Thermodynamics of Phase Equilibria in Food Engineering

Thermodynamics of Phase Equilibria in Food Engineering is the definitive book on thermodynamics of equilibrium applied to food engineering. Food is a complex matrix consisting of different groups of compounds divided into macronutrients (lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins), and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals). The quality characteristics of food products associated with the sensorial, physical and microbiological attributes are directly related to the thermodynamic properties of specific compounds and complexes that are formed during processing or by the action of diverse interventions, such as the environment, biochemical reactions, and others. In addition, in obtaining bioactive substances using separation processes, the knowledge of phase equilibria of food systems is essential to provide an efficient separation, with a low cost in the process and high selectivity in the recovery of the desired component.

This book combines theory and application of phase equilibria data of systems containing food compounds to help food engineers and researchers to solve complex problems found in food processing. It provides support to researchers from academia and industry to better understand the behavior of food materials in the face of processing effects, and to develop ways to improve the quality of the food products.

Camila Gambini Pereira is professor of Food and Chemical Engineering of the Chemical Engineering Department at Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, which she is teaching Thermodynamics, Unit Operations and Transport Phenomena since 2006. She holds a PhD in Food Engineering from UNICAMP (2005); she also holds an MSc at the same university (2000). Dr Pereira is the leader of the Research Group ＂Supercritical Technology applied to Natural Products and Biodiesel Production＂, responsible for the Laboratory of Separation Processes in Foods and member of ＂CEPEMA＂ - Training Centre and Environmental Research. She is also author and co-author of 10 chapters on Calculation, Separation Processes and Thermodynamics, and Co-Editor of a book on Fundamentals of Food Engineering. Her research areas are separation processes, supercritical fluids and thermodynamics.