Processes for Structuring of Food Materials

Various processes may be used to alter the size and structure of food materials at various length scales and this has the potential to modulate the self-assembly behavior of food components and alter functionality. 

Selected technologies that have established use or the potential for structuring food materials in the food industry are discussed briefly. 

Milling results in particle size reduction. Milling techniques have long been used for size reduction of pharmaceutical powders to improve body absorption (Bentham et al, 2004). An increased surface area of food materials will increase the rate of water absorption of materials, improve solubility of dry products, and increase accessibility of sites for chemical reactions (e.g., oxidation, digestion, flavor release, catalyst, and enzyme activity). The structure of food is also important as it dictates how, when, and where food nutrients and flavors may be released. The effectiveness of nutrient bioavailability in food is in part related to its size although other factors such as interactions of the component with a matrix also influence how the component is released. 

Ball milling Various starches Fragmented starch particles had improved cold water binding properties and freeze-thaw stability Niemann and Meuser (1996) 

Vacuum ball milling Cassava starch Micronized starch particles (8-24 pm) had reduced gelatinization temperature Che et al. (2007) 

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