Food structure revisited

Abstract

BackgroundWe eat tasty and nutritious foods produced by nature and transformed through processing including cooking. Their unique microstructures started to be unveiled by food scientists in the mid-twentieth century and their relationship with sensory properties, nutritional and health benefits is of recent occurrence. Scope and approachThis article describes how the study of food structure evolved from plain curiosity (microscopy) to become a major field of research in food science, nutrition and health. Up-to-date articles and books on food microstructure are reviewed. Key findings and conclusionsFood structure research has evolved into the concept of the food matrix that studies the functional behavior of chemical components confined in discrete domains. Today, knowledge of food structures and food matrices is key to understanding the effects of foods on nutrition and health, the efficacy of digestion and bioavailability of nutrients, the impact of a healthy microbiome, the design of novel foods for personalized needs, and the development of sustainable plant-based products. Future developments in food structuring and design will require moving from a multidisciplinary effort (food science and nutrition) to a transdisciplinary approach that effectively integrates advances in related disciplines spanning environmental sciences to health sciences.