Comprehensive Review on Oleogels Structured by Lipid‐Based Compounds: From Structure Mechanisms to Nutritional Functionalities and Applications in Food Industry

Nowadays, oleogels have gained attentions as promising fat substitutes. Lipid-based compounds, mono- and diacylglycerols, fatty acids (FAs), fatty alcohols, waxes, sterols, ceramides, and phospholipids exhibit excellent oil-gelling potential due to their structural similarity to triacylglycerols. This review addresses how oleogels composition affects their nutritional functionality and further applications in food industry. The properties of oleogels structured by lipid-based compounds depend on structurant (concentration, type, ratio), solvent oil (type, FA profile, minor polar components), and processing conditions (cooling rate, shear force). Synergistic effects between FAs and fatty alcohols have been confirmed, and a thermodynamics-based screening model has been developed to assist identification of potential oil-structuring combinations, though further validation is needed. Oleogel offers health benefits contributed by its structure, oleogelator, and solvent oil type, including replacing harmful fats, delaying lipid release, inhibiting lipid-lipase interactions, and delivering bioactives, but long-term safety studies, especially for FAs and fatty alcohols, are required. Thus, modulating gel processing conditions and the composition of structurants and solvent oils can tailor the properties of oleogels, enhancing their nutritional function and broadening potential applications in food industry with desired product quality. Oleogels have been successfully applied in bakery, dairy, meats, spreads, margarine, confectionary, frying medium, and delivery systems, with complete fat substitution strategies developed for cheese, meat, spreads, and margarines. Further research could explore their nutritional roles and applications in functional foods, particularly considering the regulatory limitations and the influence of long-term consumption on human metabolisms.