Rheological analysis of food materials

Rheology is the scientific study of deformation and flow under the influence of stress on materials, including food. The measurement of rheological properties is very important to monitor the quality and to design and evaluate process parameters. However, the rheology of complex, nonhomogenous, and diverse materials like food is always critical and requires better skills and expertise. To ease the understanding of rheology, this chapter covers the rheology with instrument selection for a wide range of food classes (liquid, semisolid, powder, and solid). Moreover, important factors like microstructure, composition, concentration, and particle size, which influence the flow and deformation, are also covered. Furthermore, advancements in rheological measurement techniques like tribology, in-line, and on-line measurement are discussed in the final segments.