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  • © 2013

Food Structure and Moisture Transfer

A Modeling Approach

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Food, Health, and Nutrition (BRIEFSFOOD)

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Table of contents (4 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vii
  2. Introduction

    • Valérie Guillard, Claire Bourlieu, Nathalie Gontard
    Pages 1-2
  3. Theoretical Background

    • Valérie Guillard, Claire Bourlieu, Nathalie Gontard
    Pages 3-33
  4. Relationship Between Multiscale Food Structure and Moisture Transfer Properties

    • Valérie Guillard, Claire Bourlieu, Nathalie Gontard
    Pages 35-44
  5. Integration of the Various Scales: The Example of Hydrophobic Dense Edible Coatings

    • Valérie Guillard, Claire Bourlieu, Nathalie Gontard
    Pages 45-47
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 49-60

About this book

It's well known that the structural characteristics of food materials influence their mass transfer, especially their water transfer properties during such processes as drying, hydration, and storage. In porous cereal-based products, for example, effective water diffusivity is highly affected by the volume fraction and distribution of both solid and gas phases, while in dense food materials, such as fat-based or other edible coatings, it depends on factors that affect the "tightness" of the molecular structure (e.g., free volume, cohesive energy density, crystallinity). This Brief will review the impact of food structure on moisture transfer. A multi-scale analysis of food structure will include a look at molecular structure (e.g., free volume, crystallinity), nanostructure, microstructure (e.g., porous food), and macrostructure (e.g., bilayer structure). For each structural analysis, a focus on the mathematical modelling of the relationship between structural properties and moisture transfer properties will be performed. ​

Authors and Affiliations

  • UMR 1208 Agropolymers Engineering and Em, Montpellier cedex 5, France

    Valérie Guillard

  • INRA Agrocampus, UMR 1253 Science and Technology of Milk, Rennes, France

    Claire Bourlieu

  • UMR 1208 Agropolymers Engineering and Em, Montpellier, France

    Nathalie Gontard

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access