Hydrocolloids: Basics and Applications in the Food Industry

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the capability of supermolecular objects, ranging from nanometers to micrometers, to respond sensitively to changing milieu conditions, colloids—specifically, colloidal systems—constitute a wide range of practical applications. In addition to molecular-level solvent/solute systems, colloidal systems comprise an equilibrium of three phases: a continuous phase (c), a phase of dispersed or emulsified supermolecular objects in this medium (d), and a phase of modifiers (m) distributed more or less dissolved in both phases represented by charged or neutral small molecules or polymers. Thus, controlling colloidal systems requires molecular-level information (chemical composition distribution) of each of these phases, information about the contribution of the binary states (c-d, c-m, and d-m), monitoring of dimensions and electrokinetic mobilities, estimation of supermolecular interface forces, and data on response capability spectrum upon applied external forces. Additionally, the consequences of variations in applied procedures, e.g., dependences on various modes and/or the sequence and intensity of applied steps, need to be considered.

A major field of application for colloidal systems with an aqueous continuous phase is industrial food processing, aimed at stablizing nutritional values with an appropriate texture and organoleptic acceptance within the framework of legal regulations at affordable costs. Practically, the challenge is the reproducible production and handling of colloidal systems: sensitive mixes of homogeneous and heterogeneous partitions where the law of masses, the crucial approach in traditional chemistry, becomes secondary. Instead, the status of dissolution and electrokinetic mobilities become increasingly important, whereas flow behavior, adsorption characteristics, and response capabilities upon controlled stress on diffuse structures and objects up to the micrometer range become dominant.

The production, synthesis, analysis, and characterization of such hydrocolloidal systems, with a focus on industrial food processing, are the issues intended to be covered by this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Anton Huber
Guest Editor

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