SELECTION OF STRUCTURING AGENTS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FOOD OLEOGELS

The paper presents the results of a study on the production of food oleogels based on beeswax, monoglyceride and their binary mixture (50:50) used as structure-forming agents. The choice of the optimal structurizer is justified based on the assessment of the structural-mechanical (hardness, elasticity) and functional-technological (oil-binding ability) properties of oleogels for use in the technology of fat-and-oil products. It was found that all the studied samples form self-sustaining oleogels with a homogeneous structure. It is shown that the samples obtained using binary mixtures of structure-forming agents are characterized by higher values of hardness, elasticity, and oil-binding ability compared with single-component samples. This indicates a more efficient formation of the spatial gel network and an increased ability to retain oil. Beeswax promotes the formation of a strong crystalline structure, while monoglycerides provide plasticity and improved oil retention. Their combined use leads to the formation of a structured gel system with an optimal combination of structural-mechanical and functional-technological characteristics and may also indicate the presence of synergistic interaction of structure-forming agents. The results obtained confirm the expediency of using binary systems of structure-forming agents and their prospects in the development of spreads and other fat-and-oil products.