Diffusivities of volatiles in concentrated solutions

Concentration profiles obtained by slicing a cylindrical gel were used to measure diffusion of volatiles in viscous aqueous dextrose solutions. The column length, slice thickness and diffusion time were optimized to maximize the repeatability of measurements, the results being very sensitive to small changes in variables. Coefficients of variation between 5 and 10% were obtained. In the presence of different concentrations of dextrose, the diffusivity of acetone decreased markedly as dextrose concentration increased. However, when the acetone concentration was varied within the range 0·6 to 13·7%, at a constant 50% (w/w) dextrose concentration, its diffusivity did not change significantly. The sliced gel system gave values of diffusivity in close agreement with those obtained by other techniques.     

Effect of environmental humidity and coating on aroma transfer through treated papers

Coupled transfers of aroma compounds and water vapour were investigated by varying the relative humidity gradient of storage (50% or 90%) of two paper packaging at 25 °C. These papers differed in their coating surface: both were identically impregnated then supercalendered, and only one was twice coated on both sides with a synthetic barrier substance. Permeability and solubility coefficients were determined. The coating treatment was more effective to decrease the permeabilities of water vapour and ethyl ester than the effect of RH. On the contrary, the RH modified the water content of the treated papers and affected more strongly their permeability and solubility to cis-3-hexenol and benzaldehyde. The cis-3-hexenol transfer through the non-coated paper and the benzaldehyde transfer through the coated paper decreased due to a probable competition with sorbed water although it increases for the cis-3-hexenol of a plasticisation phenomenon.     

Need for Affiliation,Need for Popularity,Self-Esteem,and the Moderating Effect of Big Five Personality Traits Affecting Individuals’ Self-Disclosure on Facebook

The purpose of this study is to explore the moderating effect of Big Five personality traits on the relationship between the predictors (need for affiliation, need for popularity, and self-esteem) and self-disclosure on Facebook. The sample of this study is 354 Facebook users from 5 different cultures in East Asia. A partial least square structural equation modeling data analysis technique was performed to analyze the moderator research framework. This study demonstrates that particular Big Five personality traits moderate each relationship. Specifically, Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability negatively moderate the relationship between need for affiliation and self-disclosure. Agreeableness negatively moderates the relationship between self-esteem and self-disclosure. Openness to New Experience negatively moderates the relationship between need for popularity and self-disclosure. The study suggests the importance of the interaction of personality variables to better understand self-disclosure phenomenon on Facebook. The findings and implications of this study are discussed in the article.     

Application of headspace analysis to the study of aroma compounds-lipids interactions

Taking into account interactions between aroma compounds and food components is necessary to better manage the flavoring of food products. These interactions occur at a molecular level and reflect changes, at a macroscopic level, in thermodynamic equilibria, such as solubility or volatility. The rate of transfer of an aroma compound from the liquid to the vapor phase can be affected as well. The behavior of aroma compounds in water and lipid solutions was studied in two complementary ways, a thermodynamic and a kinetic approach (head-space analysis). The transfer rate of volatiles at the liquid-water interface does not only depend on the hydrophobicity of the aroma compounds. Vapor-liquid partition and activity coefficients show the presence of solute-solvent interactions. The Gibbs free energy values indicate their physicochemical nature.     

Techniques to measure sorption and migration between small molecules and packaging. A critical review

The mass transfer parameters diffusion and sorption in food and packaging or between them are the key parameters for assessing a food product's shelf‐life in reference to consumer safety. This has become of paramount importance owing to the legislations set by the regulated markets. The technical capabilities that can be exploited for analyzing product–package interactions have been growing rapidly. Different techniques categorized according to the state of the diffusant (gas or liquid) in contact with the packaging material are emphasized in this review. Depending on the diffusant and on the analytical question under review, the different ways to study sorption and/or migration are presented and compared. Some examples have been suggested to reach the best possible choice, consisting of a single technique or a combination of different approaches. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Retention of aroma compounds in food matrices of similar rheological behaviour and different compositions

Two matrices with a similar rheological behaviour but with a different composition have been developed: one containing carbohydrates (d-glucose, pectin and starch) and in the second one, called complex matrix, a lipid (triolein) was added. The release of six aroma compounds is quantified by using the measurements of partition coefficients at thermodynamic equilibrium. The role of lipid (triolein) on the retention of all the aroma compounds was pointed out. The effect of carbohydrates was more complex: in comparison with water, ethyl hexanoate and trans-2-hexenal were more retained whereas diacetyl, 2-pentanone and cis-3-hexenol were “repulsed” from the matrix. The kinetic study of the release from these matrices had shown a decrease of the initial rate of release by reference with water. From carbohydrates matrix, the decrease of the release for three compounds (ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, 2-pentanone) seemed to arise from the variation of diffusion and/or retention by carbohydrates. For the three other aroma compounds (diacetyl, cis-3-hexenol and trans-2-hexenal) no variation of the initial rate was registered. The comparison of the release rates from carbohydrate and complex matrices indicated the role of lipids and the comparison of the release rates from water and complex matrix showed the combined effects of texture and lipids. The decrease of initial release rate was more important in presence of lipids than in presence of carbohydrates. The most important decrease was observed with the most hydrophobic compound.     

Activity of water in frozen systems

Some fundamental thermodynamic aspects of water activity in general, and of water activity in a frozen medium especially, are reviewed briefly. Two types of calculations for determination of water activity in a frozen state will be mainly discussed. It is evident from these equations, that the water activity in a frozen state, that is, a three phase system, solid-liquid-gas, depends only on the temperature. This means that the dissolved substances have no influence on the water activity, but for the limitation that the water crystallizes out as pure ice. This was also assumed in our paper.

In part two of this work, the influence of water activity in frozen systems on diffusion phenomena, enzymatic reactions and growth of microorganisms, is discussed. The aim, here, is to try to relate the said phenomena to common physical parameters.     

Utilisation of pectin coating to enhance spray-dry stability of pea protein-stabilised oil-in-water emulsions

In this study, development of pea (Pisum sativum) protein stabilised dry and reconstituted emulsions is presented. Dry emulsions were prepared by spray-drying liquid emulsions in a laboratory spray-dryer. The effect of drying on the physical stability of oil-in-water emulsions containing pea protein-coated and pea protein/pectin-coated oil droplets has been studied. Oil-in-water emulsions (5 wt.% Miglyol 812 N, 0.25 wt.% pea protein, 11% maltodextrin, pH 2.4) were prepared that contained 0 (primary emulsion) or 0.2 wt.% pectin (secondary emulsion). The emulsions were then subjected to spray-drying and reconstitution (pH 2.4). The stability of the emulsions to dry processing was then analysed using oil droplet size, microstructure, Zeta potential, and creaming measurements. Obtained results showed that the secondary emulsions had better stability to droplet aggregation after drying than primary emulsions. To interpret these results, we propound that pectin, an anionic polysaccharide, formed a less charged protective layer around the protein interfacial film surrounding the oil droplets that improved their stability to spray-drying mainly by increasing steric effects.     

Protein and glycerol contents affect physico-chemical properties of soy protein isolate-based edible films

This study was conducted to determine the effect of both soy protein and glycerol contents on physico-chemical properties of soy protein isolate-based edible (SPI) films. The aim of this study was to better understand the influence of SPI and GLY contents on the behavior of the physico-chemical properties of soy protein isolate-based films. Films were casted from heated (70 °C for 20 min) alkaline (pH 10) aqueous solutions of SPI at 6, 7, 8, and 9 (w/w %), glycerol (50%, w/w, of SPI) and SPI at 7 (w/w %), glycerol (40, 60, 70 %, w/w of SPI). Water vapor permeability (WVP), was measured at 25 °C and for four different relative humidities (30–100%, 30–84%, 30–75%, 30–53%). Surface properties and differential scanning calorimetry were also measured. Varying the proportion of SPI and GLY had an effect on water vapor permeability, wetting and thermal properties of SPI films. A synergistic effect of glycerol and protein was observed on the water vapor permeability. Glycerol and RH gradient strongly enhance the moisture absorption rates and permeability of SPI based films. SPI content weakly increases the WVP and does not modify the surface properties. The temperature of denaturation of soy protein decreases glycerol content except for the higher concentration whereas it increases with protein ratio.Industrial relevanceThis topic of research aims to control mass transfers within composite foods or betweenfoods and surrounding media (for instance the headspace in packagings). The targeted applications from this work deals with the food product coating or the coating of paper-based packaging for limiting both the loss of water and flavors by cheese based products. This will allow to maintain the weight of the cheese during “ripening” and commercialization, and also to prevent (off-) flavour dissemination from very odorant cheese as produced in France and Poland.