Food Microstructure Research Articles

Pizza3: A general simulation framework to simulate food-mechanical and food-deconstruction problems

Current mesh-based simulation approaches face significant challenges in continuously modeling the mechanical behaviors of foods through processing, storage, deconstruction, and digestion. This is primarily due to the limitations of continuum mechanics in dealing with systems characterized by free boundaries, substantial deformations, mechanical failures, and non–homogenized mechanical properties. The dynamic nature of food microstructure and the transformation of the food bolus, in relation to its composition, present formidable obstacles in computer-aided food design. In response, the Pizza3 project adopts an innovative methodology, utilizing an explicit microstructural representation to construct and subsequently deconstruct food products in a modular, Lego-like fashion. Central to this simulation approach are “food atoms”, conceptualized from the principles of smoothed particle hydrodynamics. These units are significantly larger than actual atoms but are finely scaled to represent both solid and liquid states of food faithfully. In solid phases, food atoms interact via pairwise forces akin to bond-peridynamic methods, thus extending the capabilities of continuum mechanics to encompass large deformations and fracturing phenomena. For liquids, the model employs artificial conservative and dissipative forces, enabling the simulation of a variety of phenomena within the framework of partial compressibility. The interaction dynamics between rigid and soft objects and fluids are accurately captured through Hertzian contact mechanics, offering a versatile parameterization applicable to impermeable (but possibly penetrable) surfaces and enforcing no-slip conditions. The efficacy of this framework is showcased through the successful modeling of three time-dependent 3D scenarios, each rigorously validated against established analytical and experimental models. Advancing beyond these initial applications, the framework is further extended to more intricate cases inadequately addressed in current literature. This extension sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of in-mouth texture perception, offering new insights and tools for food engineering and design.

Drying kinetic, thermodynamic and quality analyses of infrared drying of truffle slices.

Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters are the most important part for making a suitable tool for drying agricultural products. Moreover, calculation of the energy required for the drying of product, the properties of the rehydration ratio, the food appearance changes, and the evaluation of the microstructure of food are crucial. Since the thermodynamic properties of truffle slices have not yet been reported, this study aims to establish a mathematical model to describe drying process of agriculture product, evaluate the effective moisture diffusion coefficient (Deff), determining the activation energy (Ea) to elucidate the thermodynamic characteristics, measure color characteristics, and rehydration ratio (RR) during the drying process of truffle slices. Truffle slices were dried in an infrared (IR) dryer at four temperatures of 50-80°C and two thicknesses of 0.5 and 1cm. The best model to describe the drying process of truffle slices was Midilli etal.'s model. The value of Deff, SEC, and RR were in the range of 3.06 × 10-8 to 2.48 × 10-7 m2/s, 79.68-191.271kWh/kg, and 5.99-7.49, respectively. The Deff of truffle slices increased with the above-mentioned parameters of the samples. The Ea obtained was 26.62-27.43kJ/mol. The results indicated that enthalpy and entropy decreased with increasing drying temperature, while Gibbs free energy improved. The enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy values changed between 24.48-25.28kJ/mol, -130.47 to -122.63 J/mol °K, and 63.97-70.17kJ/mol, respectively. In addition, the results of color attributes decreased with increasing temperature, while chroma oppositely increased.

Food structure revisited

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.

Observation and Measurement of Ice Morphology in Foods: A Review.

Freezing is an effective technology with which to maintain food quality. However, the formation of ice crystals during this process can cause damage to the cellular structure, leading to food deterioration. A good understanding of the relationship between food microstructure and ice morphology, as well as the ability to effectively measure and control ice crystals, is very useful to achieve high-quality frozen foods. Hence, a brief discussion is presented on the fundamentals/principles of optical microscopic techniques (light microscopy), electronic microscopic techniques (transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)), as well as other non-invasive techniques (X-rays, spectroscopy, and magnetic resonance) and their application to measuring ice formation rates and characterizing ice crystals, providing insight into the freezing mechanisms as well as direct monitoring of the entire process. And, in addition, this review compares (the negative and positive aspects of) the use of simple and cheap but destructive technologies (optical microscopy) with detailed microscopic technologies at the micro/nanometer scale but with pretreatments that alter the original sample (SEM and TEM), and non-destructive technologies that do not require sample preparation but which have high acquisition and operational costs. Also included are images and examples which demonstrate how useful an analysis using these techniques can be.

Food nanostructuring of paprika capsules obtained by coacervation for improving carotenoid storage stability

In this study, paprika carotenoids were encapsulated by coacervation with a nanostructured material (NE) prepared with alginate/zeolite and another non-nanostructured (AA) made only with alginate to study the effect of nanocavities in the microstructure on the energy interactions of adsorbed water and the chemical stability of carotenoids. Capsules were characterized through fractal analysis of image, water sorption isotherms, water melting point, thermodynamic properties, and chemical stability during storage. Surface fractal dimensions were between 2.75 and 2.8 for NE and were larger than those obtained for AA, which were between 2.57 and 2.7. NE capsules showed the endothermic fusion peak at −4.42 °C, while AA capsules around 0.97 °C. Adsorbed water enthalpies calculated from adsorption isotherms of the capsules showed the maximum stability of total carotenoids at the crossing of the integral and differential enthalpy intercross (aw = 0.121 for AA and 0.443 for NE) and at the water adsorption at Langmuir-type primary sites. NE capsules improved carotenoid retention two-fold compared to AA after 63 days of storage. These results confirmed that controlling the nanoporous at the food microstructure improved the chemical stability of carotenoids during storage.

Hemp protein hydrolysates’ ability to inhibit ice recrystallization is influenced by the dispersing medium and succinylation

Freezing damage to foods can occur due to the formation of large ice crystals in the microstructure of foods, leading to unfavorable changes in the quality. The objective of this study was to determine the ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity of hemp protein isolate (HPI) as affected by enzymatic hydrolysis and modification by succinylation. The IRI activity was evaluated using splat assay in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and 10 mM NaCl. Enzymatic hydrolysis did not result in the production of IRI active hydrolysates when evaluated in PBS. Succinylation at 0.25:1 molar ratio of bromelain and trypsin hydrolysates resulted in the most IRI active hemp protein hydrolysates in PBS, having a 49% and 46% increase in IRI activity. When evaluated at 10 mM NaCl, both unmodified and modified HPI hydrolysates are IRI active. The unmodified hydrolysates were all significantly more IRI active in 10 mM NaCl, the hydrolysate produced by bromelain hydrolysis for 60 min had increased activity by 42% in the medium compared to PBS. Our results show that the ability of HPI hydrolysates to inhibit growth of ice crystal is influenced by the dispersing medium used during splat assay and succinylation.

Rapid Isolation of Low-Level Carbapenem-Resistant E. coli from Water and Foods Using Glycan-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are one of the major global issues needing attention. Among them, carbapenemase-producing (CP) E. coli strains are commonly found in clinical and biological samples. Rapid and cost-effective detection of such strains is critical in minimizing their deleterious impact. While promising progress is being made in rapid detection platforms, separation and enrichment of bacteria are required to ensure the detection of low bacterial counts. The current separation methods, such as centrifugation, filtration, electrophoresis, and immunomagnetic separation, are often tedious, expensive, or ineffective for clinical and biological samples. Further, the extraction and concentration of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) are not well documented. Thus, this study assessed the applicability of cost-effective glycan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (gMNPs) for simple and rapid extraction of CP E. coli. The study included two resistant (R)strains: Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing E. coli (R: KPC) and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing E. coli (R: NDM). A susceptible E. coli (S) strain was used as a control, a reference bacterium. The gMNPs successfully extracted and concentrated E. coli (R) and E. coli (S) at low concentrations from large volumes of buffer solution, water, and food samples. The gMNPs concentrated up to two and five times their initial concentration for E. coli (R) and E. coli (S) in the buffer solution, respectively. In water and food samples, the concentration of E. coli (S) and E. coli (R) were similar and ranged 1-3 times their initial inoculation. A variation in the concentration from different food samples was seen, displaying the impact of food microstructure and natural microflora. The cost-effective and rapid bacterial cell capture by gMNPs was achieved in 15 min, and its successful binding to the bacterial cells in the buffer solution and food matrices was also confirmed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). These results show promising applications of gMNPs to extract pathogens and ARB from biological samples.

Electrospinning is a potential way for preparing edible plant protein-based nanofibers with porous surface using safflower seed meal

Food microstructure design has become an important research area in artificial food manufacturing. The fibrous structure is one of the most critical elements since it is the fundamental building blocks constructing the structure of several important food matrices. However, at present, edible fibers at nanoscale are seldomly successfully manufactured due to technical difficulties when only food-grade materials are allowed to be used. In the current study, edible nanofiber consisting of a single component of safflower seed meal protein (SMP) was prepared based on a three-step protocol consisting of electrostatic spinning, protein-cinnamaldehyde cross-linking, and subsequent immersion in the citric acid buffer to remove none-protein components. Addition of pullulan (PUL) to SMP during electrospinning facilitated fibrous structure formation. Results of SEM demonstrated that SMP: PUL = 5:5 with combined ratio 20% (w/v) in water is the upper limit to obtain well-structured composite nanofiber with no addition of Tween 80. In the second step, protein-cinnamaldehyde cross-linking was implemented to stabilize the structure of SMP. In the last step, citric acid buffer with pH4.6 was used to remove pullulan residues and thereafter nanofibers with porous surfaces composed of only SMP were successfully obtained. Our results showed that SMP single-component nanofibers had high thermal stability and good water-holding capacity, and thus suggesting that electrospinning can be a potentially innovative strategy to manufacture food fibrous microstructures especially at nanoscale.

Advances in large amplitude oscillatory shear Rheology of food materials

Molecular interactions determine the microstructure of food, as well as its response to deformation and flow. In order to design efficient processing equipment, to produce high-quality, stable end products, to predict textural and sensory properties, and to ensure consumer acceptance, the characterization of food rheology is essential. Deformations are rapid and large during the processing of foods and during consumption. In food studies, large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) has become increasingly popular due to its ability to mimic real-life processes. When food is subjected to dynamic oscillatory shear tests, a sinusoidal deformation is applied, the mechanical stress (or strain) is probed, and the response is recorded. This chapter summarize main methods to extract meaningful rheological parameters from complex LAOS response of selected food materials. A time-resolved nonlinear rheology method, sequence of physical processes (SPP), gave detailed interpretations of transient microstructures, whereas the Fourier Transform coupled with Chebyshev decomposition (FTC) method provide static measurements at specific strains. LAOS behavior and its relationship to food microstructures and texture still needed to be studied in depth. By constructing more accurate mechanical models of complex food systems, the fundamental knowledge can be applied to evaluate the nonlinear rheology of food for consumer acceptance and efficient processing.

Preface

Proceeding THE 4th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FOOD SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (ICFSE) 2022 11-12 October 2022, Surakarta, Indonesia ICFSE is a biannual conference held by the Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sebelas Maret since 2016. This event is in collaboration with partner universities and/or organizations around the world. This conference covers the field of Food Science and Engineering. It aims to drive collaboration between scholars, practitioners, private sectors, and policy makers within the field. The conference is mainly supported by the Department of Food Science and Technology, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia.This proceeding contains the papers presented in the 4th ICFSE organized in 2022. The papers involve sessions on physical modification of foods, food chemistry and analysis, instrumental techniques for food analysis, food microstructure development and characterization, food properties including thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties, rapid detection of food contamination, macronutrient, micronutrient, and functional properties, chemistry of food additives and preservatives, food processing and engineering, food packaging, sustainable food production, food waste utilization, mathematical modeling and software development for food processing purposes, application of artificial intelligence in food engineering, food supply chain management system and food nutrigenomics for health.We would like to thank all the participants attending this conference and also the committees for their contributions to this conference and its overall success. We would also like to thank the reviewers for their positive contribution to maintaining the quality of the articles presented in this proceeding.List of General Chair, Vice Chair, Organizer, Advisory Boards, Scientific Committees, Organizing Committees are available in this pdf.

Global nutritional challenges of reformulated food: A review.

Food reformulation, the process of redesigning processed food products to make them healthier, is considered a crucial step in the fight against noncommunicable diseases. The reasons for reformulating food vary, with a common focus on reducing the levels of harmful substances, such as fats, sugars, and salts. Although this topic is broad, this review aims to shed light on the current challenges faced in the reformulation of food and to explore different approaches that can be taken to overcome these challenges. The review highlights the perception of consumer risk, the reasons for reformulating food, and the challenges involved. The review also emphasizes the importance of fortifying artisanal food processing and modifying microbial fermentation in order to meet the nutrient requirements of people in developing countries. The literature suggests that while the traditional reductionist approach remains relevant and yields quicker results, the food matrix approach, which involves engineering food microstructure, is a more complex process that may take longer to implement in developing economies. The findings of the review indicate that food reformulation policies are more likely to succeed if the private sector collaborates with or responds to the government regulatory process, and further research is conducted to establish newly developed reformulation concepts from different countries. In conclusion, food reformulation holds great promise in reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases and improving the health of people around the world.

Fibrous food and particle size influence electromyography and the kinematics of oral processing

Structure-sensory relationships are essential for understanding food perception. Food microstructure impacts how a food is comminuted and processed by the human masticatory system. This study investigated the impact of anisotropic structures, explicitly the structure of meat fibers, on the dynamic process of mastication. For a general understanding of texture-structure relationships, the three typically used deformation-tests: Kramer shear cell-, Guillotine cutting- and texture-profile-analyses were conducted. 3D jaw movements and muscle activities of the masseter muscle were additionally tracked and visualized using a mathematical model. Particle size had a significant effect on jaw movements and muscle activities for both the homogeneous (isotropic) and fibrous (anisotropic) meat-based samples with the same composition. Mastication was described using jaw movement and muscle activity parameters determined for each individual chew. The adjusted effect of fiber length was extracted from the data, suggesting that longer fibers induce a more strenuous chewing in which the jaw undergoes faster and wider movements requiring more muscle activity. To the authors’ knowledge, this paper presents a novel data analysis approach for identifying oral processing behavior differences. This is an advancement on previous studies because a holistic overview of the entire mastication process can be visualized.

In vitro protein digestibility of different soy-based products: effects of microstructure, physico-chemical properties and protein aggregation.

This study investigates the effects of protein structure and food microstructure on the in vitro protein gastrointestinal digestibility of different soy-based products, such as soy drink, reconstituted soy drink powder, firm tofu, and yuba. The results of the chemical cross-linking analysis showed that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were the main forces driving protein aggregation in (reconstituted) soy drink powder and firm tofu, whereas disulphide bonds were significantly more important for soy drink and yuba. The β-sheet content of soy drink (36.5%) was lower than that of yuba (43.3%), but significantly higher than those of soy drink powder (23.2%) and firm tofu (29.8%). The in vitro protein digestibility decreased in the order of firm tofu > reconstituted soy drink powder > yuba > soy drink. Principal component analysis showed that protein gastrointestinal digestibility was positively correlated with the surface SH content and soluble protein content released by SDS + urea (SB-SA) but negatively correlated with the disulphide bonds and β-sheet content for the four soybean products.

Porosity determination of Vienna sausages through digital images analysis.

This research aimed to determine the porosity and particle size distribution in canned Vienna-type sausages using digital image analysis (DIA) on photographs captured with a digital camera and applying a Monte Carlo simulation. The methodology determined morphometric parameters (area and Feret diameter) by DIA of transverse and longitudinal sections of canned sausages. Those images were previously contrast enhanced, color threshold adjusted, and binarized. Subsequently, the estimation of the pore volume was carried out from the inverse Gaussian distributions of Feret diameter and area, as well as the porosity, using Monte Carlo simulation. The pores had an average Feret diameter of 0.335 mm and an average area of 0.085 mm2 . The highest estimated bivariate kernel density was presented for the smallest pores (around 0.02 mm2 in area and 0.25 mm in diameter). Simulation average values of pore volume, assumed as a cylinder, and porosity were 1.455 mm3 and 0.737 respectively. The average porosity value was consistent with the value experimentally estimated by the indirect method, in concordance with the definition of porosity, which was 0.715, presenting a mean relative percentage error of 3.08% concerning the estimated experimental value as well. This research presents interesting perspectives for the quantitative analysis of the microstructure of food and biological materials through a novel, low-cost, reliable, and fast proposal. Moreover, this is the first study to report the porosity determination in canned sausages by DIA. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Protein digestion and absorption: the influence of food processing.

The rates of dietary protein digestion and absorption can be significantly increased or decreased by food processing treatments such as heating, gelling and enzymatic hydrolysis, with subsequent metabolic impacts, e.g. on muscle synthesis and glucose homeostasis.This review examines in vivo evidence that industrial and domestic food processing modify the kinetics of amino acid release and absorption following a protein-rich meal. It focuses on studies that used compositionally-matched test meals processed in different ways.Food processing at extremely high temperature at alkaline pH and/or in the presence of reducing sugars can modify amino acid sidechains, leading to loss of bioavailability. Some protein-rich food ingredients are deliberately aggregated, gelled or hydrolysed during manufacture. Hydrolysis accelerates protein digestion/absorption and increases splanchnic utilisation. Aggregation and gelation may slow or accelerate proteolysis in the gut, depending on the aggregate/gel microstructure.Milk, beef and eggs are heat processed prior to consumption to eliminate pathogens and improve palatability. The temperature and time of heating affect protein digestion and absorption rates, and effects are sometimes non-linear. In light of a dietary transition away from animal proteins, more research is needed on how food processing affects digestion and absorption of non-animal proteins.Food processing modifies the microstructure of protein-rich foods, and thereby alters protein digestion and absorption kinetics in the stomach and small intestine. Exploiting this principle to optimise metabolic outcomes requires more human clinical trials in which amino acid absorption rates are measured and food microstructure is explicitly considered, measured and manipulated.

Quantitative image analysis of protein foam microstructure and its correlation with rheological properties: Egg white foam

Recent advances in software development and machine learning algorithms are revolutionizing the way microstructures are analyzed and quantified in fields like biology and neuroscience. With this, comes an upsurge in the opportunities to apply these tools to study food microstructure to gain a deeper understanding of food structure-function relationships. This article shows how a recently developed deep-learning cellular segmentation algorithm, ‘ Cellpose ’ can be used to identify foam microstructure for further quantification. It successfully identified the air bubbles in a protein foam matrix, from microscopic images captured on a simple brightfield microscope. The segmentation algorithm allowed further quantification of microstructural parameters of the air phase (bubbles) and of the liquid phase (lamella) of the foams. Egg white foams were made with basic ingredients for meringue and the effect of sugar concentration and acidic conditions were studied. Microstructural parameters were analyzed in relation to the rheological responses of the foams. The underlying microstructural mechanisms governing the changes in the foams' stiffness and linearity of the viscoelastic response are shown. Sugar changes bubble size distribution by thickening liquid egg white, it also shortened the linear response to deformation due to its decreasing lamella thickness. Acidity re-shaped the bubbles into more ‘hexagon-like’ structures allowing more air to be incorporated in the foams. The shape of the bubbles under acidic conditions also makes the foams extend their linear response to deformation. The understanding achieved with data from the algorithm-identified microstructures presents a new way to characterize and study food foams. • Microscopy images of egg white foam were captured using a simple brightfield microscope. • The air and liquid phases were successfully distinguished by the Cellpose algorithm. • Quantitative microstructural parameters of both phases were obtained in subsequent image analyses. • Sugar decreases bubble size while acidity re-shapes bubbles into a hexagon-like shape. • Sugar and acid microstructural mechanisms alter the linear viscoelastic response of the foams. • Obtaining microstructural paraments leads to new insights into the study of foams.

Genetic, physiological, and cellular heterogeneities of bacterial pathogens in food matrices: Consequences for food safety.

In complex food systems, bacteria live in heterogeneous microstructures, and the population displays phenotypic heterogeneities at the single-cell level. This review provides an overview of spatiotemporal drivers of phenotypic heterogeneity of bacterial pathogens in food matrices at three levels. The first level is the genotypic heterogeneity due to the possibility for various strains of a given species to contaminate food, each of them having specific genetic features. Then, physiological heterogeneities are induced within the same strain, due to specific microenvironments and heterogeneous adaptative responses to the food microstructure. The third level of phenotypic heterogeneity is related to cellular heterogeneity of the same strain in a specific microenvironment. Finally, we consider how these phenotypic heterogeneities at the single-cell level could be implemented in mathematical models to predict bacterial behavior and help ensure microbiological food safety.

Flavor release and stability comparison between nano and conventional emulsion as influenced by saliva

Flavour release and emulsion stability depend on volatile organic compounds' environmental conditions, food microstructure, and physicochemical properties. The effect of pH (3.5 vs 7.0) and saliva addition on stability and flavour release from nano and conventional emulsions was investigated using particle size, charge and Lumisizer measurments. Larger particle sizes were observed at lower pressures and in saliva-containing emulsions. At 1700 bar, nano-emulsions (below 150 nm) were created at pH 3.5 and 7.0 including saliva-containing emulsions. As was clear from the creaming velocity measurements, saliva addition decreased the emulsion stability by reducing particle charges and increased viscosity by more than 50%, especially when prepared at pH 3.5 closer to the isoelectric point of the used emulsifier β-lactoglobulin (pH 5.2). (5.2). Flavour release from emulsions was measured at equilibrium using a phase ratio variation to determine partition coefficients and dynamically using an electronic nose. Partition coefficients of the flavour compounds for most conditions were two to four times lower in emulsions prepared at pH 7.0 than at pH 3.5 and in emulsions without saliva. Emulsions prepared with higher pressures showed stronger flavor release rates, while additional salvia dropped the release rate for ethyl acetate at pH 3.5. The physicochemical properties of flavour compounds, saliva addition and pH of emulsions influenced flavour release more than homogenization pressures. The potential in using nano-emulsions in food applications an be attributed higher stability and enhanced flavor release.

Ozone-Microbubble-Washing with Domestic Equipment: Effects on the Microstructure, and Lipid and Protein Oxidation of Muscle Foods.

This study aimed to compare ozone-microbubble-washing (OM) performed by domestic equipment with conventional water-washing (CW) regarding resultant quality attributes of muscle foods. For this purpose, muscle microstructure and lipid and protein oxidation were evaluated in pork and fish samples after OM and CW treatments. The assessment of muscle microstructure showed that OM treatment did not damage the microstructure of muscle fibers in both pork and fish samples. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were not detected in both treatment groups, and they were substantially below the generally acceptable threshold (1 mg MDA/kg). The methylglyoxal (MGO) level of OM-treated fish samples was significantly higher than that of CW-treated fish samples. However, glyoxal (GO) and MGO levels of OM-treated pork samples were significantly lower than that of CW-treated pork samples. Similar types and sites of oxidative modification and similar numbers of modified peptides, as well as no significant difference in the concentration of total and most of the free amino acids (FAA) between treatment groups, indicated that OM treatment did not accelerate protein oxidation.

Monitoring of moisture contents and rehydration rates of microwave vacuum and hot air dehydrated beef slices and splits using hyperspectral imaging

Effects of food microstructure and processing methods on moisture migration in food during processing are important for improving product quality. This study evaluated the effects of fibre directions and dehydration methods on beef dehydration and rehydration behaviours using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging. Beef slices (transversal cut) and splits (longitudinal cut) were dehydrated by hot air drying (HAD) and microwave vacuum drying (MVD). Results indicated the moisture in the slices evaporated faster than that in the splits during HAD and MVD processed samples exhibited higher rehydration rates than HAD ones. Principal component analysis showed great performance in clustering samples based on fibre directions, processing methods and time. The established simplified RC-SG-PLSR and RC-2nd Der-PLSR models possessed good prediction accuracies for moisture (R2p = 0.994) and rehydration rate (R2p = 0.889), respectively. Chemical distribution maps also confirmed the influence of fibre directions and dehydration methods on moisture migration in samples.