Many proteins can stabilize emulsions because their hydrophobic amino acids partition into
the surface of the freshly formed oil droplet and cause the protein to stick at the oil-water
interface (i.e., adsorb). The adsorbed layer gives some stability by shielding the oil from
the aqueous phase but the proteins now to a great extent control the functional properties
of the system. If the protein tends to aggregate (e.g., following thermal denaturation or in
the absence of strong electrostatic repulsion), the droplets they are attached to will
aggregate also. Aggregation of the droplets in an emulsion can lead to gelation, but can also
lead to creaming because the flocculated droplets are much larger.