New development in low-field NMR for the characterisation of food microstructure

Fats are present in most food products and they have a significant importance for fat-containing products such as chocolate and butter. The physical properties of fats depend on the polymorphic behaviour and inter-solubility of their major triacylglycerol components and the phase behaviour of these mixtures is of paramount importance for the food industry. Indeed, fat structures formed by their crystals determine the functional properties of fat-containing products such as their texture, plasticity and morphology. DSC and XRD are the two techniques generally used to characterise fats. Crystal size is another important parameter for determining the physical properties of fats because it affects the rheological properties and consequently modifies taste, graininess and texture.