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Surface Characterization of Caramel at the Micrometer Scale
Author(s) -
Morton D.N.,
Roberts C.J.,
Hey M.J.,
Mitchell J.R.,
Hipkiss J.,
Vercauteren J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2003.tb09658.x
Subject(s) - micrometer , matrix (chemical analysis) , materials science , adhesion , atomic force microscopy , characterization (materials science) , microscopy , infrared , infrared microscopy , silicon , scanning thermal microscopy , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemical engineering , composite material , chemistry , nanotechnology , optics , optoelectronics , chromatography , physics , engineering
The surface of caramel has been imaged using pulsed force atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning thermal microscopy, revealing shallow depressions in the surface of 1 to 10μm in dia that have a higher adhesion to the silicon AFM probe and a lower stiffness and different thermal character than the surrounding sample. This is consistent with the view of caramel as fat droplets within a matrix of sugars. As confirmation, the depressed regions were identified by infrared microscopy as consisting mainly of fat in a matrix of sugar. AFM also reveals that regions surrounding the depressions are decorated with thin (about 6nm) plate‐like features that display a higher stiffness than the rest of the matrix. We propose that these are of crystalline origin and most probably consist of fat.