Progress in Research on Foam Stability and the Factors Influencing It in the Food System

Foam is a disperse system in which a gas is dispersed in a liquid or semi-solid medium. It plays an important role in shaping the taste, texture and appearance of interface-dominated foods such as cream, ice cream, and beer. Researchers usually expect to clarify the formation and stabilization mechanism of foam in the food system when they explore an innovative combination of foaming technology and various interface-dominated foods. However, foam, a highly thermodynamically unstable system, is prone to drainage, polymerization, and disproportionation. There are various factors to consider when acquiring the best foam stability in a complicated food system. Therefore, this paper starts with a discussion of the mechanisms for foam instability, followed by a systematical review of the foaming characteristics of different substances and the mechanisms for the stability of foam in different foods. This paper focuses on explaining the effect of surfactants or processing aids, solid particles, and processing conditions or technologies on foam stability from the perspective of the gas-liquid interface, aiming to provide a theoretical guidance for the development and stabilization of foam in interface-dominated foods.