Design of encapsulation of coagulants in W/O emulsions for tofu

INTRODUCTION

Tofu is a traditional soybean food originating in China 2000 years ago.

The production is similar to that of cheese from milk, by coagulating soy

milk and pressing it into bean curds. Various coagulants can be used

however, MgCl2 is preferred as it creates a more natural flavor and

allows the original taste of the soybean to be retained. However, the

magnesium ions do not quickly dissolve in soymilk and this often results

in a rapid solidification of the gel and therefore it produces poor quality

tofu.

This study is focused on designing water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions to

encapsulate MgCl2 and to control its release to slow down the gelation

rate of tofu. This can be used to increase the yield and quality of the tofu.