Water continuous emulsions

The mammary epithelium of the udder cells of mammals undergoes remarkable changes in order to secrete the white biological fluid termed milk. Milk exists in the form of an emulsion. The food emulsion exists in two basic forms: the oil-in-water type (O/W) or the water-in-oil type (W/O). The primary objective of a heat-treatment process is to ensure food safety, to comply with hygiene requirements and to facilitate those ingredients that require heat to activate and initiate functional properties. This applies to water continuous emulsions. Water continuous emulsions, where the pH is in the neutral range, provide a good medium in which microorganisms can grow. Therefore, products such as milks, creams and ice-cream mixes provide a good environment for the multiplication of bacteria, yeasts and moulds unless some control measures are taken to limit their number.