Fractal Dimension Analysis of Texture Formation of Whey Protein-Based Foods

Whey protein in the form of isolate or concentrate is widely used in food industries due to its functionality to form gel under certain condition and its nutritive value. Controlling or manipulating the formation of gel aggregates is used often to evaluate food texture. Many researchers made use of fractal analysis that provides the quantitative data (i.e., fractal dimension) for fundamentally and rationally analyzing and designing whey protein-based food texture. This quantitative analysis is also done to better understand how the texture of whey protein-based food is formed. Two methods for fractal analysis were discussed in this review: image analysis (microscopy) and rheology. These methods, however, have several limitations which greatly affect the accuracy of both fractal dimension values and types of aggregation obtained. This review therefore also discussed problem encountered and ways to reduce the potential errors during fractal analysis of each method.