Effect of different forms of nanocellulose on the stability of pork myofibrillar proteins' emulsion system

Summary Myofibrillar proteins (MP) and two forms of nanocellulose (cellulose nanofibers [CNFs] and cellulose nanocrystals [CNCs]) were used to prepare oil‐in‐water emulsion. The effect of CNFs and CNCs on the properties of pork MP‐lard emulsion was studied by analysing the emulsion index, microstructure, oil droplet size, zeta potential and rheological behaviour of emulsion. The results showed that both CNFs and CNCs improved MP‐lard emulsion stability. At the same nanofiber concentration, the creaming index of CNFs stabilised emulsion was lower than that of CNCs stabilised emulsion, especially at the concentration of 0.5%, emulsion prepared with CNFs has no phenomenon of creaming index, while emulsion prepared with CNCs still has creaming index phenomenon. At the same nanofiber concentration, the oil droplet distribution of CNFs stabilised emulsion was more uniform, especially at low concentrations (≤0.5%). At higher cellulose concentration (≥0.75%), the particle size of CNFs stabilised emulsion was larger than that of CNCs stabilised emulsion. CNFs stabilised emulsion had a higher zeta potential and modulus than that of CNCs stabilised emulsion and the emulsion formed by CNFs was more viscoelastic.