Food homogenization

Homogenization is an essential unit operation during the manufacture of a number of food and dairy products. Homogenization involves coaxing two otherwise immiscible liquids into mixing to create a new, often creamy, liquid. The main result of homogenization is a stable emulsion – meaning the size of the droplets doesn’t change significantly with time.

Homogenization is an ideal method for producing emulsions, suspensions, and other products that require a liquid suspended in another liquid (e.g. water-in-oil or oil-in-water), or which require a small particle size. Homogenized and/or fortified food products benefit from improved aesthetic properties — including enhanced appearance, flavor and/or “mouth feel,” as well as better nutritional profiles and enhanced shelf stability.

Cream and other food products, such as peanut butter, may be homogenized to produce a stable emulsion—one in which fats or oils will not separate from other elements.

Homogenization is a common step in the modern-day processing of milk. Fortified milk, for example, consists of homogenized milk containing dissolved solutes, such as proteins and minerals; and lipids in the form of milk fat. Milk homogenization is a simple process that mixes and disperses that milkfat by using a high-pressure procedure to break it down into smaller particles. When finished, the tiny particles stay suspended in the milk to create a more uniform mixture. Homogenization gives milk its rich, white color and smooth texture.

The intensive pressure applied by a high-pressure homogenizer causes most foods to attain more stable chemical structures; this allows for a longer period of freshness than would otherwise be possible, especially compared with foods comprised of larger particles.
Food homogenization