The atomic force microscope (AFM) has opened access to the nanoscale observation of molecular and colloidal structures in aqueous media, and of their dynamics upon environmental changes. As a miniature force scanner, it furthermore allows the correlative mapping of mechanical properties at the nanoscale or precise indentation of individual structures. Soon after its invention in 1986, the AFM rapidly found increasing applications in soft matter physics, cellular biology, polymer science and microbiology. In spite of significant successes as early as the 90s, the growth of AFM application in the field of food science has been comparatively slower. This review points to the realizations and opportunities of AFM in showing the connections between the structural and mechanical properties of food's building blocks and of their assemblies. Possible transfers from other disciplines to food science are presented as suggestions for future applications.

原子力显微镜（AFM）使人们可以对水介质中的分子和胶体结构以及其随环境变化的动力学进行纳米级观察。作为微型力扫描仪，它还允许在纳米级对机械性能进行相关映射或对单个结构进行精确压痕。1986年AFM发明后不久，AFM就迅速在软物质物理学，细胞生物学，聚合物科学和微生物学中得到越来越多的应用。尽管早在90年代就取得了巨大的成功，但AFM在食品科学领域的应用增长却相对较慢。这篇评论指出了AFM在展示食品构件及其组件的结构和机械性能之间的联系方面的实现和机会。