A critical review on structures, health effects, oxidative stability, and sensory properties of oleogels

Oleogels developed for foods are typically composed of a vegetable oil and a food-grade oleogelator or a combination of multiple oleogelators. During the last decade, the interest in the oleogel technology has dramatically increased due to the concern of the negative health effects of trans and saturated fats used in foods. Oleogels have been recognized as very promising alternatives to trans and saturated fats although none of them are yet used on a commercial basis. This is because oleogel technology is relatively new to the food industry. Fundamental studies have been conducted to understand gelation phenomena, crystal structures of oleogelators and networks of crystals that affect physical properties of oleogels. Recently, studies on their practical application in foods have also been conducted. Oleogels were incorporated in real foods such as cakes, muffins, biscuits, sausages, burgers, instant fried noodles, peanut butters, and many other food products. Furthermore, efforts have been made to enhance the gelation ability of an oleogelator by adding another oleogelator or an additive. It has been recognized that sensory properties and oxidative stability of oleogel-containing foods are critical to the practical application of the oleogel technology in foods. These properties have been evaluated for spreads, margarine, cookies, sausages, meat patties, and meat batters. Although some studies found that oleogels had positive or negligible negative effects on sensory and oxidation properties, some studies found that further studies were needed to achieve satisfactory sensory properties and oxidative stability of oleogel-containing food products.