The gelation kinetics of an imitation-mortadella emulsion during thermal treatment under both, isothermal and non-isothermal conditions was followed by means of oscillatory rheometry. A first order-kinetic process was found to better describe the variation of the storage modulus G' (at 1 Hz and strain amplitude of 0.8%) during the two types of thermal treatments. An Arrhenius-type model was able to describe the effect of temperature during gelation of the emulsion under non-isothermal conditions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.