The molecular building blocks of food: From invisible atoms to irresistible textures
Keywords:
Emergent properties, soft matter, food microstructureAbstract
Emergent properties describe how the characteristics of a material arise from the organization and collective behavior of its simplest elements. Foods are complex systems structured at the nanoscale, whose physical, sensory, and even nutritional properties are determined by the molecular interactions among their components. Understanding the concept of emergence as it applies to foods will help us move from empirical formulation toward a rational design of functional foods and food alternatives for the 21st century.
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