DETECTION OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL HEATING PATTERNS IN THERMAL FOOD PROCESSES USING THERMOCHROMIC INKS

• Main Authors: Liu, Hua, Watts, Mark Robert
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.11.2019
• Subjects: FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; TESTING; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES

Embodiments herein relate to articles and methods for detecting heating patterns within model food compositions containing irreversible thermochromic ink, and for creating multi-dimensional temperature distribution profiles within a packaged model food composition. In an embodiment, a packaged model food composition for thermal testing is included. The packaged model food composition can include a package and a model food composition disposed in the package. The model food composition can include a model food material that shares processing characteristics with a target food material and 0.05 wt. % to 20 wt. % of one or more irreversible thermochromic inks. The irreversible thermochromic inks can exhibit a variable change in at least one color parameter in response to temperature change across a selected temperature range. Other embodiments are also included herein.