Understanding functionality of sucrose in cake for reformulation purposes

Exploring the eating experience of a pneumatically-driven edible robot: Perception, taste, and texture

This study investigated the effects of animated food consumption on human psychology. We developed a movable, edible robot and evaluated the participants' impressions induced by the visualization of its movements and eating of the robot. Although several types of edible robots have been developed, to the best of our knowledge, the psychological effects associated with the eating of a robot have not been investigated. We developed a pneumatically driven edible robot using gelatin and sugar. We examined its perceived appearance and the participants' impressions when it was eaten. In the robot-eating experiment, we evaluated two conditions: one in which the robot was moved and one in which it was stationary. Our results showed that participants perceived the moving robot differently from the stationary robot, leading to varied perceptions, when consuming it. Additionally, we observed a difference in perceived texture when the robot was bitten and chewed under the two conditions. These findings provide valuable insights into the practical applications of edible robots in various contexts, such as the medical field and culinary entertainment.

Characterization of gluten-free cupcakes without sucrose based on defatted soybean flour and monk fruit

This study aimed to produce and characterize a novel gluten-free cupcake for celiac and diabetes people. For this purpose, wheat flour and sugar in the cupcake formulation were fully replaced with soy flour and monk fruit. Also, samples containing wheat flour with sugar and monk fruit were prepared for comparison. The gluten-free cupcake without sucrose had a less specific volume and porosity index. To improve these properties, Cydonia oblonga (Cydonia Vulgaris) and Plantago ovata (Plantago genus) were used individually and in combination at concentrations of 1 and 2%. The cake containing no gum was made as a control as well. It was observed that addition of gums had positive effects on the specific volume, porosity index, and weight loss of cakes, but their incorporation increased their hardness. Based on the results, the fabrication of a novel and successful gluten-free cupcake replaced with soy flour, monk fruit, and gum is possible.

Sucrose substitution in cake systems is not a piece of cake

Successful sucrose replacement in cake systems requires thorough understanding of its functionality. Time-domain 1H NMR showed that water in the viscous aqueous phase isolated from cake batter by ultracentrifugation [i.e. the batter liquor (BL)] exhibits low mobility by its low T2 relaxation time (T2,D RT). This is due to its interactions with sucrose or sucrose replacers. The T2,D RT itself is positively related with the effective volumetric hydrogen bond density of sucrose or sucrose replacers. Sucrose additionally co-determines the quantity and viscosity of cake BL and thereby how much air the batter contains at the end of mixing. Like sucrose, maltitol and oligofructose provide adequate volumes of BL with low water mobility and thus sufficient air in the batter, while the rather insoluble mannitol and inulin do not. Differential scanning calorimetry and rapid viscosity analysis revealed, however, that, in contrast to sucrose and maltitol, oligofructose fails to provide appropriate timings of starch gelatinisation and protein denaturation, resulting in poor cake texture. The shortcomings of mannitol and oligofructose in terms of respectively ensuring appropriate gas content in batter and biopolymer transitions during baking can be overcome by using mixtures thereof. This work shows that successful sucrose substitutes or substitute mixtures must provide sufficient BL with low water mobility and ensure appropriate timings of starch and protein biopolymer transitions during baking.

Effects of sucrose degradation product furfural on cyanidin-3-O-glucoside: Mechanism of action, stability, and identification of products in sugar solutions

Anthocyanins are often affected by the sweetener sucrose during processing, which is closely related to its typical degradation product, furfural (Ff). However, the specific mechanism is unclear. In this study, Ff and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) were used to explain the mechanism of the effect. The results showed that Ff destabilized anthocyanins by chemically reacting with C3G to generate three new adducts. Meanwhile, the color of the C3G solution changed from bright red to dark purple, and the value of the color difference (ΔE) increased significantly by 2.69. Furthermore, the new adducts were less stable than C3G and continued to promote the degradation of C3G when they coexisted with it. The above adducts were also detected in sugar solutions supplemented with C3G, and these adducts were more likely to accumulate under light storage conditions. These results provide a theoretical basis for reducing anthocyanin loss in food processing.

The use of time domain 1 H NMR to study proton dynamics in starch-rich foods: A review

Starch is a major contributor to the carbohydrate portion of our diet. When it is present with water, it undergoes several transformations during heating and/or cooling making it an essential structure-forming component in starch-rich food systems (e.g., bread and cake). Time domain proton nuclear magnetic resonance (TD ¹ H NMR) is a useful technique to study starch-water interactions by evaluation of molecular mobility and water distribution. The data obtained correspond to changes in starch structure and the state of water during or resulting from processing. When this technique was first applied to starch(-rich) foods, significant challenges were encountered during data interpretation of complex food systems (e.g., cake or biscuit) due to the presence of multiple constituents (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, etc.). This article discusses the principles of TD ¹ H NMR and the tools applied that improved characterization and interpretation of TD NMR data. More in particular, the major differences in proton distribution of various dough and cooked/baked food systems are examined. The application of variable-temperature TD ¹ H NMR is also discussed as it demonstrates exceptional ability to elucidate the molecular dynamics of starch transitions (e.g., gelatinization, gelation) in dough/batter systems during heating/cooling. In conclusion, TD NMR is considered a valuable tool to understand the behavior of starch and water that relate to the characteristics and/or quality of starchy food products. Such insights are crucial for food product optimization and development in response to the needs of the food industry.

Fat replacers in baked products: their impact on rheological properties and final product quality

Many baked products, except for bread, (i.e., cakes, cookies, laminated pastries, and so on) generally contain high levels of fat in their formulas and they require different bakery fats that impart product-specific quality characteristics through their functionalities. Even though, fat is crucial for baked product quality, strategies have been developed to replace fat in their formulas as high fat intake is associated with chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular heart diseases. Besides, the solid bakery fats contain trans- and saturated fats, and their consumption has been shown to increase total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and to constitute a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases when consumed at elevated levels. Therefore, the aim of this review was to provide a detailed summary of the functionality of lipids/fats (endogenous lipids, surfactants, shortening) in different baked products, the rheological behavior of bakery fats and their contribution to baked product quality, the impact of different types of fat replacers (carbohydrate-, protein-, lipid-based) on dough/batter rheology, and on the quality characteristics of the resulting reduced-fat baked products.

A Systematic Comparison of the Intrinsic Properties of Wheat and Oat Bran Fractions and Their Effects on Dough and Bread Properties: Elucidation of Chemical Mechanisms, Water Binding, and Steric Hindrance

This study aimed at elucidating the contribution of chemical interactions, water binding, and steric hindrance on the effect of wheat and oat brans and of their fractions, i.e., soluble and insoluble, on dough and bread properties. For such purpose, an inert filler, i.e., glass beads of comparable particle size and with no water binding capacity and moisture sorption properties, was also studied. The glass beads provided breads most similar to the control, indicating the limited role of steric hindrance. Brans and bran fractions showed distinct compositional and physical properties. The soluble fraction from oat bran, rich in β-glucan, was less hygroscopic than the wheat counterpart and could bind more water, resulting in larger detrimental effects on bread quality. The β-glucan content showed a prevalent role in affecting gluten development, the thermo-setting behaviour of the dough, and crumb texture, i.e., cohesiveness and resilience. Overall, the comparison between the two brans and their fractions indicated that the interplay between water binding, mainly provided by the insoluble fraction, and the plasticizing properties of the soluble bran fraction controlled the effects on bread volume and texture. From a compositional standpoint, β-glucan content was a determining factor that discriminated the effects of wheat and oat brans.

Investigating Methods to Mitigate Whey Protein Derived Mouthdrying

Mouthdrying is commonly associated with whey protein fortified products. Therefore, mitigating strategies could be key to reducing mouthdrying and maximising the benefits from such products. Currently, few studies have successfully mitigated whey protein derived mouthdrying and this paper aims to investigate different strategies to reduce mouthdrying effects. Accordingly, a series of experiments were carried out with a trained sensory panel (n = 11). Two different whey protein food matrices were tested: (a) whey protein beverages (WPB) varying in lactose (0.05-12.4% w/v) and fat (0.9-7.2% w/v) levels and (b) whey protein fortified snacks: cupcakes with differing whey protein concentrate (WPC) powders (standard and heat-stable) and scones with varying fat content (with and without cream topping). Overall results suggested the tested strategies had limited significant effects on whey protein derived mouthdrying. Increasing lactose (9.4% w/v) in WPBs and fat levels (via cream topping) on scones significantly suppressed mouthdrying. However, all other tested strategies (increasing fat in WPBs and heat-stable WPC in cupcakes) had no significant effect on suppressing perceived mouthdrying. This work demonstrates the challenges with mitigating whey protein derived mouthdrying; however, cross-modal taste suppression and increasing lubrication warrant further investigation.

Investigation of Structural Transformations During the Manufacturing of Expanded Snacks for Reformulation Purposes

In this paper, we investigate the functionality of potato-based ingredients present in indirectly expanded snacks via careful analysis of their transformation during processing. This research is driven by the desire of industry to develop similar snacks for upcoming markets, where the potato-based ingredients are replaced by other starch sources, which are locally available and at a lower cost. For a range of reformulated snacks, the transformations of starchy ingredients are analysed with a wide variety of experimental methods, like DSC, XRD, and XRT. Our analysis shows that ingredients undergo little transformations during extrusion, which is indeed intended to be mild. During frying native tuber starches (potato and tapioca starch) fully gelatinize, while cereal starches show little gelatinization and swelling. Despite the gelatinization of tuber starches, the particulate character of ingredients is retained. Replacement of pregelatinized potato starch with other starches shows little change in structure. The evolution of the structure of the reformulated snacks are analysed with the CDS formalism. We conclude that gel formers and hard fillers present in the analysed formulations had little functionality regarding texture or structure. For texture, it appears to be required that the matrix composes of a bicontinuous structure of soft fillers, namely gelatinized tuber starches and potato dehydrates. Both these ingredients can be replaced by other tuber-starch sources if the aggregation of the two soft fillers can be prevented. Commercial availability of tuber flours can still be an issue.