Lipids are vital to human health; however, overconsumption of lipids, and the associated spikes of postprandial circulating free fatty acids, increases associated risk of chronic diet-related diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Recent research has elucidated that lipid bioaccessibility is affected by the physical parameters of foods such as its viscosity, particle size, and matrix structure. The relationship between structural changes induced by cooking and lipid bioaccessibility has not been well characterized. This research studies how heat-induced gelation of egg yolk affects lipid bioaccessibility. Structural changes in yolk are characterized using rheology, thermal analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and imaging techniques such as confocal and light microscopy. Using the gold standard for in vitro gastrointestinal digestion – TIM-1, the effects of sous vide cooking temperature on three bioaccessibility parameters – total bioaccessibility, induction time, and rate of lipolysis, are compared. Preliminary results show significant differences in bioaccessibility parameters between temperature treatments. This research will provide insight on how food processing and even preparation may affect the kinetics of digestion and ultimately postprandial free fatty acid release.
