Applications of X-ray micro-computed tomography and small-angle X-ray scattering techniques in food systems: A concise review

Abstract

X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray μ-CT) is a non-destructive method that allows visualization of the internal microstructures of materials through the creation of 3D volumetric data in different spatial scales. It has been successfully applied in the field of food science to study the internal microstructures of different food materials, e.g., bread and pastry products, different seeds, and frozen food products among others. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is also a powerful non-destructive method used for the micro or nano-structural analysis of dry or partly-hydrated materials, gels, and solutions. It is used to study the particle size and its distribution, shape, molecular orientation and structure of a material. This review reports the applications of X-ray μ-CT and SAXS techniques in food systems and their prospects in the field of food science. Some of the limitations of these techniques are cost and time constraints, image artifacts, and inaccessibility of synchrotron facilities for high-resolution research applications which are also discussed. • X-ray micro-tomography is used to visualize the internal microstructures of food materials. • Small-angle X-ray scattering is used to analyze the structures of food materials. • X-rays generated from synchrotron facilities are more suitable for fast dynamic studies due to the fast measurements possible. • Baked goods, frozen foods, grains and meat products have been studied using X-ray imaging systems. • X-ray imaging methods are excellent tools to understand the structure and compositions of food materials.