In light of the alarming reports on (the evolution of) the health condition of consumers in the developed world, research and food industry environments are currently investing much time and effort in the quest for ‘healthier’ food systems. However, inclusion or in situ production of bioactive compounds in food systems to improve their nutritional profile while maintaining their organoleptic properties presents real challenges. While emulsions offer perspectives for improved food systems, conventional emulsions suffer from droplet coalescence, flocculation, gravitational separation and Ostwald ripening. The design of structured emulsions with an improved stability and tailor-made functionality has already proven to be a valuable strategy for enhancing the nutritional profile and overall product quality of ‘liquid’ food systems as exemplified by protection and controlled release of bioactive and functional agents during processing. However, such approach needs to be elaborated on for complex 'dry' cereal based food systems. This project thus focuses on rational design of structured emulsions as functional carrier systems for application in such products, which include bread as an important staple food. The project will benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration between the research groups of Prof. J.A. Delcour (K.U.Leuven, Belgium) and Prof. D.J. McClements (University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA), two highly renown researchers in their respective research areas.