Development of colorful 3D-printable double-emulsion emulgels with enhanced anthocyanin bioaccessibility for dysphagia-friendly foods

Double-emulsion-based emulgels represent a promising strategy for designing texture-tailored food systems with controlled functionality. In this study, water-in-oil-in-water (W 1 /O/W 2 ) double emulsions loaded with a black carrot extract rich in anthocyanins were structured into colorful emulgels via external phase gelation using gelatin (4–10 wt.%). All formulations (DE_4%, DE_6.5%, and DE_10%) exhibited high anthocyanin encapsulation efficiency (≥ 99.97%) and maintained structural stability over 30 days, with minimal color changes (ΔE ≤ 2). Rheological measurements revealed shear-thinning behavior and a progressive increase in viscosity and storage modulus with increasing gelatin concentration. Printing trials demonstrated improved shape fidelity and structural retention for DE_6.5% and DE_10% compared with DE_4%. Textural analysis showed that printed samples exhibited low hardness (≤ 136 g) and adhesiveness (− 39 to − 26 g·s) in line with needs for dysphagia-oriented food systems. Based on fork pressure, fork drip, and spoon tilt tests from the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative, DE_6.5% and DE_10% were classified as Level 5 (minced and moist), with DE_6.5% performing best in spoon tilt tests. Simulated in vitro digestion indicated enhanced anthocyanin bioaccessibility, with increases of 2.2-fold (43.0 ± 0.1%) and 1.6-fold (31.3 ± 0.4%) for DE_6.5% and DE_10%, respectively, compared with the free extract (19.8 ± 0.2%). These results highlight how gelatin-mediated gelation of double emulsions enables precise control of rheological, textural, and digestive properties, supporting the development of structured, 3D-printable food systems. These findings highlight the potential of colorful 3D-printable double-emulsion emulgels as innovative dysphagia-friendly food systems, combining appealing visual characteristics with enhanced anthocyanin bioaccessibility.