Electron spin resonance as a tool to monitor the influence of novel processing technologies on food properties

Abstract Background Nowadays, electron spin resonance (ESR) is widely used as a powerful, non-destructive and very sensitive technique for the detection of free radicals in food systems. It can be applied for the direct identification of highly reactive oxygen species, organic and inorganic paramagnetic species and screening of food for potential toxicity. Its applications cover investigating food oxidative stability and properties of irradiated foods including fruits and vegetables, meats and fishes, spices, cereal grains, and oil seeds. Scope and approach This review aims at providing specialists in food science and industry with the fundamentals of ESR spectroscopy, typical radicals pres…