X-ray diffraction and its emerging applications in the food industry

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Food Science

Background:

• X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a versatile analytical technique for identifying crystal structure, phase composition, and material orientation.
• The application of XRD in food science is expanding beyond traditional uses, offering insights into food quality and safety.
• Conventional food testing methods often involve chemicals, lengthy sample preparation, and extended analysis times.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a structured overview of the fundamental principles and instrumentation of X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• To comprehensively review the explored applications of XRD in the food industry, focusing on quality and safety.
• To highlight recent advancements and future prospects of XRD in food analysis.

Main Methods:

• Review of fundamental principles of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and its instrumentation.
• Systematic survey of published research on XRD applications in food quality and safety.
• Analysis of recent studies on nonconventional XRD applications in food.

Main Results:

• XRD provides valuable information from diffractogram patterns and Bragg's peaks for food applications.
• XRD enables qualitative and quantitative phase identification, polymorphism analysis, and crystal structure determination in foods.
• Emerging applications include assessing 3D food printability, ice crystal formation, and detecting food adulterants.

Conclusions:

• X-ray diffraction (XRD) presents a rapid, robust, and sensitive non-destructive approach for food quality evaluation.
• XRD analysis can complement or potentially replace conventional food testing methods, reducing chemical usage and analysis time.
• The technique shows significant potential for both established and novel applications in ensuring food safety and quality.