Multiscale Structural Insight into Dairy Products and Plant-Based Alternatives by Scattering and Imaging Techniques

Area of Science:

• Food science and materials science
• Utilizing scattering techniques and microscopy for structural analysis

Background:

• Dairy products and plant-based alternatives exhibit diverse structures across multiple length scales.
• Proteins and lipids form complex interfaces and networks crucial to product texture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the nanometer- to micrometer-scale structures of dairy and plant-based food systems.
• To compare the structural features of various dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt) and plant-based alternatives.
• To provide a foundation for enhancing the sensory properties of plant-based alternatives.

Main Methods:

• Employing neutron and X-ray scattering techniques for nanoscale insights.
• Utilizing environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) for microscopic structural analysis.
• Combining scattering and microscopy to comprehensively understand emulsion and gel systems.

Main Results:

• Identified key structures in dairy: milk fat globules, casein micelles, CCP nanoclusters, and milk fat crystals.
• Observed milk fat crystals with increasing dry matter; casein micelles were absent in cheese due to gel networks.
• Detected fat crystals, starch structures, and potential protein structures in inhomogeneous plant-based alternatives.

Conclusions:

• Structural characterization provides a basis for improved understanding of dairy and plant-based products.
• Findings can guide the enhancement of plant-based alternatives for better texture and mouthfeel.
• Detailed structural analysis is key to optimizing food product development.