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Mayonnaise production in batch and

continuous process exploiting
magnetohydrodynamic force
Article in Journal of Food Engineering September 2011
Impact Factor: 2.77 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.04.003

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Journal of Food Engineering xxx (2011) xxxxxx

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Food Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jfoodeng

Mayonnaise production in batch and continuous process exploiting

magnetohydrodynamic force
Stef Kerkhofs a, Heiko Lipkens b, Firmin Velghe b, Pieter Verlooy a, Johan A. Martens a,
a
b

Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
M4E Magnets for Emulsions N.V., Teerlingstraat 14, 9190 Stekene, Belgium

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 16 September 2010
Received in revised form 4 March 2011
Accepted 3 April 2011
Available online xxxx
Keywords:
Emulsion
Magnetic technology
Magnetohydrodynamic dispersion
Mayonnaise

a b s t r a c t
Mayonnaise currently is produced using high shear stirrers. Here we present a new production method
using a magnetic emulsication device. According to the new method a stable oil-in-water emulsion is
formed by pumping the two immiscible liquids through a magnetohydrodynamic dispersion device consisting of a Venturi provided with an orthogonal permanent magnetic eld. As a proof of concept, magnetically emulsied highly viscous mayonnaise was produced in a batch process and in a continuous
process. The viscosity of the mayonnaise was signicantly enhanced by applying the magnetic eld.
The oil droplet size distribution of mayonnaise produced using the magnetic emulsication method
was similar to mayonnaise produced with conventional high shear mixers. In contrast to conventional
processes no fast moving mixers were needed in this new mayonnaise production scheme.
2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Mayonnaise is one of the more popular sauces in the world. It is
an oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion containing 7080% of vegetable oil
typically produced by mixing a water phase with an oil phase using
egg yolk as surfactant. Neutral pH conditions facilitate the liberation of egg yolk components and the emulsication process (Anton
and Gandemer, 1999). Therefore, mayonnaise is generally prepared
using egg yolk close to neutral pH prior to an acidication with vinegar. Traditionally mayonnaise is produced in a batch process by
slowly adding the oil to the water phase under vigorous stirring
creating an o/w emulsion (Depree and Savage, 2001). Manufacturing of emulsions using high shear, high speed mixers is very energy
inefcient and innovation is welcome (Depree and Savage, 2001;
Franco et al., 1995). In this paper a new approach to produce mayonnaise relying on magnetohydrodynamic forces is presented
avoiding the use of a high shear mixer.
Magnetic elds are being exploited in a variety of technologies.
The displacements that diamagnetic and paramagnetic particles
undergo when subjected to strong magnetic eld gradients are
being exploited e.g. in magnetic separation and purication techniques (Moyer et al., 1984). Magnetic ltration over ferromagnetic
lter matrix devices is a powerful method for the removal of even
weakly magnetic particles from uids. Magnetophoresis and isomagnetophoresis based on magnetic susceptibility differences are
used in nano- and biotechnology for sorting and manipulating of
Corresponding author. Tel.: +32 16 321637; fax: +32 16 321998.
E-mail address: Johan.Martens@biw.kuleuven.be (J.A. Martens).

a variety of materials ranging from carbon nanotubes over polymers to biomolecules and cells (Kang et al., 2008; Kang and Park,
2007).
In the area of uid hydrodynamics an orthogonal magnetic eld
applied on a laminar ow of electrically conducting solvent enhances the velocity gradients and shear rates near the walls of
the conduct (Van Kleef et al., 1983). This magnetohydrodynamic
effect was found to be responsible for an enhanced occulation
rate of suspensions of cholesterol in aqueous sodium chloride solution circulated through an orthogonal magnetic eld (Busch et al.,
1996; Van Kleef et al., 1983). Whereas a magnetic eld applied on
laminar ow favours aggregation of suspended particles, a magnetic eld combined with turbulent ow recently has been found
to assist disaggregation of suspended particles (Stuyven et al.,
2009). Adequate magnetohydrodynamic forces in the turbulent regime can be obtained by applying an orthogonal magnetic eld
over a Venturi (Stuyven et al., 2009). The observed disintegration
of aggregated particles was ascribed to Lorentz forces which under
the turbulent regime enhance the shear stresses causing deformation of the aggregates. Stress uctuations are amplied by the Lorentz force acting in opposite directions on opposite sites of
spinning particles carrying surface charges. Regarding particle size
reduction and energy efciency the magnetic eld assisted dispersion technique was found to present advantages over planetary
ball milling, jet-milling, ultrasonic and ultraturrax techniques
(Stuyven et al., 2009).
Oil in water emulsion droplets are stabilized by surfactant molecules presenting dipole moments and ionised organic functions.
Inspired by the earlier observation of aggregate disruption in a

0260-8774/$ - see front matter 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.04.003

Please cite this article in press as: Kerkhofs, S., et al. Mayonnaise production in batch and continuous process exploiting magnetohydrodynamic force. Journal of Food Engineering (2011), doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.04.003

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Table 1
Apparent static (SV) and dynamic viscosity (DV) of mayonnaise batches produced
with magnetohydrodynamic device (magnetic) and with the same device without
magnets (control). SV and DV of commercial mayonnaise samples of different brands
with similar composition.

Magnetic
Magnetic
Magnetic
Magnetic
Control
Control
Control
Control

1
2
3
4

1
2
3
4

Commercial1
Commercial2
Commercial3
Commercial4
a
b

SV (kPa s)a

DV (kPa s)b

2.43 0.20
2.03 0.11
2.20 0.08
2.11 0.06

0.79 0.10
0.89 0.09
0.83 0.07
0.95 0.11

1.68 0.19
1.62 0.09
1.77 0.11
1.98 0.06

0.58 0.14
0.70 0.07
0.69 0.08
0.75 0.10

0.78 0.08
1.10 0.17
1.04 0.10
2.00 0.06

0.25 0.02
0.37 0.08
0.43 0.12
0.67 0.06

Standard deviation over 4 measurements.

Standard deviation over 6 measurement.

Fig. 1. Magnetohydrodynamic device. Side view (a) and front view (b) of the
Venturi; (c) photograph of dispersing device.

magnetohydrodynamic device (Stuyven et al., 2009), we conceived

the idea of evaluating the potential of this technique in emulsication. Mayonnaise was an obvious choice. In this paper we present
our rst experiences with mayonnaise production using a magnetohydrodynamic device in a batch process and in a continuous production scheme.

2. Materials and methods

The mayonnaise had a classic composition comprising
78.05 wt.% rapeseed oil (Resto, Colruyt, Belgium) dispersed in a
water phase composed of 3.84 wt.% water; 3.94 wt.% mustard
(Econom, Colruyt,); 8.55 wt.% egg yolk (12 wt.% salted; Quomak/
Vleminck). Vinegar 7 (Every Day, Colruyt) was added at the end of
the preparation to an amount of 5.62 wt.%. The ingredients were
added using worm pumps (NORD SK71 L/4 TF, 1390 rpm;
0.37 kW). Circulation was achieved using a lobe pump (NORD
SK80 S/4 TF; 0.55 kW).
The magnetohydrodynamic device (M4E N.V.; DN10) presented
in Fig. 1 consisted of a restriction, forcing the mixture through a
Venturi. This device converts a cylindrical tube with an inner diameter of 6 mm to a rectangular aperture of 2  6 mm2 over a length
of 12 mm. Across this Venturi two permanent block magnets were
mounted in order to create a magnetic eld of 0.6 T perpendicular
to the ow direction over a length of 6.5 mm. The same Venturi
without the block magnets was used in comparative experiments

as a control. The magnetic device was mounted at short distance

downstream of the lobe pump.
The experimental setup for batch and continuous mayonnaise
preparation is shown in Fig. 2. The unit comprised oil and water
phase reservoirs, worm pumps for oil and water addition, lobe
pumps for circulation, the magnetohydrodynamic device, threeway valves and buffer drums. In the experimental setup for batch
production, the water phase reservoir, water phase addition pump,
three-way valve and second circuit were left out. A reference mayonnaise sample was prepared in batch using a MaxxD Lab high
shear mixer with usable volume of 12 L (FrymaKoruma).
Mayonnaise samples were collected in polypropylene containers and stored overnight in a refrigerator (4 C). Viscosity was evaluated after 1 day, 1 week and 1 month for mayonnaise produced in
batch experiments and after 1 day for mayonnaise produced in the
continuous setup. Different types of viscosity measurements give
rise to different apparent viscosity readings, due to the non-Newtonian behaviour of mayonnaise. Two different viscosity measurements were performed using a Brookeld Viscometer DV-II, similar
to quality control measurements in industrial mayonnaise manufacturing (Stern et al., 2001). For a rst measurement, the apparent
viscosity was recorded after 5 min using a spindle velocity of
0.3 rpm. A mean static apparent viscosity (SV) was determined as
the average viscosity recorded at four different spindle positions
in the sample.
A dynamic apparent viscosity was determined right after the
determination of the SV. The same setup (spindle and spindle
velocity) was used, except for an additional oscillating vertical
movement of the spindle. The spindle moved upwards for 90 s

Fig. 2. Experimental setup for continuous mayonnaise production: (a) oil worm pump; (b) water phase worm pump; (c and c0 ) lobe pumps; (d and d0 ) magnetic devices; (e
and e0 ) three-way valves; (f) drum acting as a buffer with slowly moving stirrer; (f0 ) drum for vinegar addition; (g) oil reservoir; (h) water phase reservoir. In batch wise
mayonnaise preparation, the oil reservoir (g), oil addition worm pump (a), lobe pump (c), dispersing device (d) and drum (f) were used.

Please cite this article in press as: Kerkhofs, S., et al. Mayonnaise production in batch and continuous process exploiting magnetohydrodynamic force. Journal of Food Engineering (2011), doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.04.003

S. Kerkhofs et al. / Journal of Food Engineering xxx (2011) xxxxxx

et al., 1995; Stern et al., 2001). Oil droplet size was investigated
using optical microscopy (Fig. 4). Microscopic images showed the
presence of oil droplets varying in size between 2 and 6 lm for
mayonnaise produced with the magnetic devise (Fig. 4a). Similar
oil drop sizes were determined in mayonnaise prepared with a
high shear mixer using laser diffraction (Fig. 4b). The oil droplet
size distribution (Fig. 5) was in the range of 1.520 lm for mayonnaise produced by high shear mixer and 130 lm for mayonnaise
produced with the magnetohydrodynamic device. Both mayonnaises showed a mean droplet size of 4 lm in agreement with

Fig. 3. Evolution upon storage of the viscosity of mayonnaise produced with the
magnetohydrodynamic device (diamonds) and the same device without magnets
(triangles) in batch process. Static viscosity (SV) and dynamic viscosity (DV) are
indicated by solid and dash lines. The two mayonnaise preparations were repeated
four times. SV was determined four times and DV six times on each batch.

followed by a downward motion for a same time. The spindle

moved vertically throughout the entire 1 L sample. A mean dynamic apparent viscosity (DV) was calculated from 6 measurements recorded in 60 s intervals over a period between 90 and
390 s at one position in the sample.
The upper limit of the Viscometer was 3.12 kPa s. In measurements where the viscosity exceeded this value the viscosity was taken as 3.12 kPa s. The SV and DV of four commercial mayonnaises
containing vinegar and with similar oil content were determined
as a reference (Table 1).
Emulsion droplet size distribution were characterised either
using a laser diffraction instrument (Mastersizer Micro plus, Malvern Instruments) or with optical microscopy via particle size
determination on microscopic pictures. Samples were diluted and
subsequently spread between two glass slides. They are observed
with an Olympus IX71 inverted microscope, equipped with a Hamamatsu C4742-95 CCD camera. Images were analysed using ImageJ
1.44 software.

3. Results and discussion

Fig. 4. Microscopic images of mayonnaise produced in batch with the magnetohydrodynamic device (a) and with a high shear mixer (b).

3.1. Batch tests

The experimental setup for batch mayonnaise production is
shown in Fig. 2. The water phase was loaded in the buffer drum (f)
and circulated at 6 L/min. Rapeseed oil was added with a worm
pump (a) from the oil reservoir (g) to the water phase at 0.6 L/
min. After all the oil was added, vinegar was added manually to
the buffer drum containing the mayonnaise. The mayonnaise was
circulated for one additional minute. Four times 3 kg mayonnaise
was produced using this batch process with magnets mounted
and four times with magnets dismounted from the dispersing
device (Table 1).
The evolution of the apparent static and dynamic viscosity upon
storage of the obtained mayonnaise is shown in Fig. 3. The apparent static and dynamic viscosity was higher when the magnetic
eld was applied. Monitoring of the decay of the apparent viscosity
upon storage revealed the magnetically produced mayonnaise to
remain superior (Fig. 3). A high apparent viscosity is a desirable
property.
The stability of mayonnaise and of emulsions in general is
linked with droplet size and uniformity of the oil droplets (Franco

Fig. 5. Oil droplet size distribution of mayonnaise produced in batch with the
magnetohydrodynamic device (a) and with high shear mixer (b).

Please cite this article in press as: Kerkhofs, S., et al. Mayonnaise production in batch and continuous process exploiting magnetohydrodynamic force. Journal of Food Engineering (2011), doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.04.003

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Fig. 6. Oil droplet size distribution of mayonnaise produced in batch with the
magnetohydrodynamic device (a) and with a similar device without magnets
mounted (b).

the microscopic analysis of Fig. 4. In another experiment mayonnaise was prepared in an experimental batch setup with a dispersion device from which the magnets could be dismounted. The
particle size distribution of oil droplets in mayonnaise prepared
in presence and absence of magnetic eld were determined using
microscopic pictures are shown in Fig. 6. The particle size distribution obtained in absence of magnetic eld was substantially broader with particles reaching sizes up to approximately 40 lm. This
comparative experiment conrmed that the magnetic eld effectively contributed to the emulsication process and the uniformity
of the particle size. Based on the viscosity enhancement and the
droplet size similar to high shear mixer (Figs. 46) it was concluded that the magnetic Venturi device was effective for mayonnaise production.
The scientic explanation for the observed benecial effect of
the combination of a Venturi and a magnetic eld in emulsication
might be similar to the one offered for the earlier observed aggregate disruption in a similar device (Stuyven et al., 2009). The strong
acceleration and pronounced velocity gradients in the Venturi
should already cause deformation and break up of large oil drops,
but insufcient for producing viscous mayonnaise (Fig. 3). Our
interpretation is that the electric charges at the oilwater interface
were sufcient to provoke Lorentz forces that created an extra
oscillatory stress contributing to the breakup of the larger oil droplets. Lorentz forces act on moving electric charges. In an emulsion,
the emulsier molecules have a polar and apolar moiety. The polar
moiety may be charged by dissociation of an organic function, but
even a partial charge on atoms in chemical bonds with dipole moment can be sufcient. Under turbulent ow the drops of the preemulsion are spinning in the moving uid with velocity vectors in
opposite direction on opposite sites of the drop such that depending on the sign of the electric charge, compressive and disruptive
forces act on interfaces upon passage through the magnetic eld
assisting emulsication. Further research will be necessary however to pinpoint the detailed mechanism.

yolk should be made at neutral pH and acidication should be done

at the end of the process (Anton and Gandemer, 1999). Introducing
the vinegar together with the water phase from the beginning led
to mayonnaise of too low a viscosity.
An improved continuous mayonnaise production scheme was
conceived comprising two circuits (Fig. 2). The recirculation circuit
made it possible to foresee a second magnetic dispersing device
(d0 ) in the installation, doubling the number of passes through the
magnetic eld aiming at stabilizing the emulsion even further. The
buffer drum (f) was lled with mayonnaise, prepared as explained
in a batch experiment using the magnetic dispersing device. No vinegar was added. The mayonnaise mixture was circulated with the
lobe pump (c) at a ow rate of approximately 8 L/min, while the
water phase (h) and rapeseed oil (g) were fed by means of worm
pumps (a and b). The water phase was added at a ow rate of
100 mL/min; the oil at ca. 520 mL/min. By means of a three-way
valve (e) 620 mL/min of preliminary mayonnaise, matching the inlet
ow of oil and water, was transferred to the second circuit. The main
part of the ow was circulated via drum (f) acting as a buffer. The
second circuit (right part in Fig. 2) also contained a buffer drum (f0 )
with a slow moving stirrer. Vinegar was added manually in the barrel at 35 mL/min and circulated through the circuit with a lobe pump
(c0 ). Mayonnaise was sampled at valve (e0 ).
The double recirculation system gave satisfactory results in
continuous mayonnaise production. Within the 30 min of this
experiment about 16 kg of mayonnaise with a sufciently high viscosity was produced (Fig. 7). In the continuous test the apparent
viscosity was higher in comparison to commercial samples, demonstrating the potential of the magnetic emulsication technology.
(SV and DV data of Fig. 7 compared to commercial samples of Table
1). At three measurements the upper limit of viscosity determination of 3.12 kPa s was exceeded. The SV and DV of the produced
mayonnaise uctuated around 2.8 kPa s and 1.1 kPa s, respectively
(Fig. 7).
Stuyven et al. (2009) estimated that the hydromagnetic dispersing technology presented an energetic advantage over conventional dispersing techniques like ultraturrax, ultrasonic ball
milling and jet milling. In the here presented continuous mayonnaise production scheme the two lobe pumps for circulation presented a total power of ca. 1.1 kW. The power of the lab scale
high shear mixer used in this work was 7.5 kW which revealed
the potential energy savings.

3.2. Continuous mayonnaise production

In a rst experiment on continuous mayonnaise preparation we
were using a single recirculation. Vinegar addition turned out to be
a critical step. Literature species that emulsions containing egg

Fig. 7. Apparent static viscosity (SV) (j) and dynamic viscosity (DV) (d) of
mayonnaise sampled in a continuous mayonnaise production experiment using the
magnetohydrodynamic device. The SV and DV were determined after 1 day storage
at 4 C. Standard variation over 4 (SV) and 6 (DV) measurements.

Please cite this article in press as: Kerkhofs, S., et al. Mayonnaise production in batch and continuous process exploiting magnetohydrodynamic force. Journal of Food Engineering (2011), doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.04.003

S. Kerkhofs et al. / Journal of Food Engineering xxx (2011) xxxxxx

4. Conclusions

References

The applicability of magnetic dispersion devices in the preparation of mayonnaise being an example of an oil-in-water emulsion
was demonstrated. The emulsication device consisted of a Venturi and an orthogonal magnetic eld. Experiments with and without magnetic eld revealed the positive effect of the magnetic eld
on the emulsication process. Mayonnaise with a sufciently high
viscosity and a mean oil droplet size of ca. 4 lm was produced,
similar to mayonnaise obtained using a high shear mixer. Although
no energy saving calculations were made, the absence of fast moving mixers is expected to lower the energy cost of mayonnaise production. The magnetohydrodynamic device can be operated in a
continuous mayonnaise production process.

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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the Flemish IWT for nancial support.
J.A.M. acknowledges the Flemish Government for long-term structural funding (Methusalem). G.C. Hahn & Co is acknowledged for
synthesizing reference mayonnaise using high shear mixer. G.C.
Hahn & Co and Rob Van Hooghten and Jan Vermant, Chemical engineering Department, K.U. Leuven are acknowledged for performing
oil droplet size measurements. The authors thank George Danau
for his help during mayonnaise preparation.

Please cite this article in press as: Kerkhofs, S., et al. Mayonnaise production in batch and continuous process exploiting magnetohydrodynamic force. Journal of Food Engineering (2011), doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.04.003