In general, food science consists of three basic levels. One is to obtain healthy and safe food, another is to effectively process and preserve food, and the third is to eat deliciously, comfortably, and conveniently. Considering the powerful and versatile functions of hydrogels, there is no doubt that hydrogels play a pivotal role in food science, such as structuring foods with desired sensorial textures, preserving metastable food structures and extending shelf-life, designing food packaging materials, delivering nutrients, controlling calories and monitoring risks of food safety, etc. Although, the use of hydrogels in food science is still quite limited compared to other fields, such as biomedicine. This status is gradually being improved as the outer edges of "food" become more and more broad, as well as the rapid development of hydrogels brings more and more new technologies and new materials.
Major Applications of Hydrogels in Food Science
Both hydrogels and food science are developing rapidly. Here, the major application of hydrogels in food science will be discussed, including food nutrition and health, food engineering and processing, and food safety[1].
- In food nutrition and health
Encapsulation: Hydrogels are soft and wet materials that can absorb several thousand times their dry weight through three-dimensional network structures, making them an ideal encapsulation system. From the perspective of structure, core-shell-structured hydrogels, emulsion hydrogels, and hydrogel nanoparticles are more suitable as platforms for encapsulation.
Food nutrient delivery systems: The unique property of hydrogels is to absorb and hold large amounts of water or biological fluids, making them a common candidate for the application in food nutrient delivery systems. In addition, the stimuli-responsiveness of hydrogels is particularly useful for the controlled release of food nutrition.
Controlling calories: Hydrogels also play an important role in controlling calories by enhancing satiety or reducing intake, which provides the possibility for the development of reduced-fat or reduced-starch products.
- In food engineering and processing
Food packaging materials: The main function of hydrogels in food packaging is to reduce water activity, inhibit the growth of mold, yeast, and spoilage bacteria on foods such as ready-to-eat meals and hygroscopic products, or reduce the softening of dry and brittle products.
Food texture perception: As soft materials, hydrogels have significant texture properties such as elasticity, hardness, chewiness, fracture, etc. Hydrogels therefore can also be used to improve food texture perception.
Food hygiene treatment: Hydrogels can also be used for sewage treatment of food processing waste liquids, oil-water separation, masking unpleasant flavors, and effective prevention of scaling on heat exchanger surfaces, boilers, and pipes.
In the food safety field, high porosity, high surface area, and reuse possibility make hydrogels an efficient platform for the adsorption or removal of multiple substances, such as food dyes. As biosensors or signal probes, hydrogels have gained widespread attention in detecting hazards or risk factors in food, such as mercury (II) ions (Hg2+) , illicit additives on fruit peels, and rhodamine B.
What Can We Do?
The rapid development of hydrogels has brought many new possibilities to food science. Therefore, it is strongly necessary to design diverse hydrogel structures to meet the multi-dimensional application of hydrogels in food science. At Alfa Chemistry, our professional team is capable of providing hydrogels with a variety of structures and properties for you to help you explore their applications in food science. Whether you have questions or good ideas, please contact us. We will be happy to help you.
Reference
- Li, J.; et al. Hydrogel: diversity of structures and applications in food science. Food Reviews International. 2021, 3(37): 313-372.
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