Muriel Jacquot

Active Food Packaging Evolution: Transformation from Micro- to Nanotechnology

Predicting which attributes consumers are willing to pay extra for has become straightforward in recent years. The demands for the prime necessity of food of natural quality, elevated safety, minimally processed, ready-to-eat, and longer shelf-life have turned out to be matters of paramount importance. The increased awareness of environmental conservation and the escalating rate of foodborne illnesses have driven the food industry to implement a more innovative solution, i.e. bioactive packaging. Owing to nanotechnology application in eco-favorable coatings and encapsulation systems, the probabilities of enhancing food quality, safety, stability, and efficiency have been augmented. In this review article, the collective results highlight the food nanotechnology potentials with special focus on its application in active packaging, novel nano- and microencapsulation techniques, regulatory issues, and socio-ethical scepticism between nano-technophiles and nano-technophobes. No one has yet indicated the comparison of data concerning food nano- versus micro-technology; therefore noteworthy results of recent investigations are interpreted in the context of bioactive packaging. The next technological revolution in the domain of food science and nutrition would be the 3-BIOS concept enabling a controlled release of active agents through bioactive, biodegradable, and bionanocomposite combined strategy.

Antioxidant capacity and light-aging study of HPMC films functionalized with natural plant extract

The aims of this work were to functionalize edible hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) films with natural coloring biomolecules having antioxidant capacity and to study their photo-aging stability in the films. HPMC films containing a natural red color compound (NRC) at the level of 1, 2, 3 or 4% (v/v) were prepared by a casting method. A slight degradation of films color was observed after 20 days of continuous light exposure. The antioxidant activity of NRC incorporated films was stable during different steps of film formation and 20 days of dark storage. On the other hand, antioxidant activity of samples stored under light was significantly affected after 20 days. FTIR (Fourier Transformed Infrared) spectroscopy was used to characterize the new phenolic polymeric structures and to study the photo-degradation of films. The results showed a good polymerization phenomenon between NRC and HPMC in polymer matrix giving a natural color to the films. NRC showed an ability to protect pure HPMC films against photo-degradation. This phenomenon was directly proportional to the concentration of NRC.

Biosynthesis and role of 3-methylbutanal in cheese by lactic acid bacteria: Major metabolic pathways, enzymes involved, and strategies for control

ABSTRACT Branched chain aldehyde, 3-methylbutanal is associated as a key flavor compound with many hard and semi-hard cheese varieties. The presence and impact of this flavor compound in bread, meat, and certain beverages has been recently documented, however its presence and consequences regarding cheese flavor were not clearly reported. This paper gives an overview of the role of 3-methylbutanal in cheese, along with the major metabolic pathways and key enzymes leading to its formation. Moreover, different strategies are highlighted for the control of this particular flavor compound in specific cheese types.

On the Colours of Odours

IntroductionIn the present study, we explore the existence of cross-cultural differences in odour-colour correspondences between two European countries with geographic proximity and shared history: England and France. Moreover, we test whether a single chromatic arrangement can be used to represent an odour in both countries, even if the odour-colour association for this odour differed.MethodsThe responses of 59 British and 60 French participants to the same set of odorants were compared. In the second part of the study, the ability of ‘chromatic cards’ to represent odours was tested. Those chromatic cards are objective coloured arrangements generated by a new patented scientific tool developed at Lorraine University (patent FR no. 1255688). This tool is based on a neural network algorithm for colour forecasting. It generates a chromatic card that represents any odour from its chemical composition and sensory description. In this study, participants were presented with three cards obtained from an analysis of lavender, cucumber and peppermint odours. First, the participants had to name the odour evoked by each card. Next, they selected from amongst three different olfactory stimuli the one that best matched each card.Results and DiscussionSignificant colour characterisations were observed for each and every one of the odours tested in both populations. Moreover, both commonalities and differences were reported between the two populations in terms of the odour-colour associations that they exhibited. The chromatic representations evoked the appropriate odour percept and were significantly associated to their related odours in both of the populations.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the existence of common colour representations of odours amongst French and British participants, though some differences were also found. Despite these differences, we were able to validate the relevancy of using single chromatic arrangements in both countries in order to communicate odour information. The latter result may open up the way for a number of potentially important applications in the design and marketing of both food and non-food products.

Optimization of the components concentrations of the lactoperoxidase system by RSM

Aims:  The aim of this work was to use response surface methodology (RSM) approach, a statistical mathematical tool, to model effects and interactions of glucose oxidase (GOD), glucose, lactoperoxidase (LPO) and pH‐values on the thiocyanate (SCN−) peroxidation, to determine the best concentrations of lactoperoxidase system (LP‐s) components in order to obtain maximal SCN− peroxidation and so to enhance the LP‐s antibacterial effects.

On the colours of odours: Are the French really so different from the British?

It has been argued that culture-specific experiences exert a profound influence on various basic aspects of odour perception. Differences in terms of odour-colour associations might therefore be expected as a function of the culture in which people live, especially when the functions of odours and the symbolism of colours differ between countries (Maric and Jacquot, 2012). In the present study, we investigated the influence of experience on odour-colour correspondences at a European level. In Experiment 1, the responses of 59 British and 60 French participants to the same set of 16 odorants were compared. In each country, untrained participants were first presented with odorants and asked to select among 24 colours the one that best matched each given olfactory stimulus. Next, they rated each odour according to 4 descriptors: intensity, familiarity, pleasantness and edibility. Significant colour characterizations were observed for all the tested odours in both populations. No differences were reported between French and British groups in terms of the odour-colour associations that they exhibited. In Experiment 2, ‘chromatic cards’, generated for each odorant on the basis of the colours associated by the French participants were generated. 60 British participants were presented with 3 chromatic cards and asked, first, to name the odour which each card evocated, and second, to select from amongst 3 different olfactory stimuli the one that best matched each card. The results revealed that French chromatic cards were significantly associated to their related odours by the British participants. These results highlight the existence of robust crossmodal odour-colour correspondences among Northern Europeans. Our results raise some important questions concerning the representation of odours in different cultures. The practical applications of our findings will also be discussed.