RHEOLOGY OF FOOD

• Rheology (from Greek rhéō, "flow" and logia, "study of") is the

study of the flow of matter, primarily in a liquid state, but
also as 'soft solids' or solids under conditions in which they
respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in
response to an applied force.
•  It applies to substances which have a complex
microstructure, such as muds, sludges,suspensions,
 polymers and other glass formers (e.g., silicates), as well as
many foods and additives, bodily fluids (e.g., blood) and
other biological materials or other materials which belong to
the class of soft matter.
• One of the major tasks of rheology is to empirically
establish the relationships between deformations (or
rates of deformation) and stresses, by adequate
measurements, although a number of theoretical
developments (such as assuring frame invariants) are
also required before using the empirical data. These
experimental techniques are known as rheometry and
are concerned with the determination with well-
defined rheological material functions.
• Food Rheology:
• is the study of the rheological properties of food, that is, the
consistency and flow of food under tightly specified
conditions.[1]The consistency, degree of fluidity, and other
mechanical properties are important in understanding how
long food can be stored, how stable it will remain, and in
determining food texture. The acceptability of food
products to the consumer is often determined by food
texture, such as how spreadable and creamy a food
product is. Food rheology is important in quality
control during food manufacture and processing.[2]Food
rheology terms have been noted since ancient times. As
food rheology depends mainly on following
• Thickeners: Thickeners are substances which, when added
to the mixture, increase its viscosity without substantially
modifying its other properties.
• EX; Flour is often used for thickening gravies.
•  
• Stabilizers: Stabilizers, thickeners and gelling agents, like
agar or pectin (used in jam for example) give foods a firmer
texture. While they are not true emulsifiers, they help to
stabilize emulsions.
• MODE OF ACTION:
• Food stabilisers increases the stability and thickness of the
food by binding its large molecules.
• Examples of thickners and stabilizers are: Alginates,
Lecithin, Mono & Diglycerides, Methyl Cellulose,
Carrageenan, Glyceride, Pectin, Guar Gum,
SodiumAluminosilicate.
• Applications of Rheology:
• Rheology has applications in materials science engineering,
 geophysics, physiology
(human biology) and pharmaceutics
• 1. Materials science is utilized in the production of many
industrially important substances, such as cement, paint,
and chocolate, which have complex flow characteristics.
• 2.Geophysics
• Geophysics includes the flow of molten lava and debris
flows (fluid mudslides). Also included in this disciplinary
branch are solid Earth materials which only exhibit flow
over extended time scales. Those that display viscous
behaviour are known asrheids.
• 3.Physiology
• Physiology includes the study of many bodily fluids that
have complex structure and composition, and thus exhibit
a wide range of viscoelastic flow characteristics. In
particular there is a specialist study of blood flow
called hemorheology. This is the study of flow properties
of blood and its elements (plasma and formed elements,
including red blood cells, white blood cellsand platelets).
 Blood viscosity is determined by plasma viscosity,
 hematocrit (volume fraction of red blood cell, which
constitute 99.9% of the cellular elements) and mechanical
behaviour of red blood cells. Therefore, red blood cell
mechanics is the major determinant of flow properties of
blood.
• 4.Pharmaceuticals
• Study of flow properties of liquids is important for
pharmacists working in the manufacture of several
dosage forms, such as simple liquids, ointments, creams,
pastes etc. The flow behavior of liquids under applied
stress is of great relevance in the field of pharmacy. Flow
properties are used as important quality control tools to
maintain the superiority of the product and reduce batch
to batch variations.