Recent Advances in Plant-Based Emulsion Gels: Preparation, Characterization, Applications, and Future Perspectives

Plant-based foods have emerged as a major focus of the modern food industry as it tries to create more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and healthy products. Plant-based emulsion gels (PBEGs) can be used to provide valuable structures, textures, and functions in many plant-based food applications. For instance, they can be used as a matrix to form semi-solid plant-based meat, fish, egg, or dairy analogs, delivery systems for bioactive compounds in functional foods, and edible inks in 3D food printing. The most common PBEGs used in the food industry consist of oil droplets embedded within an aqueous phase containing a biopolymer network. However, PBEGs may also be formed from high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) or aggregated emulsions. PBEGs combine the benefits of emulsions and gels, such as the ability to encapsulate both polar and non-polar functional ingredients, as well as to create desirable textural attributes. This review summarizes recent advances (2017–2025) in the development and application of PBEGs in the food sector, with a focus on their preparation methods, characterization techniques, and potential applications. The future perspectives and challenges associated with PBEGs are also discussed. Overall, this review provides a useful platform for directing future research efforts and for the practical implementation of PBEGs in plant-based food systems.