Oleogels, Bigels, and Emulgels: Fabrication, Application and Research Trends (2nd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 277

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, there has been a growing interest in oleogels, bigels, and emulgels as promising alternatives to trans and saturated fats. Oleogels are fat-like solid oil gels developed from sunflower, grape seed, linseed, olive, soybean, corn, and other oils; and oleogelators such as waxes (beeswax, carnauba wax, sunflower wax, beeswax of rice bran), phytosterols or plant sterols, fatty acids and monoglycerides, proteins (soy protein, whey protein, gelatin) and polysaccharides (agar, xanthan gum, pectin). Consumer demand for healthy products can be met by using oleogels with a superior fatty acid composition, which can be easily manufactured and used in food products. Bigels are a combination of hydrogel and organogel, with high physical stability, which can be used in the food industry as a substitute for solid fats (in sausages, burgers, cookies, and chocolate) and as “smart” food packaging materials. The emulgel matrix is a complex colloidal system obtained by replacing the hydrogel phase (partially or totally) with an emulsion. Emulgels could be used in the food industry when semi-solid or highly viscous texture is required. The current Special Issue aims to provide an opportunity for researchers to publish their results concerning the oil structuring techniques, oleogels, bigels, and emulgels characterization (structural behavior of oil–oleogelator networking, oil binding, and emulsification potential, textural properties, rheological attributes, color, thermal properties and bio-functional characteristics, phytochemical composition and bio-active properties, in vitro digestibility); oleogel, bigel and emulgel applications in chocolate and confectionery, bakery, meat, dairy, and other food products (with analyses of rheology, microstructure, color, texture and sensory attributes).

In the second edition of this Special Issue, we also encourage the submission of original research articles, reviews, and short communications about “Oleogels, Bigels, and Emulgels: Fabrication, Application and Research Trends”.

Dr. Cristina Ghinea
Dr. Ana Leahu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

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Keywords

  • oleogels
  • bigels
  • emulgels
  • food
  • oleogelators
  • textural properties
  • rheological attributes
  • sensory evaluation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 4048 KiB  
Article
Novel Fat Replacers Based on Pork Lard and a Cold Gelling System in the Reformulation of Reduced-Fat Fresh Pork Sausages Containing Silicon from Diatomaceous Earth Powder
by María Dolores Álvarez, Arancha Saiz and Susana Cofrades
Gels 2025, 11(8), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11080618 - 8 Aug 2025
Viewed by 146
Abstract
This study examines the effects of an emulsion gel (EG) and a fat bulking agent (BA), both formulated with pork lard (PL) and an alginate-based gelling system, as animal fat replacers in the reformulation of reduced-fat fresh pork sausages. Both fat analogs were [...] Read more.
This study examines the effects of an emulsion gel (EG) and a fat bulking agent (BA), both formulated with pork lard (PL) and an alginate-based gelling system, as animal fat replacers in the reformulation of reduced-fat fresh pork sausages. Both fat analogs were characterized in terms of texture, color, and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (GID) before being used in the reformulation of four fresh pork sausages, without and with added silicon (Si) from diatomaceous earth powder: S/EG, S/EG-Si, S/BA, and S/BA-Si. Reduced-fat sausages elaborated exclusively with pork backfat (PB), without and with Si, were used as controls (S/C and S/C-Si). Both EG and BA showed adequate physicochemical characteristics and slowed in vitro GID compared to PL and PB. Replacing 75% PB with EG or BA did not negatively impact the technological, nutritional, or sensory properties of the reformulated pork sausages, which were kept for 14 days under refrigeration. Additionally, sausages containing EG or BA as fat substitutes presented lower lipid digestibility after in vitro digestion compared to the control samples. The addition of Si further limited fat digestion, as reflected by the lower release of free fatty acids after in vitro GID compared to products without added Si. This effect was more pronounced in EG-based formulations. Therefore, the use of EG as a PB replacer, together with the addition of Si, could become a promising strategy for developing healthier meat products. This finding may have important implications for the development of functional meat products aimed at reducing fat content and lipid absorption, thereby laying the foundation for precision nutrition strategies focused on improving individual health outcomes. Full article
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