Mimicking 3D food microstructure using limited statistical information from 2D cross-sectional image

• Published in: Journal of food engineering 2019-01, Vol.241, p.116-126
• Main Authors: Derossi, Antonio, Gerke, Kirill M., Karsanina, Marina V., Nicolai, Bart, Verboven, Pieter, Severini, Carla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D reconstructions; Apple paremchyma; Microstructure characterization; Mimic food structure; Muffin crumb; Universal correlation functions
• ISSN: 0260-8774; 1873-5770
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2018.08.012

We used statistical correlation functions (CFs) to describe food microstructure and to reconstruct their 3D complexity by using limited information coming from single 2D microtomographic images. Apple fleshy parenchyma tissue and muffin crumb were chosen to test the ability of the reconstructions to mimic structural diversities. Several metrics based on morphological measures and cluster functions were utilized to analyze the fidelity of reconstructions. For the apple, reconstructions are accurate enough proving that lineal, L2, and two-point, S2, functions sufficiently describe the complexity of apple tissue. Muffin structure is isotropic but statistically inhomogeneous showing at least two different porosity domains which reduced the fidelity of reconstructions. Further improvement could be obtained by using more CFs as input data and by implementation of the techniques dealing with statistical non-stationarity. Novel stochastic reconstruction and CF-based characterization methods could improve the fidelity of reconstruction and future advances of this technology will allow estimating macroscopic food properties based on (limited) 2/3D input information. •Universal Correlation Functions, CFs, have been employed to mimic the 3D microstructure of food;•2D and 3D X-ray images of apple parenchyma tissue and muffin microstructure were used;•Lineal, L2, and two-point, S2, correlation functions were employed to described and reconstruct 3D structure of apple and muffin;•Apple microstructure has been reconstructed with good fidelity;•Muffin structure is greatly inhomogeneous with at least to pores scale domains which reduce the quality of reconstructions;•Future application will allow to estimate macroscopic properties from limited statistical information