Mu Ruojun, Bu Nitong, Pang Jie, Wang Lin, Zhang Yue
College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
Key Laboratory of Subtropical Characteristic Fruits, Vegetables and Edible Fungi Processing (Co-Construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201106, China.
Foods. 2022 Nov 20;11(22):3727. doi: 10.3390/foods11223727.
The development of novel materials with microstructures is now a trend in food science and technology. These microscale materials may be applied across all steps in food manufacturing, from raw materials to the final food products, as well as in the packaging, transport, and storage processes. Microfluidics is an advanced technology for controlling fluids in a microscale channel (1~100 μm), which integrates engineering, physics, chemistry, nanotechnology, etc. This technology allows unit operations to occur in devices that are closer in size to the expected structural elements. Therefore, microfluidics is considered a promising technology to develop micro/nanostructures for delivery purposes to improve the quality and safety of foods. This review concentrates on the recent developments of microfluidic systems and their novel applications in food science and technology, including microfibers/films via microfluidic spinning technology for food packaging, droplet microfluidics for food micro-/nanoemulsifications and encapsulations, etc.
开发具有微观结构的新型材料是食品科学与技术领域的一个趋势。这些微观尺度的材料可应用于食品制造的各个环节，从原材料到最终食品产品，以及包装、运输和储存过程。微流控技术是一种在微尺度通道（1~100μm）中控制流体的先进技术，它融合了工程学、物理学、化学、纳米技术等。这项技术使单元操作能够在尺寸更接近预期结构元件的设备中进行。因此，微流控技术被认为是一种有前途的技术，可用于开发用于递送目的的微/纳米结构，以提高食品的质量和安全性。本综述集中于微流控系统的最新进展及其在食品科学与技术中的新应用，包括通过微流控纺丝技术制备用于食品包装的微纤维/薄膜、用于食品微/纳米乳化和包封的液滴微流控技术等。
