Probing the supramolecular structure of agro-food products with Terahertz Spectroscopy

Supramolecular complexes are important food structures that influence the physicochemical stability and organoleptic properties of food. These in turn significantly affect product consumption and commercial success. Supramolecular structures result from the various intermolecular interactions that work cooperatively to stabilize the complex. As terahertz (THz) spectroscopy has been shown to be sensitive to intermolecular interactions, it could allow to characterize the supramolecular complexes in food. However, there remain gaps in both the basic understanding of the interaction of THz radiation with food materials and the application of THz spectroscopy in characterizing supramolecular structures present in food. Therefore, the potential of THz spectroscopy for probing the supramolecular structures in agro-food products will be explored in this PhD project. To this end, we will first model the interaction of THz radiation with food materials. Then, we will develop imaging strategies to enhance the application of THz spectroscopy in observing supramolecular structures and fat polymorphism in food. Chemometrics will be used to extract and utilize information stored in the THz region by relating the spectral data with physicochemical and organoleptic properties of food. By combining these elements, this project will establish THz spectroscopy as novel, fast, safe, and non-destructive method to characterize supramolecular structures in the food industry.