Food Materials Science

Staff:   Alan King (Coordinator) 
            A. Cuitino,
            R. Ludescher 
            Karen Schaich            

Objective: To develop material selection rules and strategies to understand the origins of, and to control and improve the textural quality and shelf-life as well as processability of cellular foam-like foods such as baked and extruded products, while reducing fat content and increasing fiber content.

Deliverables:

• An understanding of the role of small molecular additives on phase transitions in food polysaccharides including starches and proteins.
• Mechanisms for the formation of covalent complexes between protein and starch during extrusion and baking as models for processing.
• Kinetic models for key complexing reactions as a function of phase behavior in protein/starch matrices.
• An understanding of the role of starch/protein and protein/protein complexing on rheological properties of cereal matrices during baking and extrusion.
• The linkage between the mechanical properties of cellular foam-like products with the microstructure of cellular foods.