A composition having an oil-in-water dispersion with enhanced stability is provided. The oil-in-water dispersion has particles of a hydrophobic agent with an average particle size between about 100 to about 999 nm, where the distribution of particle sizes are a monodispersity about the average particle size, and the negative charge on the particles generates a force of repulsion that exceeds the force of coalescence among the particles of the hydrophobic agent in the oil-in-water dispersion. A method for applying the composition to a food and/or beverage is also provided. The submicron average particle size, dispersity, and force of repulsion of the particles in the dispersion increase the extent of penetration and accelerate diffusion of the particles of the hydrophobic agent throughout a water phase of a food or beverage, to enhance the physical, chemical, nutritional and/or sensory properties of the food or beverage, and to prevent freezer burn.

A composition having an oil-in-water dispersion with enhanced stability is provided. The oil-in-water dispersion has particles of a hydrophobic agent with an average particle size between about 100 to about 999 nm, where the distribution of particle sizes are a monodispersity about the average particle size, and the negative charge on the particles generates a force of repulsion that exceeds the force of coalescence among the particles of the hydrophobic agent in the oil-in-water dispersion. A method for applying the composition to a food and/or beverage is also provided. The submicron average particle size, dispersity, and force of repulsion of the particles in the dispersion increase the extent of penetration and accelerate diffusion of the particles of the hydrophobic agent throughout a water phase of a food or beverage, to enhance the physical, chemical, nutritional and/or sensory properties of the food or beverage, and to prevent freezer burn.

Provided is means of thickening a liquid component, wherein the thickener contains an oil and/or fat composition, the oil and/or fat composition contains an oil and/or fat component containing one or more types of XXX-type triglycerides having fatty acid residues X, each with x carbon atoms, at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, x, the number of carbon atoms, is an integer selected from 10 to 22, and the XXX-type triglyceride is contained at 50% by mass or more relative to a content of the oil and/or fat component being 100% by mass; or the thickener, wherein the oil and/or fat composition is a powder oil and/or fat composition having a loose bulk density of 0.05 to 0.6 g/cm.sup.3, the oil and/or fat component contains a 3-type oil and/or fat, and a particle of the powder oil and/or fat composition has a plate shape.

Provided is means of thickening a liquid component, wherein the thickener contains an oil and/or fat composition, the oil and/or fat composition contains an oil and/or fat component containing one or more types of XXX-type triglycerides having fatty acid residues X, each with x carbon atoms, at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, x, the number of carbon atoms, is an integer selected from 10 to 22, and the XXX-type triglyceride is contained at 50% by mass or more relative to a content of the oil and/or fat component being 100% by mass; or the thickener, wherein the oil and/or fat composition is a powder oil and/or fat composition having a loose bulk density of 0.05 to 0.6 g/cm.sup.3, the oil and/or fat component contains a 3-type oil and/or fat, and a particle of the powder oil and/or fat composition has a plate shape.

A process for preparing a slurry of edible oil and fat powder, and to a process of preparing an edible fat-continuous spread out of such. The process for preparing said slurry has at least two different regimes of reduced pressure.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a water-in-oil emulsified composition having improved workability in a freezing range. This water-in-oil emulsified composition contains, as constituent fatty acids, 7-29 wt % of lauric acid and 7-19 wt % of palmitic acid, the weight ratio of stearic acid/lauric acid being 0.1-1.6, and has a hardness of 500-1500 gf at −18° C. The water-in-oil emulsified composition according to the present invention, when delivered or stored in a frozen state, can be directly and easily cut into pieces in any shape without requiring an operation such as thawing or temperature adjustment.

The present invention relates to an oil-in-water-emulsified food product comprising: water, acetic acid, organic acids other than acetic acids, amino acids, phenolic compounds, and vegetable oil comprising 35 to 95 wt % C18:1 and 1 to 50 wt % C18:2 fatty acids, based on the weight of the vegetable oil.

The present invention relates to an oil-in-water-emulsified food product comprising: water, acetic acid, organic acids other than acetic acids, amino acids, phenolic compounds, and vegetable oil comprising 35 to 95 wt % C18:1 and 1 to 50 wt % C18:2 fatty acids, based on the weight of the vegetable oil.

The present invention relates to bovine milk fat comprising, based on total fatty acid content, 8.9-29.0 wt % linoleic acid (C18:2 cis, 9,12), 0.9-2.4 wt % alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3 cis 9,12,15), and 3-5 wt % butyric acid (C4:0). The present invention further relates to a bovine milk comprising said milk fat and to a method for producing said milk by feeding a lactating bovine mammal with a rumen-protected linoleic acid source and a rumen-protected alpha-linolenic acid source, followed by milking the lactating bovine animal.

The use of ultrasound or acoustics applied at a level below that which causes cavitation to control the energy balance between particles and the liquid phase in a metastable liquid.