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Application of Composite Gels in Food Processing and Engineering
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Application of Composite Gels in Food Processing and Engineering

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 7794

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiaoyan Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biopolymers and Colloids Laboratory, Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
Interests: protein gels; composite gels; emulsion gels; plant-based protein; phase separation
Dr. Lei Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410127, China
Interests: food gels; protein gels; emulsion; ultrasound; meat

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Composite gels have emerged as powerful tools in the field of food processing and engineering, offering novel solutions to control texture, stability, and functionality in complex food systems. Unlike simple gels, composite gels are engineered with multi-component networks—often integrating proteins, polysaccharides, and other bio-based materials—that deliver enhanced structural and functional properties. These complex gels enable the development of foods with specific textural qualities and stability under various mechanism, including phase separation, active filler particels, crossking linking networks, interfacial interactions along with various processing conditions, addressing both consumer demand and manufacturing needs.

As the food industry shifts toward plant-based, functional, and sustainable products, the role of composite gels in food engineering is significant desired to manipulate and improve the overall functionality. Composite gels present unique engineering challenges and opportunities, from the optimization of formulation and processing parameters to the scaling of production methods. This Special Issue will highlight advances in the engineering of composite gels, focusing on their applications in food manufacturing, the control of process-induced changes, and the design of systems that meet both performance and sustainability goals.

We invite contributions that explore the processing and engineering dimensions of composite gels in food science. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Innovations in composite gel formulation for food applications
  • Advances in processing techniques for composite gel-based foods
  • Applications of composite gels in high-shear mixing, extrusion, and other advanced food processing technologies
  • Sustainable engineering of food-grade composite gels for reduced environmental impact
  • Processing-induced modifications in gel structure and their impact on texture, release properties, and sensory attributes

We welcome submissions of both experimental and theoretical studies that provide insights into the processing challenges, engineering solutions, and applications of composite gels in food manufacturing. By bringing together interdisciplinary research in this Special Issue, we aim to advance the field of food engineering and processing through innovative gel-based solutions.

We look forward to your contributions, which will shape the future of composite gel applications in food processing and engineering.

Dr. Xiaoyan Hu
Dr. Lei Zhou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gel network formation and interactions
  • texture and sensory enhancement
  • stability and release properties
  • plant-based and alternative food products
  • environmental sustainability and biocompatibility
  • engineering strategies for the formulation and stabilization
  • temperature, shear, pH
  • enhancing scalability and process efficiency
  • computational modeling and simulation approaches

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3466 KB  
Article
Regulation of Microstructure and Properties of Konjac Glucomannan Gels via Ethanol Under Low-Alkali Conditions
by Meiqiu Xu, Hongtao Du, Solairaj Dhanasekaran, Yin Jia, Yange Ren, Hong Chen and Wei Xu
Gels 2026, 12(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12010083 - 17 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 543
Abstract
Despite their potential, alkali-treated konjac glucomannan (KGM) gels are limited by excessive brittleness and a lack of eco-friendly synthesis methods, creating an urgent need for more durable and ‘green’ alternatives. In this study, highly stable KGM gels were constructed under low-alkali conditions by [...] Read more.
Despite their potential, alkali-treated konjac glucomannan (KGM) gels are limited by excessive brittleness and a lack of eco-friendly synthesis methods, creating an urgent need for more durable and ‘green’ alternatives. In this study, highly stable KGM gels were constructed under low-alkali conditions by adjusting the ethanol content. The results showed that intermolecular hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were enhanced with increasing ethanol concentration (0–20% v/v) under low-alkaline conditions. The physicochemical properties of KGM gels showed dynamic improvement, with denser micro-network morphology and simultaneous enhancement of thermal stability. However, the addition of a high ethanol concentration (20% v/v) tended to trigger local aggregation, disrupting the gel network structure. At an ethanol addition of 15%, the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions of KGM gels reached an optimal equilibrium, exhibiting the most compact gel network and excellent resistance to deformation. This study reveals the regulation of the microstructure and macroscopic properties of KGM gels by ethanol, which provides theoretical support for the construction of high-performance KGM gels under low-alkali conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Composite Gels in Food Processing and Engineering)
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25 pages, 12788 KB  
Article
The Effect of Fructooligosaccharide and Inulin Addition on the Functional, Mechanical, and Structural Properties of Cooked Japonica Rice
by Bing Dai, Ruijun Chen, Shiyu Chang, Zheng Wei, Xiaohong Luo, Jiangzhang Wu and Xingjun Li
Gels 2026, 12(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12010048 - 1 Jan 2026
Viewed by 615
Abstract
To test whether fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and inulin (INU) molecules can improve the hardness of cooked rice through forming a hydrogel network, we added FOS or INU at 0%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10% concentrations to two cooking japonica rice and compared the cooking [...] Read more.
To test whether fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and inulin (INU) molecules can improve the hardness of cooked rice through forming a hydrogel network, we added FOS or INU at 0%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10% concentrations to two cooking japonica rice and compared the cooking and textural parameters, the pasting, thermal, and thermo-mechanical properties, and the microstructure of the cooked rice. General Linear Model Univariate (GLMU) analysis revealed that, compared with no oligofructose addition, both FOS and INU addition reduced the rice cooking time and increased the gruel solid loss. The addition of these dietary fibers (DFs) to cooking rice lowered the hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness of the rice, but maintained the cohesiveness and increased the resilience. Compared with no oligofructose addition, FOS and INU addition improved the smell, taste, and total sensory score of cooked rice. The addition of these DFs significantly decreased the trough, peak, final, breakdown, and setback viscosities, but increased the pasting temperature and peak time. Both FOS and INU addition decreased the enthalpy of gelatinization but increased the peak and conclusion temperature of gelatinization of rice flour paste. After the retrograded flour pastes were kept at 4 °C for 21 days, both FOS and INU significantly increased amylopectin aging compared with no oligofructose addition. The FOS-added and INU-added rice doughs had a higher dough development time and stability time, gelatinization peak torque, setback torque, and gelatinization speed, with a lower protein weakening degree, amylase activity, breakdown torque, heating speed, and enzymatic hydrolysis speed. Compared with no oligofructose addition, both FOS and INU addition reduced the amorphous region of starch and β-sheet percentage, but increased the percentages of random coils, α-helixes, and β-turns in cooked rice. Principal component analysis (PCA) further demonstrated that the gruel solid loss, cooked rice hardness, chewiness, gumminess, taste, and the peak, trough, breakdown, final, and setback viscosities were sensitive parameters for evaluating the effects of species and the amount of oligofructose addition on rice quality. The microstructure showed that FOS or INU addition induced thickening of the matrix walls and an increase in the pore size, forming a soft and evenly swollen structure. These results suggest that FOS or INU addition inhibits amylose recrystallization but maintains amylopectin recrystallization in cooked rice, with INU addition producing greater improvements in the texture and sensory scores of cooked rice compared withFOS addition. This study provides evidence of the advantages of adding DFs and probiotics such as INU and FOS to cooked rice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Composite Gels in Food Processing and Engineering)
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18 pages, 9594 KB  
Article
The Influence of Polysaccharides on the Textural Properties and Water Retention Capacity of Animal–Plant Dual-Protein Gels
by Wenhao Gao, Zhiming Wang, Zhihao Zhao, Yuanyuan Deng, Jingjing Wang, Pengfei Zhou, Ping Li, Yan Zhang, Mingwei Zhang and Guang Liu
Gels 2026, 12(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12010040 - 31 Dec 2025
Viewed by 730
Abstract
To develop nutrient-rich whole-food gels for individuals with dysphagia, this study constructed a pork–whole soy milk composite gel (PSG) using a hybrid animal–plant protein approach. The effects of xanthan gum, konjac glucomannan, and guar gum at different concentrations (0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) on [...] Read more.
To develop nutrient-rich whole-food gels for individuals with dysphagia, this study constructed a pork–whole soy milk composite gel (PSG) using a hybrid animal–plant protein approach. The effects of xanthan gum, konjac glucomannan, and guar gum at different concentrations (0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) on the gel properties, protein conformation, and microstructure of different PSGs were systematically investigated. The results indicated that polysaccharides interfered with protein cross-linking and disrupted the gel network, leading to reduced gel hardness. Due to their abundant hydrophilic groups, the polysaccharides significantly enhanced the water-holding capacity (p < 0.05), achieving a synergistic outcome of structural softening and functional reinforcement. A comprehensive evaluation identified the PSG with 1.0% xanthan gum as the optimal formulation, which exhibited a 43.2% increase in water-holding capacity and a hardness only 23.5% of the control, complying with both International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) Level 5 and Japanese Dysphagia Diet Level III standards. This study elucidates the mechanism by which polysaccharides modulate whole-food protein gels and provides a practical strategy for developing dysphagia-friendly foods that preserve nutritional quality and are suitable for industrial production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Composite Gels in Food Processing and Engineering)
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19 pages, 1928 KB  
Article
Assessment of Frozen Stored Silver Carp Surimi Gel Quality Using Synthetic Data-Driven Machine Learning (SDDML) Model
by Jingyi Yang, Shuairan Chen, Tianjian Tong and Chenxu Yu
Gels 2025, 11(10), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11100810 - 9 Oct 2025
Viewed by 752
Abstract
The invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in North America represents a promising resource for surimi production; however, its gel formability deteriorates significantly during frozen storage. This study investigated the deterioration of gel properties in Silver Carp surimi over six months of [...] Read more.
The invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in North America represents a promising resource for surimi production; however, its gel formability deteriorates significantly during frozen storage. This study investigated the deterioration of gel properties in Silver Carp surimi over six months of frozen storage, and showed that short-term frozen storage (<2 months) was beneficial for surimi gel-forming ability, while extended frozen storage (>2 months) tended to have detrimental effects. The adverse effect of long-term frozen storage could be mitigated via using food additives (e.g., manufactured microfiber, transglutaminase, and chicken skin collagen), among which transglutaminase was the most effective. Transglutaminase at a relatively low level (0.1 wt%) could effectively negate frozen storage’s effects, and produced surimi gel with quality attributes (e.g., gel strength, hardness, and chewiness) at levels comparable to those from fresh fish samples. To assess the effects of the addition of various food additives for quality improvement, a synthetic data-driven machine learning (SDDML) approach was developed. After testing multiple algorithms, the random forest model was shown to yield synthetic data points that represented experimental data characteristics the best (R2 values of 0.871–0.889). It also produced improved predictions for gel quality attributes from control variables (i.e., additive levels) compared to using experimental data alone, showing the potential to overcome data scarcity issues when only limited experimental data are available for ML models. A synthetic dataset of 240 data points was shown to supplement the experimental dataset (60 points) well for assessment of the Frozen Silver Carp (FSC) surimi gel quality attributes. The SDDML method could be used to find optimal recipes for generating additive profiles to counteract the adverse effects of frozen storage and to improve surimi gel quality to upgrade underutilized invasive species to value-added food products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Composite Gels in Food Processing and Engineering)
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15 pages, 2659 KB  
Article
The Thermodynamic and Gelation Properties of Ovalbumin and Lysozyme
by Lifeng Wang, Rongcheng Li, Siyi Lv, Yulin Liu, Shuaifu Fang, Jingnan Zang, Mingmin Qing and Yujie Chi
Gels 2025, 11(6), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11060470 - 19 Jun 2025
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3806
Abstract
Ovalbumin (OVA) and lysozyme (LYZ) are the predominant globular proteins in egg white and play a crucial role in influencing thermal stability and colloidal behavior. In this study, the thermal and conformational stability of OVA and LYZ under various physicochemical conditions including pH [...] Read more.
Ovalbumin (OVA) and lysozyme (LYZ) are the predominant globular proteins in egg white and play a crucial role in influencing thermal stability and colloidal behavior. In this study, the thermal and conformational stability of OVA and LYZ under various physicochemical conditions including pH (5–9), protein concentrations (5, 10, and 20%), heating rates (2.5, 5, and 10 °C/min), sugars (sucrose and glucose), and salts (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2) was systematically investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), aiming to elucidate their behavior within colloidal and gel-forming systems. The denaturation temperatures (Td) of OVA and LYZ in water (5% w/v, 5 °C/min) were 80.22 °C and 77.46 °C, respectively. The Td of LYZ and OVA decreased with protein concentration, heating rate, and CaCl2. OVA thermal stability was improved with increasing pH, but the stability of LYZ was decreased. Sugars enhanced the thermal stability of OVA and LYZ. In contrast, NaCl and KCl increased OVA stability but reduced LYZ stability. LYZ exhibited nearly 100% reversibility during the second heating cycle in water. Sugars maintained reversibility at approximately 90% for LYZ. However, the presence of salts diminished the reversibility. In contrast, OVA was completely denatured in water and sugar and salt solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Composite Gels in Food Processing and Engineering)
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Review

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39 pages, 3195 KB  
Review
Food-Grade Emulsion Gels as Nutrient Delivery Systems—Standardized Workflow for Fabrication, Characterization, and Application
by Sisheng Li, Minna Luo, Adrian Bogdan Boldianu and David Julian McClements
Gels 2026, 12(4), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12040298 - 1 Apr 2026
Viewed by 792
Abstract
Food-grade emulsion gels are increasingly being used to create food products with innovative properties and functional attributes. However, the rapid expansion of research in this area has outpaced the establishment of standardized methodologies, leading to challenges in reproducibility and cross-study comparability. This review [...] Read more.
Food-grade emulsion gels are increasingly being used to create food products with innovative properties and functional attributes. However, the rapid expansion of research in this area has outpaced the establishment of standardized methodologies, leading to challenges in reproducibility and cross-study comparability. This review addresses this critical gap by providing a comprehensive set of methodological guidelines for the reliable preparation, characterization, and evaluation of food-grade emulsion gels intended for gastrointestinal-targeted nutrient delivery. Initially, systematic approaches for emulsion gel preparation are reviewed, focusing on formulation parameters and processing conditions that dictate the structure and function of these products. A multi-scale framework for physicochemical characterization of emulsion gels is then presented, encompassing structural, rheological, mechanical, thermal, and fluid-holding properties. Guidelines for testing the performance of emulsion gels under simulated food matrix and storage conditions are then given, including methods to monitor bioactive degradation. Furthermore, best practices for evaluating the gastrointestinal behavior of emulsion gels using standardized in vitro digestion models, and subsequent biological evaluation using cell-based assays, animal models, and human trials are discussed. This review concludes that standardized fabrication, characterization, digestion, and reporting protocols are critical for improving reproducibility and comparability across studies and for advancing food-grade emulsion gels toward reliable functional food applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Composite Gels in Food Processing and Engineering)
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