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The Effect of Lecithin and Carboxymethyl Cellulose on the Viscoelastic Properties of Macadamia Butter

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Qu.C.,Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran

2 Department of Food Science and Technology, Qu.C., Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran

3 Department of Green Technologies in Food Processing, Research Institute of Food Science and Technology (RIFST), Mashhad, Iran

10.22092/fooder.2026.369083.1419

Abstract

Macadamia is an edible nut with high oil content and a desirable flavor, commonly used as a raw material for producing plant‑based butters. The resulting butter is a semi‑solid, oil‑rich system whose quality and stability depend on its emulsion structure and rheological properties. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of lecithin (0.1–0.2%) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) (0.05–0.1%) on the emulsion stability and rheological properties of macadamia butter. The results showed that the linear effect of lecithin on emulsion stability was significant at the 95% confidence level (P<0.05). Increasing lecithin concentration in the presence of CMC caused a slight initial decrease followed by an increase in emulsion stability. The storage modulus (G′LVE) and loss modulus (G″LVE) were also significantly affected by lecithin and CMC concentrations. At low lecithin levels, increasing CMC markedly increased these moduli, indicating strengthening of the system’s network structure, whereas this effect diminished at higher lecithin concentrations. Additionally, increasing CMC in the presence of low lecithin increased yield stress (τy) and critical strain (γc), indicating greater structural resistance to deformation. Furthermore, the loss tangent in the linear viscoelastic region (tan δLVE) increased with lecithin concentration but decreased with increasing CMC, reflecting changes in the balance between viscous and elastic behavior. Optimization results indicated that the best formulation consisted of 0.17% lecithin and 0.1% CMC, under which emulsion stability and viscoelastic properties were optimized. These findings suggest that the simultaneous use of lecithin and CMC at appropriate levels can improve the structure and stability of macadamia butter.

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Food Engineering Research
Volume 25, Issue 1 - Serial Number 80
Spring & Summer
April 2026
Pages 179-230
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