Protein-stabilized foam using whey and soy isolates to fabricate oleogel; optimization and potential as solid fat alternatives.

The study investigated the impact of protein percentage (0.5 %-3.5 %), in combination with xanthan (0.05 %-0.5 %) at different pH levels (3-9) on foam and respected cryogel properties using Response Surface Methodology. The foam template produced by 1.10 % protein, 0.2 % xanthan, and pH of 7.7 for soy protein isolate while for whey protein isolate, the foam contained 2.75 % protein, 0.2 % xanthan at pH of 7.6. The optimized cryogel was filled by canola oil to fabricate oleogel and compared to commercial margarine. The analysis revealed that the oleogel samples contained a significantly lower proportion of saturated fatty acids (13.6 %) compared to margarine (48.25 %). Thermal behavior indicated that oleogel lacked a distinct melting point, unlike margarine which melted at approximately 45 °C. The oleogel displayed a strong gel structure with minimal susceptibility to deformation rate, whereas the gel structure of margarine was weak and more prone to deformation rate. The oleogels demonstrated a recovery of approximately 13 % after being subjected to a shear rate of 60 % of the initial value, whereas this value was 50 % for margarine. It can be concluded that the foam-template oleogel exhibited the potential to serve as a viable alternative to margarine, offering comparable properties and performance.