ABSTRACT
Foods are complex systems in relation to their composition, structure and properties—which are connected and correlated. In fact, food products show a complex rheology, commonly described by non-Newtonian behavior, with or without time dependency, and viscoelastic behavior. Processing changes both structure and composition, consequently affecting the food properties such as rheology. The rheological properties, in turn, dictate the product behavior during processing, storage, consumption and digestive reaction. Climate changes not only modify the ideal places to grow and the types of food varieties that can be acclimatized (with differentiated composition and properties), but also modify how food is processed, preserved and consumed. Population aging brings challenges for medicine and even the economy, and, of course, for food products: the digestive process is changed, and the importance of texture is highlighted, from chewing to swallowing and flow.
