Characterization of food texture: application of Microscopic technology

This review is a survey on the latest and more recent applications of microscopy to study the morphological changes that food components or microorganisms undergo during processing. Apart from a brief discussion on the fundamentals of microscopic techniques, examples have been set out on the physical effects of different processes such as drying (hot air drying, spray drying, microwave, osmotic drying, freeze drying and superheated steam drying), freezing, high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric fields, and ultrasound on the microstructure and three-dimensional surface morphology of a wide range of different food materials. Selected examples of microscopic studies of food structure are presented to illustrate the potential of this technique to reveal detailed and specific information. Understanding the relation between processing conditions and food structure, by the use of microscopy, can be helpful for improving food processes or defining the proper conditions that help to retain the quality of the product.