Scientists in Australia and New Zealand have used three-dimensional computational modelling to reveal the dynamics of food breakdown and flavour release during human chewing. The model can incorporate equations representing mechanical properties, and physical and chemical changes to build up a picture of human mastication.
In recent years, increasing health concerns related to the formulation of processed foods has left food producers with the task of reducing components such as salt, sugar and fat whilst retaining a sensory pleasing food product for the consumer. By computationally modelling mastication, scientists hope to simulate sensory stimuli to predict consumer perceptions of food as they eat.
Interested to know more? Read the full article Chemistry World here…
Challenges in computational modelling of food breakdown and flavour release
Simon M. Harrison, Paul W. Cleary, Graham Eyres, Matthew D. Sinnott and Leif Lundin
Food Funct., 2014, 5, 2792-2805
DOI: 10.1039/C4FO00786G
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The front cover of issue 11 features artwork by Ashok R. Patel from Gent University. With his colleagues, Ashok’s paper demonstrates a novel way of using food polysaccharides to structure liquid oil into oleogels and further explore its potential application as a shortening alternative.
The front cover features artwork by Sophie Gallier from the University of Otago. Sophie’s paper with her colleagues investigates, the stomach emptying rate (SER) of almond lipids (0.2 g of fat per 2 mL of almond lipid suspension) as a function of the food matrix.
