What is disperse systems formalism in the study of food?

In the field of molecular gastronomy, the disperse systems formalism (DSF) is a scientific framework introduced in 2002 to describe the organization and material composition of food.1

Rather than viewing food simply as a collection of ingredients, this formalism categorizes food products as disperse systems—mixtures where one substance is distributed throughout another. By applying this model, researchers can systematically describe the structure of complex food matrices, as well as other formulated products like cosmetics, drugs, and paints.1

Beyond structural description, the formalism facilitates the development of new analytical methods to study how food transforms during preparation, whether the food is processed in isolation or within aqueous solutions such as stocks and broths. This approach provides a rigorous, standardized way to model the physical and chemical states of culinary preparations, bridging the gap between artistic cooking and scientific inquiry.1