Oral processing and perception of food emulsions: the relevance for fat reduction in food

The textural sensory functionality of emulsion droplets in foods is largely due to their effect on the rheological behaviour (such as viscosity and fracture behaviour), and importantly also to their effects on friction between the oral surfaces and on lubrication of the food bolus. Crucial in this is that much of this functionality is dependent on structural changes in the food emulsions that occur upon processing in the mouth. This chapter gives an overview of the main topics relevant for understanding the role of fat in the textural sensory perception of food emulsions, and discusses strategies to compensate for the sensory loss that accompanies fat reduction.