Awareness of the interrelationship between the nanoscopic, microscopic and macroscopic features of foods and their bulk physiochemical properties, sensory attributes and healthfulness is increasing. It is now widely recognized that creation of novel foods or improvement of existing products largely depends on a better understanding of this complex interrelationship. This important collection presents current understanding of significant aspects of food structure and methods for its control. The main structural elements in foods, their interactions and newer analytical techniques for structure assessment are reviewed. Following chapters then discuss the use of structural design principals in product development and structural issues in particular foods, such as ice cream and chocolate.
Key Features: reviews the current understanding of significant aspects of food structure and methods for its control; focuses on the fundamental structural elements present in foods such as proteins and fats and the forces that hold them together; discusses novel analytical techniques that provide information on the morphology and behaviour of food materials; examines how the principles of structural design can be employed to improve the performance and functionality of foods.
Contents: Part 1 Microstructural elements and their interactions: Polysaccharides: their role in food microstructure; Proteins in food microstructure formation; Structure and function of fat crystals and their role in microstructure formation in complex foods; Effects of water distribution and transport on food microstructure; Structure and function of emulsifiers and their role in microstructure formation in complex foods; Colloidal systems in foods containing droplets and bubbles; Ingredient interactions in complex foods: aggregation and phase separation. Part 2 Novel methods to study food microstructure: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques for characterizing food structure; Confocal fluorescence microscopy (CLSM) for food structure characterization; Advances in image analysis for the study of food microstructure; Food characterisation using scattering methods; Acoustic techniques to characterize food microstructure; Modelling and computer simulation of food structures. Part 3 Microstructural-based approaches to design of functionality in foods: Creation of novel microstructures through processing: structure formation in (semi-) solid food materials; Influence of food microstructure on food rheology; Influence of food microstructure on flavour interactions; Relating food microstructure to sensory quality; Physicochemical and structural aspects of lipid digestion; Nanoscale liquid self-assembled dispersions in foods and the delivery of functional ingredients. Part 4 Microstructural approaches to improving food product quality: Structure-engineering of ice-cream and foam-based foods; The texture and microstructure of spreads; Microstructural approaches to the study and improvement of cheese and yogurt products; Microstructural aspects of protein-based drinks; The microstructure of chocolate; Bubble formation and stabilisation in bread dough; Food microstructure and shelf-life of emulsion and gel-based products.
David Julian McClements is Professor of Food Physico-chemistry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Professor McClements is widely respected for his research in such areas as food biopolymers, colloids and emulsions; interfacial engineering, encapsulation; physicochemical basis of digestion; and ultrasonic evaluation of food properties.
