Study on phase separation in mixed gels and its application to developing foods for persons of advanced age.

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The agar/gelatin mixed gels which had biphase dispersion structure to be different with the same composition were prepared and their mechanical properties were investigated. Agar/gelatin mixture was first kept over the gelling temperature of gelatin and under that of agar with stirring for the selected period, and then cooled under the gelling temperature of gelatin. The mixed gels prepared by this method consisted of a dispersed phase of agar and a continuous phase of gelatin. The rupture stress of mixed gels decreased as the content of a dispersed phase increased. In the same composition the rupture stress showed the lower tendency as the size of dispersed particles became larger. These results suggested that the interface between a dispersed phase and a continuous phase played a role as Griffith crack, and the rupture of mixed gels occurred from that place. In this work, it was found that the mechanical properties of agar/gelatin mixed gels were dependent on internal phase separation structure and that we could prepare the mixed gels which had a various texture from the same composition by controlling their internal structures. Furthermore, even if a food is too hard for persons of advanced age to swallow it, we could prepare a gelatinous food suitable for them by processing.