ABSTRACT
Fats are the main structural components in many food products, including margarine, chocolate, butter, and spreads. The sensory characteristics of fat-structured materials such as spreadability, hardness, and mouth-feel are highly dependent on the structure of the underlying fat crystal network, which controls its macroscopic rheologic properties [1-5]. This fat crystal network is built by the interaction of polycrystalline fat particles, which provides firmness or solidlike behavior to
the plastic fats [1-5]. The amount, geometry, and spatial distribution of solid fat crystals, as well as their interactions at different levels within the network all affect the rheological properties of fats and fat-structured food products.
