In an increasingly health-conscious world, consumers and researchers alike are more aware than ever of the varied health and environmental benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets. Those in research and industry are together thus seeking avenues towards more sustainable food systems. Plant-based colloids are of particular interest at the moment due to their nutritional benefits and functional uses in various application.

Plant-Based Colloids in the Food Industry: Current Applications, Future Prospects, and Challenges  offers a comprehensive view of this subject, addressing not only the formation but also the e real-life application and potential economic viability of these plant-based formulations. The formation and application of colloidal delivery systems formulated from plant-based components such as polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and phospholipids will be discussed, along with recent research on the classification, future applications, and challenges of these colloids. Significant progress has been made in the design, assembly, and application of plant-based materials in the food industry over the past decade. This book will also examine different colloidal complexes and their applicability in food to give the reader an overview of the ongoing research in this field.

This text will be of immediate use for food manufacturers, dietitians, nutritionists, pharmacists, regulators and even consumers. Additionally, this book may be useful for assessing the growth and development of the plant-based food colloids industry in the future.

Duygu ASLAN TÜRKER, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, at Erciyes University, Türkiye. She received her B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Food Engineering from Erciyes University. Her research focuses on food colloids, Pickering emulsions, plant-based food systems, food hydrocolloids, interfacial phenomena, natural biopolymers, functional foods, and sustainable food processing technologies. She also conducts research on natural food colorants, deep eutectic solvent extraction, powder technology, and the physicochemical characterization of food materials. Dr. Aslan Türker has authored numerous articles published in internationally recognized SCI-indexed journals and contributed chapters to international books. Her publications primarily address plant-based colloidal systems, emulsions, food texture, interfacial properties, and innovative food processing approaches. In addition to her research activities, Dr. Aslan Türker serves as an editor and reviewer for international scientific journals and books. She is actively involved in national and international research collaborations and contributes to the advancement of sustainable and functional food systems through interdisciplinary research.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tugba DURSUN CAPAR is a food scientist specializing in food engineering, plant based food, bioactive compounds, and innovative processing technologies. She earned her B.Sc. in Food Engineering from Hacettepe University (2009), followed by an M.Sc. (2014) and Ph.D. (2020) in Food Engineering at Erciyes University, where she investigated the optimization of lutein and lycopene encapsulation for enhanced bioavailability. In 2023, she completed her postdoctoral research in Food Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. Dr. Dursun Capar is currently a faculty member at Erciyes University, Department of Food Engineering, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and supervises research on functional foods, plant based food, edible films, and bioactive compound stabilization. Her work has been published in leading journals, including Food Hydrocolloids, Food Packaging and Shelf Life, LWT – Food Science and Technology, Food Bioscience, and Industrial Crops and Products. Her research integrates ultrasound-assisted extraction, nanoencapsulation, plant based food, plant proteins and active packaging technologies to improve food quality and safety, contributing to both national and international scientific communities.

Food Scientist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elif Meltem İŞÇİMEN is an expert in food engineering, plant-based protein foods, bioactive compounds, and innovative extraction methods. She graduated with a B.Sc. in food engineering from Erciyes University in 2013, an M.Sc. in 2016, and a Ph.D. in food engineering from Erciyes University in 2022. During her doctoral dissertation, she studied extraction techniques and electrospinning methods, focusing on legume proteins and their functional properties. Dr. İŞÇİMEN is currently a faculty member at Erciyes University, Department of Food Engineering, where she teaches undergraduate courses. Her work has been published in leading journals, including LWT – Food Science and Technology, Industrial Crops and Products, Food Bioscience, Food and Bioprocess Technology, and Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.  The main aim of her researches is to contribute to both the national and international scientific community by integrating new extraction techniques, emulsion systems, plant-based proteins, and cereal and legume products.