Chapter 7: Food Processing and Its Impact on Food Structure, Digestion, and Absorption

Food processing plays a crucial role in making food edible, safe, palatable, digestible, and nutritious. The impact of processing treatments on food structure, physicochemical and sensory properties, and functional components is significant. The structure of food is altered at the macro, micro, and molecular levels during food processing, influencing digestion behavior and nutrient availability and absorption. Different food processing techniques, including conventional and emerging technologies, impact the physical and sensorial properties of food, food structure, digestion behavior, and nutritional aspects. Understanding the effects of different food processing approaches on food structure and nutrients is essential for selecting specific processes and parameters to manipulate food digestion behavior and nutrient absorption. In this chapter, with the help of case studies, the effects of different food processing techniques on food structure, the effects of processing treatments on the gastrointestinal fate of various foods, and the effects of food processing on nutrient release, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability are surveyed.