dimensions of 1694 ± 925 nm in length and 13 ± 3 nm in width, resulting in an aspect ratio of 122 ± 45, and high crystallinity (87.6%). Its zeta potential ranged from −4.4 to −45.5 mV across pH 2–10 and contact angles <50° indicate strong water wettability. T-CNC at 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4% (w/w) at pH 3 and 5 was used to prepare 20 wt% oil-in-water PE using a high-shear homogenizer followed by ultrasonication. Ultrasonication significantly improved the emulsion stability compared to only high-shear homogenization, decreasing droplet size by 31.4–50.8% and 55.7–89.3% for pH 3 and pH 5, respectively. PEs developed at pH 3 demonstrated smaller droplet sizes, better stability with minimal coalescence after 7 days, and enhanced gel-like rheological behaviour compared to PEs at pH 5, which displayed flocculation and coalescence. The gel strength of the pH 3 PEs increased with T-CNC concentration, as evidenced by progressively denser droplet packing, consistent with stronger interfacial anchoring (higher detachment energy) and reduced coalescence. This study underscores T-CNC’s superior efficiency in stabilizing PEs at low concentrations, offering a green, high-performance solution for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications. Full article
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