Characterizing the Internal Structure of Chinese Steamed Bread during Storage for Quality Evaluation Using X-ray...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Imaging Technology

Background:

• Chinese steamed bread (CSB) is a staple food requiring effective quality preservation during storage for industrial production.
• Understanding the microstructural changes that affect CSB quality is crucial for developing better storage strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the storage characteristics and quality changes of CSB using non-destructive CT technology.
• To correlate microstructural parameters obtained from CT imaging with traditional physicochemical quality indexes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized non-destructive computed tomography (CT) to obtain 2D and 3D images of CSB microstructure.
• Applied image processing techniques to extract morphological parameters from CT images.
• Analyzed physicochemical indexes including hardness, flexibility, and moisture content.
• Performed correlation analysis between microstructural parameters and physicochemical indexes.

Main Results:

• 3D morphological parameters showed a strong negative correlation with moisture content (Pearson r: -0.86 to -0.97).
• 3D morphological parameters demonstrated a strong positive correlation with hardness (Pearson r: -0.87 to 0.99).
• CT technology effectively visualized microstructural changes related to CSB quality degradation during storage.

Conclusions:

• CT imaging is a powerful tool for characterizing CSB microstructure and evaluating storage quality non-destructively.
• The correlation between microstructural parameters and physicochemical indexes validates CT as a potential analytical method for industrial CSB quality control.
• This study provides insights into the mechanisms of CSB quality changes during storage, aiding in the development of preservation techniques.