Microstructural characterization of apple tissue during drying using X-Ray microtomography

[EN] This study aims to investigate the complex microstructural changes in plant-based food materials during drying by using X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray µCT) along with the image analysis. The apple samples were dried at 60 °C and tested using X-ray µCT at different stages of drying. The porosity, cell and pore size distribution were determined from the micro-CT data set. It was observed that significant changes in porosity, cell and pore size distribution take place at different drying times and moisture contents. X-ray µCT can serve as a very promising tool to elucidate the evolution of the food microstructure during the drying process.