Studies on Glassy State of Food Materials

Abstract

Most food materials turn into glassy state when they are dried or frozen. The characteristics of glassy state and it's transition behavior affect on significant physical properties and chemical stability of food. Our knowledge for the glassy food system, however, is too little to predict or control the properties. Among characteristics for glassy materials, glass transition temperature, the enthalpy relaxation are dominant parameters to describe glassy properties. In this article, such glass transition temperature and enthalpy relaxation for actual several food materials were reported. Particularly, new theoretical approach for enthalpy relaxation process and the reaction in glassy food system were discussed. Furthermore, ball milling for starch as an alternative method for preparing glassy state, and glass transition behavior in frozen food materials below subzero temperature were introduced. © 2007, Japan Society for Food Engineering. All rights reserved.