3D imaging of cereal food products using X-ray microtomography

Introduction. Knowledge of the microstructure of cereal food products and its relation to product properties is necessary to develop new and better products. Consumers need high quality food products with a superior taste, texture, freshness and shelf life, that are ready-to-eat or quick and easy to prepare. An important segment of the food innovation comprises cereal products such as bread, snacks and (pre-processed) staple foods. The microstructure influences the moisture migration within these products and therefore properties as the cooking time of a rice kernel or the crispiness of biscuits. This paper describes a study that uses X-ray microtomography (μCT) for the characterisation and visualisation of the 3D microstructure of rice and crackers with different porosity, coated muesli and corn flakes. 3D image analysis methods were developed to obtain quantitative information about the cellular matrix. This information was used to develop mathematical models for simulation of the moisture transport within the product. The final models were validated using MRI. Modelling and MRI imaging have been reported in separate papers.