Yvonne Schneider

Ultrasonic excitation affects friction interactions between food materials and cutting tools.

In the food industry, ultrasonic cutting is used to improve separation by a reduction of the cutting force. This reduction can be attributed to the modification of tool-workpiece interactions at the cutting edge and along the tool flanks because of the superposition of the cutting movement with ultrasonic vibration of the cutting tool. In this study, model experiments were used to analyze friction between the flanks of a cutting tool and the material to be cut. Friction force at a commercial cutting sonotrode was quantified using combined cutting-friction experiments, and sliding friction tests were carried out by adapting a standard draw-off assembly and using an ultrasonic welding sonotrode as sliding surface. The impact of material parameters, ultrasonic amplitude, and the texture of the contacting food surface on friction force was investigated. The results show that ultrasonic vibration significantly reduces the sliding friction force. While the amplitude showed no influence within the tested range, the texture of the contact surface of the food affects the intensity of ultrasonic transportation effects. These effects are a result of mechanical interactions and of changes in material properties of the contact layer, which are induced by the deformation of contact points, friction heating and absorption heating because of the dissipation of mechanical vibration energy.

Dynamic moisture sorption characteristics of xerogels from water-swellable oligo(oxyethylene) lignin derivatives.

Highly swellable lignin derivatives were prepared by cross-linking of oxidatively preactivated spruce organosolv lignin (OSL) with poly(ethylene) glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE). The lignin gels obtained are considered to be an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic hydrogels and superabsorbents and represent a novel type of lignin based functional materials. For their application, it is not only the absorption of water in terms of hydrogel swelling that plays an important role, but also the adsorption and retention of moisture by the corresponding xerogels. To reveal the mechanisms involved in moistening and reswelling of the lignin gels, the interaction of water vapor with lyophilized xerogels was investigated and compared with sorption characteristics of parent lignin. The chemical structure of PEGDGE-modified lignin was investigated using attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy and selective aminolysis and was related to its sorption and swelling characteristics. Bound and free water in hydrogels was determined by differential scanning calorimetry and by measuring the free swelling capacity of the gels. Moisture sorption of OSL and PEGDGE-modified lignin xerogels was determined using dynamic vapor sorption analysis. In order to determine monolayer and multilayer sorption parameters, sorption data were fitted to the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and the Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer model. Swelling properties of the hydrogels and moisture sorption of the corresponding xerogels were found to be strongly dependent on the degree of chemical modification with PEGDGE: Total and free water content of hydrogels decrease with increasing cross-linking density; on the other hand, water bound in hydrogels and moisture sorption of xerogels at high levels of water activity strongly increase, presumably because of the hydration of hydrophilic oligo(oxyethylene) and oligo(oxyethylene) glycol substituents, which lead to moisture diffusion into the xerogel matrix, plasticization, and swelling of the gels.

Dynamic moisture sorption characteristics of enzyme-resistant recrystallized cassava starch.

The interaction of moisture with enzyme-resistant recrystallized starch, prepared by heat-moisture treatment of debranched acid-modified or debranched non-acid-modified cassava starch, was investigated in comparison with the native granules. Crystallinities of the powdered products were estimated by X-ray diffraction. Moisture sorption was determined using dynamic vapor sorption analyzer and data fitted to various models. Percent crystallinities of native starch (NS), non-acid-modified recrystallized starch (NAMRS), and acid-modified recrystallized starch (AMRS) were 39.7, 51.9, and 56.1%, respectively. In a(w) below 0.8, sorption decreased in the order NS > NAMRS > AMRS in line with increasing sample crystallinities but did not follow this crystallinity dependence at higher a(w) because of condensation and polymer dissolution effects. Adsorbed moisture became internally absorbed in NS but not in NAMRS and AMRS, which might explain the high resistance of the recrystallized starches to digestion because enzyme and starch cannot approach each other over fairly sufficient surface at the molecular level.

Ultrasonic Cutting of Foods

In the field of food engineering, cutting is usually classified as a mechanical unit operation dealing with size reduction by applying external forces on a bulk product. Ultrasonic cutting is realized by superpositioning the macroscopic feed motion of the cutting device or of the product with a microscopic vibration of the cutting tool. The excited tool interacts with the product and generates a number of effects. Primary energy concentration in the separation zone and the modification of contact friction along the tool flanks arise from the cyclic loading and are responsible for benefits such as reduced cutting force, smooth cut surface, and reduced product deformation. Secondary effects such as absorption and cavitation originate from the propagation of the sound field in the product and are closely related to chemical and physical properties of the material to be cut. This chapter analyzes interactions between food products and ultrasonic cutting tools and relates these interactions with physical and chemical product properties as well as with processing parameters like cutting velocity, ultrasonic amplitude and frequency, and tool design.

Diversity of sensory profiles and physicochemical characteristics of commercial hot chocolate drinks from cocoa powders and block chocolates

The aim of this study was to determine the sensory profiles and related physicochemical properties of commercial hot chocolate drink preparations. Nine samples of hot chocolate drinks including instant cocoa powder with (CPM) or without powdered milk (CP) and block chocolate (BC), available in Germany, were evaluated by a sensory panel using quantitative descriptive analysis with fifteen attributes describing appearance, odour, texture and flavour. Composition showed distinct effects on sensory properties, with each product category (CPM, CP, and BC) being represented by a characteristic sensory profile. CPMs are characterized by the significantly smallest particle size, lowest viscosity and lightness, highest pH, and cocoa-like sensory properties. CPs showed intermediate particle size, viscosity, lightness, and pH, and were described by sugar and milk properties. BCs had the significantly largest particle size, highest viscosity and lightness, and lowest pH. Noticeable in the sensory description of BCs are large particles, oil droplets and a less cocoa-like and unbalanced taste. Generally, cocoa and milk properties are opposites and proportional to cocoa and protein content, respectively. Beverage rheology is greatly influenced by fat content, while colour is directly linked to the protein content. Milk reconstitution from powder does not match milk as dispersant and consequently enhances cocoa properties of hot chocolate drinks.