Food Structure Characterisation Using Small-angle Scattering Methods

Small-angle scattering reveals structure on the one- to several hundred-nanometre-length scale, a size range of critical importance in food materials. We briefly describe the technique, highlighting its complementarity to more conventional characterisation methods and explain the advantages of performing experiments with both X-ray and neutron sources. We proceed to highlight a number of selected studies that have examined structure across a diverse range of food systems including polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, complexes, whole foods, encapsulation, and food packaging. We conclude with an outlook for future opportunities for its application.