 | Lara Manzocco |
Porous pathways to improve food functionality and sustainability
The complexity of food arises not only from their multicomponent chemical nature but also from the diverse molecular and supramolecular arrangements that form a complex matrix comprising both matter and voids. Porous regions, distributed across nano-, micro-, and macro-scales, are not merely empty spaces but critical features that influence food functionality and sustainability. Food porosity significantly increases surface area, driving chemical and biological reactivity at interfaces and enhancing the release or absorption/adsorption of food liquids (e.g., water, oil), volatile compounds (e.g., flavors, antioxidants), and bioactive molecules (e.g., vitamins and other micronutrients). The size, shape, and connectivity of food pores can affect food performance throughout its lifecycle—from processing and storage to final consumption and digestion in the gut—impacting food acceptability, sensory perception, nutrient release during digestion, shelf life, and the efficient use of natural, often plant-based, resources.
Although many foods with macroporosity have traditionally been produced through processes such as fermentation, frying, puffing, or extrusion, the development of novel micro- and nano-structured porous materials with diverse potential functionalities has only recently emerged. This progress is largely driven by the ability to produce cryogels and aerogels. Cryogelation exploits the pore-forming action of ice crystals during freezing, while aerogelation involves replacing the liquid phase in a biopolymer gel or biological tissue with air—often through supercritical carbon dioxide drying.
This presentation initially focuses on the basic approach for preparing highly porous food-grade materials from proteins (whey, pea and soy), polysaccharides (carrageenan, cellulose) and food residues (whey and plant residues). It then explores a range of advanced food applications for porous materials – used as monoliths or particles -including smart ingredients controlling nutrient release, delivery systems for active compounds, oil structuring agents to develop fat substitutes, sensory experience modulators, cell-growth scaffolds, and novel biodegradable and intelligent food packaging materials. These examples serve to analyse current research challenges and prospect future market opportunities.
Interview with Lara Manzocco
- How does porosity influence texture, quality, and preservation in food systems?
Porosity boosts food surface area, enhancing reactivity at interfaces and improving the release or absorption of liquids, aromas, and bioactives. This might influence food performance from processing to digestion, affecting sensory qualities, nutrient release, shelf life, and allowing for efficient use of resources.
- What are some of the methods used to characterize porosity in food science?
Commonly applied methods include bulk density measurements, SEM imaging, and BET analysis. However, our primary interest lies in understanding how porosity influences the material's interaction with food constituents and its behavior during digestion. To this end, we assess water and oil holding capacities, mechanical and rheological properties, and the release kinetics of bioactive compounds—often under simulated digestion conditions.
- How do you see porous media research contributing to food innovation?
Recognizing that pores are not merely empty spaces but smart elements, actively controlling food structure, is key for the design of innovative foods that meet the requirements of functionality and sustainability.
- What are key challenges in communicating between food science and engineering communities?
A key challenge in communication lies in the differing perspectives: food science tends to focus on biological functionality, while engineering emphasizes process efficiency and scalability. Advancing food design requires bridging these viewpoints to develop biologically active solutions that are also feasible at an industrial scale.
- What insights do you hope to bring to a cross-disciplinary audience at InterPore?
We all consume porous food on a daily basis, yet the role and potential of food porosity remain largely underexplored. At InterPore, I aim to highlight how a cross-disciplinary approach—combining food science, materials science, and porous media research—can unlock new ways to control and design food porosity.
About Lara Manzocco
Lara Manzocco is professor of Food Science and Technology at the University of Udine (Italy), where she obtained her PhD in 2001. Her research focuses on understanding the role of innovative non-thermal technologies to steer food stability, structure and functionality. In this context, recent research topics involve: development of novel processes for the preparation of food grade porous materials; design and physical characterisation of xerogels, cryogels and aerogels; relation between porosity of food materials and their performance as structuring agents, delivery systems, absorbents.
She authored over 170 peer-reviewed papers in international journals. She is responsible for research projects, supported by national and European organisations as well as private companies. She has lectured at national and international symposia, conferences and workshops.
