A study published in the journal Appetite shows that the manipulation of oil droplet size within oil-in-water emulsion can affect appetite and food intake. Previous research has shown that oil droplet size in emulsions can affect sensory characteristics and hedonics.
Thirty-four male participants, aged 18–37, completed two test days, where they visited the laboratory to consume a fixed-portion breakfast, returning 3 hr later for a “drink,” which was the emulsion preload containing either 2 or 50 μm oil droplets. This was followed 20 min later with an ad libitum pasta lunch.
The researchers found that the participants consumed significantly less at the ad libitum lunch after the preload containing 2 μm oil droplets than after the 50 μm preload, with an average reduction of 12% (62.4 kcal). Despite the significant differences in intake, no significant differences in sensory characteristics were noted.
The researchers concluded that “the impact that an emulsion has on satiety can be enhanced without producing significantly perceivable differences in sensory properties. Therefore, by introducing a processing step which results in a smaller droplets, emulsion-based liquid food products can be produced that enhance satiety, allowing covert functional redesign.”
