Magnetic resonance imaging method based on magnetic susceptibility effects to estimate bubble size in alveolar products: application to bread dough during proving

Magnetic resonance imaging has proven its potential application in bread dough and gas cell monitoring studies, and dynamic processes such as dough proving and baking can be monitored. However, undesirable magnetic susceptibility effects often affect quantification studies, especially at high fields. A new low-field method is presented based on local assessment of porosity in spin-echo imaging, local characterization of signal loss in gradient-echo imaging and prediction of relaxation times by simulation to estimate bubble radii in bread dough during proving. Maps of radii showed different regions of dough constituting networks which evolved during proving. Mean radius and bubble distribution were assessed during proving. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.