Texture and microstructure

Abstract:

Understand the structural and physical properties of meat and fish is decisive to obtaining the product with the highest quality as well as to contribute in development of new technologies. Microscopic methods can be able to characterize the physical and textural properties of meat and fish products and their changes after technological processes (hydrothermal or enzymatic treatment, cooking process, drying or fermentation).The underlying concept is that texture is not a simple property of food but is extremely complex, being composed of several interrelated parameters.The objective measurement of texture (hardness, toughness, stringiness, brittleness, viscosity, and other characteristics, which go by various names) is important in itself, since such texture is subjectively sensed by the consumer; or it may be important because the texture has been found to be strongly correlated with flavour, maturity, colour, or other factors which determine quality in raw and cooked foods.The purpose of this chapter is to review the concept of food texture, the characteristics of texture, the relationship between texture and food and the different methodologies used to measure this property in meat and fish as well as illustrate the application of microscope methods to understand the changes in the structure of these products. © 2011 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Año de publicación:

2011

Keywords:

Fuente:

scopus