Texture in Food

Volume 1 and 2 summarises the wealth of recent research on what influences texture in semi-solid foods and how it can be controlled to maximise product quality.

Part one of Volume 1 reviews research on the structure of semi-solid foods and its influence on texture, covering emulsion rheology, the behaviour of biopolymers and developments in measurement. Part two considers key aspects of product development and enhancement. It includes chapters on engineering emulsions and gels, and the use of emulsifiers and hydrocolloids. The final part of the book discusses improving the texture of particular products, with chapters on yoghurt, spreads, ice cream, sauces and dressings.

The first part of Volume 2 reviews research on understanding how consumers experience texture when they eat, and how they perceive and describe key textural qualities such as crispness. Part two considers the instrumental techniques used for analysing texture. It includes chapters on force/deformation and sound input techniques, near infrared spectroscopy (NIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The final part examines how the texture of particular foods may be better understood and improved. A number of chapters review ways of controlling the texture of fruits and vegetables, including the role of plant structure and compounds, the handling of raw materials and technologies such as freezing and vacuum infusion. A final group of chapters discuss the texture of cereal foods, including bread, rice, pasta and fried food.