Food Microstructure: An Integrative Approach

The integration of information at all levels of organization in a food system atomic and molecular through macroscopic properties is illustrated with cake batters as an example of a formulated food and bovine muscle as an example of a biologically intact, non-formulated food. Direct examples are given using macroscopic data collected in heat and water transport studies followed by integration of microscopical data for interpretive purposes. The contribution of starch gelatinization to the c harac t e ri s ti cs of water loss in b a tter i s r e l a t e d t o e v ent s such as loss of briefringen ce as seen b y polarizing mi c r oscopy , diff e r e nti a l h ea t input as seen b y scannin g calorime try , b a tter compon e nt morp hologica l changes as seen b y freeze etch, viscosit y diff e r en ces as charac t e ri zed by viscometric d a t a , and volume dif ferences of the final baked product. The contribution of myofibrillar protein denatura tion to th e cha r acteris t ics of water loss by drip and evaporation is r elated to even t s s u ch as changes in sarcomere banding patterns a nd l e n g th as seen b y tran smi ssion elect r on microscopy , differential h ea t input as seen by scann ing ca l o rime try , a nd by ove r a ll muscle samp l e length s hrink. Initial paper received February ll, 1982. Revised manuscript received April 8, 1982. For this paper contact E.A. Davis, (telephone number 612 373 1158).