Multiscale structure evolution of food during processing: functions and implications

The multiscale structure evolution of food during processing is a multifaceted phenomenon with implications ranging from product functionality and sensory attributes to nutritional outcomes and health impacts. Understanding the intricate changes in food structures at micro, meso, and macroscales is pivotal for product development and understanding better the food-body crosstalk.

This Collection at npj Science of Food explores the diverse functions and implications associated with the transformation of food structures during processing, with a special focus on the cellular structure and nanostructures, and the new technology to navigate us in the complex system of food.

We welcome Original Research Articles and Reviews on the following topics:

• Theoretical advances or innovative processing technologies/conditions for modulating multiscale changes, such as hydration, gelation, and emulsification, and how these determine physico-chemical properties and sensory attributes of food.
• Studies that improve our understanding of how bioprocessing affects the breakdown or alteration of food structures in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract (in vivo processing) or in the microbial fermentation, and technologies that enhance utilization of nutrients and bioactives and optimize health outcomes. 
• Implication of processed foods for health, particularly in relation to issues such as obesity and metabolic disorders, and development of foods that are both palatable and supportive of overall wellbeing with a focus on the link between structural characteristics, digestion kinetics, and physiological responses.
• Advances in processing or detecting technologies enabling precise control over multiscale structures and an ease in scaling up, offering opportunities for innovative product design and production, including but not limited to techniques such as 3D printing, encapsulation, microfluidics, nanotechnology, and AI-assist production.