Practical Food Rheology

Food rheology is concerned with the flow of foods that behave in complex ways, and how flow is determined by the material's microstructure. For food manufacturers, rheology is essential to understanding how a substance may be mixed and pumped through pipes during processing, as well as how it behaves in the hands and mouths of the consumer to dictate the food experience. Practical Food Rheology presents this important subject in a new light: with a practice-based, interpretive approach, it examines food rheology in relation to a number of distinct food systems. Resisting oversimplification - yet refusing to overwhelm the reader with equations and mathematics - this book is a practical, concise assessment of how the interpretation of rheological data can improve the actual functionality of food. It provides an overview of the techniques used to monitor rheological and textural properties, then considers the links between food microstructure and rheology, and finally suggests ways in which these properties may be used to alter and improve food texture and performance. Whether the reader is a rheologist or food developer, student or academic, the authors - recognised authorities in food rheology, texture, and microstructure mechanics and engineering - provide expert guidance through the interpretation of rheological data.