Characterization of Cereals and Flours

Characterization of Cereals and Flours is a state-of-the-art reference that details the latest advances to characterize the effects of manufacturing processes and storage conditions on the thermal, mechanical, and structural properties of cereal flours and their products - examining the influence of moisture absorption, storage temperature, baking, and extrusion processing on flour and cereal product texture, shelf-life, and quality. The book discusses the influence of additives on pre- and postprocessed food biopolymers; the development of databases and construction of state diagrams to illustrate the state and function of cereal flours before, during, and after production; and the current techniques in image analysis, light and electron microscopy, and NMR spectroscopy used to analyze the microstructure of cereal products. It also discusses the methods used to optimize processing parameters and formulations to produce end-products with desirable sensory and textural properties; the shelf life of cereal products; and the relationships between the sensory and physical characteristics of cereal foods.

Gonul Kaletunc Onio State University, Coloumbus, USA.  Kenneth J. Breslauer Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.

Preface, Contributors, PART I. THERMAL ANALYSIS, 1. Calorimetry of Pre- and Postextruded Cereal Flours, 2. Application of Thermal Analysis to Cookie, Cracker, and Pretzel Manufacturing, 3. Utilization of Thermal Properties for Understanding Baking and Staling Processes, 4. Plasticization Effect of Water on Carbohydrates in Relation to Crystallization, 5. Construction of State Diagrams for Cereal Processing, PART II. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, 6. Powder Characteristics of Preprocessed Cereal Flours, 7. Rheological Properties of Biopolymers and Applications to Cereal Processing, 8. Stress and Breakage in Formed Cereal Products Induced by Drying, Tempering, and Cooling, 9. Textural Characterization of Extruded Materials and Influence of Common Additives, 10. Utilization of Rheological Properties in Product and Process Development, PART III. STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION, 11. Characterization of Macrostructures in Extruded Products, 12. Understanding Microstructural Changes in Biopolymers Using Light and Electron Microscopy, 13. NMR Characterization of Cereal and Cereal Products, 14. Phosphorescence Spectroscopy as a Probe of the Glassy State in Amorphous Solids, 15. Starch Properties and Functionalities, Index