Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » East Lansing, Michigan » Sugarbeet and Bean Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #322019
Research Project: Nondestructive Quality Assessment and Grading of Fruits and Vegetables

Location: Sugarbeet and Bean Research

Title: Dynamic light scattering for measuring microstructure and rheological properties of food

Author
item MENDOZA, FERNANDO - Michigan State University
item Lu, Renfu

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/25/2015
Publication Date: 5/1/2016
Citation: Mendoza, F., Lu, R. 2016. Dynamic light scattering for measuring microstructure and rheological properties of food. In: Lu, R., editor. Light Scattering Technology for Food Property, Quality and Safety Assessment. Abingdon, United Kingdom: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. p. 331-360.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In recent years there has been significant interest in the determination of microstructural and rheological properties of viscoelastic food materials and their formulations. This is because the arrangement (architecture) of the micro­ and nano­components, size distribution, and rheological (mechanical) properties of the food matrix strongly influences the final stability, texture, sensory perception, and ultimately consumer acceptance of fluid foods. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), also called photon correlation spectroscopy or quasi-elastic light scattering, is an optical technique that measures the scattering due to light-particle interaction as a function of time, and has been traditionally used to determine particle size and size distribution in various soft materials including dilute solutions of food macromolecules from a single correlation curve. Today, DLS is being extended to study the dynamical process in simple and complex turbid samples based on a diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) scheme for determining the mean square displacement of particles in viscoelastic food materials, and for characterizing their microstructure and microrheological properties. This chapter reviews the theoretical background and applications of DLS methods for particle characterization and measurement of structural and rheological properties in foods. Recent developments in DLS techniques, including three-dimensional cross-correlation spectroscopy, diffusing wave spectroscopy and DLS or DWS based microrheology, instrumentation and data analysis, are described and discussed.