Incorporating food microstructure and material characteristics for developing multiscale saturated and unsaturated transport models

This communication discusses hybrid mixture theory and how it could be utilized for food science applications by presenting examples on drying, frying and expansion of biopolymers. Hybrid mixture theory, which has a continuum mechanics basis can be used to merge the quality changes in food biopolymers with processes such as transport of heat, water, vapors, oil, etc. in food systems. Once a developed model has been validated, obtaining the solution via numerical simulations yields a large amount of data on transport of fluids, heat, species, etc. in the food matrix and food's rheological and microstructural characteristics. Hybrid mixture theory and some other continuum mechanics based theories have advanced to a stage that they can be used to describe the fate of multiphases and multiconstituents in complex foods undergoing phase and state transitions during processing. The developed modeling equations also help to serve as a guide for designing parameter estimation experiments, and solution of the model helps to fill gaps in experimental knowledge on underlying physical mechanisms. The solution of developed model provides information on optimum processing conditions needed to improve the quality of food products and efficiency of processes.