1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Applications in Food Science and Processing

Low-field bench top H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) relaxometry instruments have been increasingly popular as analytical tools for engineering research. Magnetic resonance imaging, which is a more advanced approach to NMR technology, provides the researcher with images of the internal structure without any disruption to the sample and has been commonly used in medical applications in analysis of soft tissue. The non-invasive and non-destructive nature coupled with the high discriminative power of LF-NMR and MRI, makes them invaluable tools of analysis for a wide range of applications in food science. This review covers the basic concept behind NMR/MRI technology and discusses some of its most commonly used food applications. The review addresses the food scientist with no prior knowledge of NMR/MRI and aims to supply the reader with both the theory of the method and its fundamentals, as well as the practical uses in scientific research and industrial applications.