Sensory evaluation is an important aspect of food quality and control. However, even when carried out by a group of experts, it is generally difficult to link the results of a sensory evaluation to physico-chemical or technological measurements. This study is based on the premise that formalising the interpretation of sensory observations in terms of the physical state of the product can help to link together sensory and physical properties. The main proposal of this paper is a methodological framework adapted from a diagnostic approach to capture the relationships between sensory evaluations of a type of product, here wheat dough, and its physical states called quality profiles. A probabilistic analysis is proposed to identify the quality profiles and their signatures, i.e. the corresponding sensory observations that result from grouping the probabilities of the observations. This work is supported by the analysis of a large historical sensory evaluation dataset from the routine application of the French baking standard to estimate the baking value of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flour. Application of the method to this dataset revealed two defective quality profiles for wheat dough, Slackening (due to weakness of the gluten network) and Resistant (excessive strength of the gluten network), along with their signatures in terms of sensory observations of the dough. Promising relationships were found between the quality profiles attributed to the wheat samples and usual technological criteria of the wheat flour quality: gluten index, (Ie) elasticity index and (W) dough strength. This methodological framework applied to food opens up interesting perspectives for the use of sensory data for crop and food quality assessment using computational approaches.

This work aimed to establish the relationships between flour components, dough behaviour and changes in water distribution at mixing. TD NMR was used to track water distribution in dough during mixing for different mixing times and hydration levels. Four commercial wheat flours with distinct characteristics were expressly selected to exhibit various dough behaviours at mixing. TD NMR measurements of mixed dough samples revealed four to five water mobility domains depending on the flour type and the mixing modality. A classification tree procedure was used to identify characteristic patterns of water mobility in dough, called hydration states (HS). The HS changes with experimental conditions are highly dependent on flour characteristics, and HS were assigned to physical/chemical changes in the gluten network during dough formation. This study proposes an interpretation of the water distribution in dough based on gluten network development. This will help to adapt the mixing process to the flour characteristics.

The baking industry performs common technological (empirical) tests. Unfortunately, the results hardly predict the dough behavior online. This paper first reviews the most common methods to assess the rheological properties of the dough, including empirical tests, small and large deformations methods. A second section describes the relations between rheological properties and dough behavior at the critical step of dough mixing. We put forward a tentative interpretation of these relations based on dough structural changes supported by results from imaging or spectroscopic methods. Finally, a review of simple models consistent with the physical understanding of the dough behavior is presented as tools that scientist and engineers can use to interpret experimental data, perform system analysis and anticipate the product properties.

The objective of this work was to understand, in the elderly, the mechanisms of oral breakdown and bolus formation for two cereal foods (brioche and sponge cake) enriched with pulse proteins (pea and faba bean), in order to develop foods acceptable for the elderly population. The food oral processing (FOP) of these two food products has been studied by imaging and rheology, in connection with the perception of in-mouth comfort and with the oral physiology of seniors. It has been shown that the salivary flow has a major influence on the viscosity of the food bolus, which is itself strongly linked to the perception of comfort for non enriched products. The impact of enrichment on texture depends on the product considered. It modifies the mechanisms of FOP and perception of oral comfort. For sponge cake, this impact can be reduced by adapting the process, with apparently, small impact on protein digestibility evaluated in vitro. This interdisciplinary study therefore leads to recommendations for developing realistic cereal foods, with acceptable sensory properties and meeting the elderly people's nutritional needs. (C) 2020 Societe francaise de nutrition. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Sourdough bread is known to have a characteristic sour taste. To guarantee consumer acceptability, sour taste should be monitored to assure constant bread quality. However, little is known about bread sour taste perception, especially how it evolves during tasting, neither if some simple measurements could help predict it. The aims of this study were to characterize the evolution of sour taste perception during bread tasting and to determine which bread instrumental variables can be correlated to it. For that purpose, eight types of bread were made with different sourdoughs and baking processes to obtain wide ranges of acidity, density and Fermentation Quotient. Bread were characterized by instrumental methods (i.e. pH, Total Titratable Acidity, organic acid content and density measurements) and their sour taste was determined by Quantitative Descriptive Analysis and a dynamic method called Progressive Profiling. As a result, it appeared that breads were perceived as significantly different throughout tasting. The "sour taste profile" was globally similar among breads with the highest intensity reached at the swallowing point. Progressive Profiling seemed then an efficient and simple method to evaluate the intensity of food organoleptic properties as well as the persistence after swallowing. Surprisingly, bread acetic acid content and Fermentation Quotient showed no effect on sour taste perception. Conversely, from all the physicochemical characteristics monitored, bread pH correlated with sour taste the most, explaining up to 97% of sour taste variations. Measuring bread pH could therefore constitute a quick and easy way to predict bread sour taste perception in research and industry.

L’objectif de ce travail était de comprendre les mécanismes de déstructuration et de formation du bol alimentaire chez le sujet âgé, pour deux aliments céréaliers (brioche et génoise) enrichis en protéines de légumineuses (pois et fève), afin de développer des aliments adaptés au sujet âgé. La déstructuration orale (FOP) de ces aliments a été étudiée par imagerie et par rhéologie, en lien avec la perception du confort oral et la physiologie des seniors. Les résultats ont montré que le flux salivaire a une influence majeure sur la viscosité du bol alimentaire, elle-même fortement liée à la perception du confort pour les produits standards. L’effet de l’enrichissement est important pour la brioche ; il modifie les mécanismes du FOP et de perception du confort. Pour la génoise, cet effet est minimisé en adaptant le procédé, sans impact apparent sur la digestibilité in vitro des protéines. Cette étude interdisciplinaire débouche donc sur des propositions concrètes pour élaborer des aliments céréaliers réalistes, aux propriétés sensorielles acceptables et contribuant à satisfaire les besoins nutritionnels des seniors.

The use of models and simulators in food industry remains limited, despite its interest to predict complex situations, as shown by an abundant scientific literature . Although carried out in many establishments and universities, teaching about food modelling faces theoretical hurdles (mathematical formalism ...) who tend to discourage students, who are the future engineers and managers of food industries, but may have uncertain basis in physics, for instance. A generic response through a “learning by doing” approach is possible to teach these modelling approaches. Actually, digital resources offer an opportunity to address these issues . In the MESTRAL (Modelling and simulation for food processes) project, we have built such resources for teaching through knowledge representation and transfer tools, in particular electronic knowledge books (eK-Book). The eK-Book is a Web based tool, where knowledge is represented with concept maps, process and influence graphs, knowledge sheets, and their relationships stated as hypertext links. The effectiveness of knowledge transfer via these tools has already been validated . MESTRAL now encompasses 15 modules covering about 150h, each one presenting a couple (food, process) – from “heat exchanger for starch suspensions” to “cheese ripening” – in an eK-Book. Each module contains model-based simulators, used for virtual practice, and also includes exercises and tests for applying and assessing the knowledge acquired. MESTRAL has already been successfully tested for various classes, either for self-training or hybrid learning. Current prospects include its integration as a MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses). This work was supported by AgreenCamp project (ANR-15-IDFN-0001-01).

In this study, we determined the effect of organic (i) flour ash content (1%-1.4%) and (ii) flour by-product addition (bran, shorts and germ) on sourdough performances. After five consecutive back-sloppings, sourdough was used for bread-making and its bread-related properties were assessed. No effect of flour composition factors (i & ii) on sourdough lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were highlighted. Nonetheless, they greatly altered lactic acid and acetic acid sourdough contents from 6.9 to 17.4 g/kg and from 0.9 to 2.2 g/kg, respectively. The flour ash content (i) had a significant and positive effect on sourdough acidity and CO2 production. Bread made with sourdough with a high ash content had a significantly higher acidity and specific volume. These physicochemical differences between breads were perceived by sensory evaluation in a significant way. Sourdough supplemented (ii) with germ had higher lactic acid and carbon dioxide contents than sourdough supplemented with bran and shorts. Hence, flour composition, combining ash content and flour by-products, appears to be an effective factor to obtain a better control of sourdough performances.

Alors que l'obésité peut s'expliquer par une surnutrition et l'ingestion de régimes riches en graisses et sucres, l'ingestion de fibres alimentaires est connue pour favoriser la perte de poids [1]. Notre étude vise à déterminer si, en situation d'apport alimentaire supérieur aux besoins (alimentation de type occidentale générant de l'obésité), les fibres alimentaires peuvent limiter l'apparition des dérégulations métaboliques via notamment une réorganisation de l'utilisation des nutriments dans l'aire splanchnique (ASP : foie + tube digestif [TD]). Quatorze Miniporcs sont multicathétérisés en artère, veine porte et veine sus-hépatique pour mesurer les flux nets de nutriments au travers de l'ASP. Les animaux ont été nourris 60 jours avec un régime en surnutrition (14 911 kJ/j EM) supplémenté en pain enrichi (F) (+ 2291 kj/j EM) ou non (T) (+ 2438 kj/j EM) en fibres (inuline, pectine, amidon résistant). Des prélèvements sanguins ont été réalisés à jeun après 1, 14 et 60 jours de régime T ou F, ainsi que des prélèvements tissulaires à l'euthanasie. Des analyses plasmatiques (AGCC, glucose, lactate, acides aminés) et hépatiques (histologie : red oil) ont été effectuées. Les flux nets des nutriments par l'ASP ont été calculés par différence artérioveineuse. Les effets régimes/cinétiques ont été évaluées par ANOVA à mesures répétées, signification p < 0,05. À j60, le contenu lipidique dans le foie est inférieur chez F vs T (−33,6 % ; p < 0,01). Ceci est associé à une forte émission nette à jeun de glucose, lactate et acides aminés par le foie (F vs T : + 79 j60, + 108 % j60 ; + 118 % j14 ; p < 0,05). Ainsi, l'énergie est moins stockée au niveau hépatique et redistribuée vers les tissus périphériques chez F. Ceci est combiné à une augmentation des niveaux artériels d'alanine chez F vs T (+ 24 %, j60, p < 0,05) ce qui suggère une utilisation du glucose vers la synthèse d'alanine dans le muscle et une réorientation des voies d'utilisation/synthèse du glucose dans le foie et le muscle chez F. Parmi les facteurs pouvant expliquer les changements dans l'utilisation des nutriments énergétiques entre T et F, on constate une émission des AGCC par le TD supérieure chez F vs T uniquement à j14, liée à la dégradation des fibres solubles dans le côlon. Or, les AGCC sont connus pour réguler les voies du métabolisme énergétique via une action sur GPR41-43 [2]. Néanmoins, l'effet des fibres perdurant à j60, des médiateurs relais ou des régulations à long terme doivent s'être mis en place. La supplémentation en fibres alimentaires limite le stockage des lipides dans le foie en situation de surnutrition. Cet effet pourrait être médié dans les phases précoces du développement des dérégulations métaboliques par les AGCC via une altération de la répartition des nutriments énergétiques entre le foie et les tissus périphériques. Pour analyser cette hypothèse, des expressions de gènes, des analyses de protéomique et des activités enzymatiques du métabolisme énergético-azoté (foie, muscle, tissu adipeux) sont en cours.

Among the various operations of the breadmaking chain, the impact of shaping on dough cellular structure has scarcely been studied. In this work, wheat flour dough has been laminated under different roll gap conditions delta(mm)= (2,5,10, 20, infinity). Rheological properties were measured under large and small strains, by lubricated squeezing flow test and dynamic thermomechanical analysis, respectively. Laminating has a limited effect on the elongational viscosity of the dough. However, the minimum value of the ratio of storage modulus reached for gap delta = 5 mm suggests that gluten network structuration is improved in this case. The kinetics of porosity and shape ratio of fermenting laminated doughs were calculated from image analysis of dough follow-up during proofing. They showed that stability is improved for delta = 5 mm. Finally, Xray tomography experiments, performed on laminated rolled dough during proofing, confirmed that the main changes can be attributed to an increase of cellular homogeneity at delta = 5 mm, reflected by lower median gas cell size and less spread size distributions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

•Research trends at INRA in food and non-food biotechnologies are presented.•Grasping fermentation dynamics is crucial to design food with improved functions.•Enzyme, microorganism and microbial consortia are central to non-food biotechnology.•Bioprocess engineering development is critical for efficient lab to market transfer.•Synthetic biology is emerging as an important sub-area of industrial biotechnology.

Wheat is one of the most common cereal grains; it is rich in starch and can be ground into flour and semolina. The main objective of processing wheat is to make it more suitable from a practical, nutritional, food safety, human consumption and storage point of view. Processing methods are constantly being adjusted to improve the sensory properties of cereal products. This chapter presents the two products they are bread (leavened dough) and pasta (unleavened dough). Bread is obtained by baking dough in the oven after it has been kneaded, fermented and shaped. Pasta is made from a kneaded dough of semolina flour and water, which is shaped with a press and stabilized by drying (dried pasta); unlike bread, it does not rise, except minimally during cooking when the starch gelatinizes. Fermentation includes both microbiological activity (yeast and bacteria) and physicochemical changes in the dough.

This paper deals with the process of decision making in the reverse engineering mode and highlights the need for polyvalent information. Three aspects are considered. 1) Reverse engineering implies a preliminary assumption: having defined a desired outcome of the decision process. Defining goals on the possible outcomes is a complex, multi-actor process based on ubiquitous information. Once identified at best, several alternative scenarios may lead to the desired outcome. The first issue consists in evaluating these alternative scenarios. 2) While taking into consideration the positive consequences that the different alternatives will generate, the decision process has to allow for possible negative impacts, which are not explicitly expressed in the defined goals. We thus consider the reverse engineering process has to be bipolar and take rejections into account. 3) Finally, the simultaneous achievement (respectively, avoidance) of several goals (respectively, rejections) is not always possible and depends, in particular, on whether the actions leading to each of these goals (respectively avoiding these rejections) are compatible or not. We thus seek the "best" compatible set of actions and propose to define it as optimizing the bipolar preferences expressed on the outcomes. The approach is both graphical and logical and is focused on a case study in breadmaking technology.

The breadmaking process can be defined by the succession of operations with operating conditions as input variables and dough properties as output ones, any output variable at step i being an input at step i+1. In this paper, we strive to show how the main properties of bread, density, porosity and alveolar structure (crumb), can be predicted from basic knowledge models (BKMs). So we have defined the variables of breadmaking, proposed BKMs for the two first operations, mixing and proofing, and underlined the needs to define them for shaping and baking, after a short review of existing models. The specific energy delivered during mixing is determined by a simple balance equation in order to predict gluten structuration and dough viscosity, the main output of mixing operation. Then an analysis of dough proofing at different structural scales, by rheology and imaging, allows to assess its alveolar structure, and to fit the kinetics of porosity and stability by phenomenological models. Finally we show how these BKMs could be integrated in order to help the design of baked products with target properties.