ABSTRACT
The stability of food remains a challenge to food processors. Thermal transition is associated with heat treatment of food and thermo-analytical measurements are commonly used for qualitative and/or quantitative changes of biomaterials. Thermal analysis comprises of a group of techniques in which physical property of a substance is measured as a function of temperature, while the substance is subjected to a controlled temperature program. Many food processing techniques involve phase change and phase separation including drying, freezing and rapid cooling, grinding and extrusion. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is a convenient method for measuring thermal properties of a material. This technique was developed initially as a tool to characterize thermal transitions in polymers but it is frequently used in food and biopolymer research. In a DSC, an average temperature circuit measures and controls the temperature of the sample and reference holders to conform to predetermined time-temperature program.
