Everything Flows

Rheology, the science of the deformation and flow of matter, is one of the more fundamental areas of food engineering, with applications in process development, sensory, quality, and product development. The mathematics can be daunting but satisfying as well. Even without a complete understanding of mechanisms, careful and empirical observation can improve process control and operation.

While rheology broadly includes the behavior of both solids and liquids, this article will focus on liquids an…