Food structure revisited

We eat tasty and nutritious foods produced by nature and transformed through processing including cooking. Their unique microstructures started to be unveiled by food scientists in the mid-twentieth century and their relationship with sensory properties, nutritional and health benefits is of recent occurrence. This article describes how the study of food structure evolved from plain curiosity (microscopy) to become a major field of research in food science, nutrition and health. Up-to-date articles and books on food microstructure are reviewed. Food structure research has evolved into the concept of the food matrix that studies the functional behavior of chemical components confined in discrete domains. Today, knowledge of food structures and food matrices is key to understanding the effects of foods on nutrition and health, the efficacy of digestion and bioavailability of nutrients, the impact of a healthy microbiome, the design of novel foods for personalized needs, and the development of sustainable plant-based products. Future developments in food structuring and design will require moving from a multidisciplinary effort (food science and nutrition) to a transdisciplinary approach that effectively integrates advances in related disciplines spanning environmental sciences to health sciences. •Research on food structure and the food matrix has rapidly expanded in the last 20 years.•Food composition and food matrices are responsible for desirable sensory, nutritional, and physiological responses.•Nutritional outcomes depend on processing, nutrient release from matrices, interactions, and absorption during digestion.•Current research topics cover food matrix design and functionality for better nutrition, health, and sustainability.•Future developments will occur at interfaces with other disciplines and demand a transdisciplinary approach.