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Summary Lipophilic bioactive compounds such as lipids, vitamins and phytochemicals serve important antioxidant, functional, nutritional and structural roles in the human body. Colloidal systems such as emulsions are particularly suitable matrices for the protection and delivery of these compounds. This article summarises the principal lipophilic bioactives important for human health and challenges associated with their delivery. It discusses the compositional and physical characteristics of emulsions in relation to bioactive delivery, and chemical stability aspects to consider when engineering efficient emulsion delivery systems. The literature shows that aspects such as oil type, droplet size, interfacial composition and solubilisation capacity impact bioactive availability and that their effects are bioactive specific. Therefore, emulsions must be tailored to the bioactives delivered. Much of the present knowledge is based on in vitro studies, and more data from animal and human models are required to better understand the relationship between emulsion characteristics and bioavailability of lipophilic bioactives.

Summary This work focuses on the effect of frying variables (repeated frying, potato-to-oil ratio, potato distribution in the fryer, oil type and potato variety) on French fry properties (water content, oil content, crust thickness and shrinkage). Furthermore, the rate of change in French fry properties during a frying batch is investigated. The temperature was acquired in several positions within the oil and the potato. It was found that when repeated frying was conducted up to regulation limits for frying oil use, the examined French fry properties were not significantly affected. On the contrary, the potato-to-oil ratio, potato distribution and potato variety significantly affected the water content of French fries. The most significant changes occurred during the first 1–2 min of a frying batch. According to the temperature measurements, the crust-core front continued to advance after this first frying period. However, there was no observable crust thickness increase; this was attributed to crust shrinkage.

Consumption of Orange‐Fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) and products as source of provitamin A is being promoted to tackle vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in sub‐Saharan Africa. However, limited information is available on β‐carotene retention in foods and delivery after digestion. The study assessed carotene retention and bioaccessibility following in vitro digestion on traditional foods having OFSP among the ingredients. Sunflower oil, margarine and beef fat were evaluated on their effect on β‐carotene bioaccessibility. Porridge and chapatis were prepared with either OFSP puree or flours in the formulations. Carotene retention was highest in chapatis (83%) as compared to porridge (65%). Micerallisation efficiency of all‐trans β‐carotene was comparable between similar products but greater in chapatis (62%) than porridge (11%). Sunflower oil had the highest all‐trans β‐carotene bioaccessibility compared to margarine and beef fat. The results support the promotion of consumption of OFSP‐based products as good source of provitamin A to fight VAD.