High internal phase water‐in‐oil emulsions: Trends and challenges on production and stabilization

Abstract The replacement of saturated fats is a current trend in the food industry, leading to the search for new strategies that still allow keeping the technological properties of the products. In this view, high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) have been an attractive alternative for this replacement, especially water‐in‐oil (W/O) emulsions, as they reduce the total amount of fats, while at the same time maintain high viscosity and texture similar to saturated fats. However, the formation of W/O HIPEs presents several challenges regarding their formation and stability. Herein, we discuss challenges and opportunities regarding the use of W/O HIPEs. By exploring the factors that affect the properties of these systems, we can provide better strategies to stabilize and optimize the structural and rheological properties of W/O HIPEs. Such factors include, for instance, the effect of different compounds with different particular physical properties (i.e., structuring and emulsifying), such as waxes, monoacylglycerols, diacylglycerols, lecithin and polyglycerol polyricinoleate. Therewith, this review aims to provide in‐depth insights into the production and stabilization of W/O HIPEs, focusing especially on different compounds, ultimately enhancing emulsion techno‐functionality.