Using MRI to Study High Pressure Assisted Nutrient Infusion

High pressure assisted infusion of nutrients into food was in situ monitored with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Modification of an off-the-shelf pressure reactor with an MRI detection circuit provided a large enough volume to accommodate food. The model food used here was peeled apple flesh as it is considered as a good mimic for fibrous food. The nuclear spin relaxation properties of the water surrounding the apple flesh were enhanced by adding paramagnetic manganese cations. In this way, MRI relaxation contrast can be used to monitor the location of doped bulk water in and around the apple flesh during pressurization. This work tracked the efficiency of pressure induced nutrient infusion in situ, demonstrating that pressure gating and ramping offer no nutrient mass transport advantage over operation at constant pressure and that the presence of a peel expectedly disrupts solute transport into the fruit. High pressure assisted infusion, with all pressurization strategies shown here, yielded nearly 100-fold faster infusion times than at ambient pressure.