BACKGROUND: Curcumin is a natural antioxidant with important beneficial properties for health, although its low bioavailability and sensitivity to many environmental agents limits its use in the food industry. Furthermore, some studies mention a potential synergistic effect with omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, comprising other bioactive compounds extremely unstable and susceptible to oxidation. A relatively novel strategy to avoid oxidation processes is to transform liquid oils into three‐dimensional structures by adding a gelling agent and forming a self‐assembled network that can later be vectorized by incorporating it into other systems. The present study aimed to design and optimize an oil gelled‐in‐water curcumin‐loaded emulsion to maximize curcumin stability and minimize lipid oxidation in terms of some critical operating parameters, such as dispersed phase, emulsifier and stabilizer concentrations, and homogenization rate.RESULTS: The operating conditions that had a significant effect on the formulation were the dispersed phase weight fraction affecting droplet size and total lipid oxidation, homogenization conditions affecting droplet size and primary lipid oxidation, and emulsifier concentration affecting droplet size (significance level = 95%). The optimal formulation for maximizing curcumin load and minimizing lipid oxidation in the oleogelified matrix was 140.4 g kg⁻¹ dispersed phase, 50.0 g kg⁻¹ emulsifier, 4.9 g kg⁻¹ stabilizer and homogenization speed 1016 × g.CONCLUSION: The results obtained in the present study provide a valuable tool for the rational design and development of oil gelled‐in‐water emulsions that stabilize and transport bioactive compounds such as curcumin. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Ultrasound (US) is a technology that enables microbial inactivation through cavitation-induced cell wall disruption, preserving food safety and quality. This study evaluated the impact of US parameters, including time, temperature, and surrounding media (saline solution and lipid parenteral emulsion) on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reduction. Microbial survival was quantified via plate counting, and inactivation kinetics were modeled using GInaFiT. Microbial reductions ranged from 0.05 to 6.10 Log₁₀ CFU/mL, with E. coli showing greater susceptibility than S. aureus. The highest reduction (6.10 Log₁₀ CFU/mL) was observed for E. coli in the emulsion after 5 min at uncontrolled temperature, while S. aureus exhibited lower susceptibility (3.92 Log₁₀ CFU/mL). The Weibull model provided the best fit, highlighting the non-linear nature of microbial inactivation. The US presents a promising alternative for microbial control in food and pharmaceutical applications. Future research should optimize treatment conditions, understand microbial resistance mechanisms, and integrate the US with other hurdle technologies to enhance efficiency. In addition, studies about the US’s scalability for the pharmaceutical industry could widespread its implementation in that sector.