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This study investigates the influence of physical properties of powder on the potential functionality of inulin as a polymeric gelator. Inulin powder was characterized using high-performance anion exchange chromatography, wide-angle X-ray, and particle size. Moreover, the inulin–water system was described using rheological properties, optical microscopy, and textural analysis. Four commercial inulins (LC, Instant, Fib97, and HP) were characterized and dissolved in distilled water at three different concentrations (15, 20, and 25%, w/w) at 25 °C. Inulin LC (degree of polymerization, 18.80; semi-crystalline state) and HP (degree of polymerization, 23.74; amorphous state) formed a gel from a concentration of 15% (w/w) and 20%, respectively. Inulin Fib97 (degree of polymerization, 6; amorphous state) and Instant (degree of polymerization, 8; amorphous state) were not able to develop a gel structure. This indicates the significant effect of polymer chain length to form a gel. Textural properties as well as wide-angle X-ray scattering and optical microscopy ascertained a difference in inulin HP– and LC–water system properties. This dissimilarity is related to the different physical properties of powders such as crystallinity and particle size. Indeed, new inulin powders were produced, having the same chemical composition but different physical states (amorphous or crystalline) or particle sizes. The results showed that an amorphous powder with a bigger particle size gave a greater gelation of inulin–water systems. However, beyond a certain size of particles, the systems lose their gelation properties.

The presence of natural estrogens estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3) and synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in the aquatic environment has raised concerns because of their high potency as endocrine disrupting chemicals. The European Commission (EC) established a Watch List of contaminants of emerging concerns including E1, E2 and EE2. The proposed environmental quality standards (EQSs) are 3.6, 0.4, 0.035 ng/L, for E1, E2, EE2, respectively. A thorough evaluation of analytical procedures developed by several studies aiming to perform sampling campaigns in different European countries highlighted that the required limits of quantification in surface water were not reached, especially for EE2 and to a lesser extent for E2. Moreover, data regarding the occurrence of these contaminants in Belgian surface water are very limited. A sampling campaign was therefore performed on a wide range of rivers in Belgium (accounting for a total of 63 samples). The detection frequencies of E1, E2, E3 and EE2 were 100, 98, 86 and 48%, respectively. E1 showed the highest mean concentration (= 4.433 ng/L). In contrast, the mean concentration of EE2 was 0.042 ng/L. The risk quotients (RQs) were calculated based on the respective EQS of each analyte. The frequency of exceedance of the EQS was 31.7% for E1, EE2, while it increased to 44.4% for E2. The extent of exceedance of the EQS, represented by the 95th percentile of the RQ dataset, was higher than 1 for E1, E2, EE2. The use of a confusion matrix was investigated to try to predict the risk posed by E2, EE2, based on the concentration of E1.

Modulated differential scanning calorimetry, wide angle x-ray scattering, and environmental scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the physical and morphological properties of chicory root inulin spray dried under different conditions. When the feed temperature increased up to 80 °C, the average degree of polymerization of the solubilized fraction increased, leading to a higher glass transition temperature (Tg). Above 80 °C, the samples were completely amorphous, and the Tg did not change. The starting material was semicrystalline, and the melting region was composed of a dual endotherm; the first peak subsided as the feed temperature increased up to a temperature of 70 °C, whereas above 80 °C, no melting peak was observed as the samples were completely amorphous. To a lesser extent, the inlet air temperature of 230 °C allowed a higher amorphous content of the samples than at 120-170 °C but induced a blow-out of the particles.

The impact of the crystallinity of spray-dried inulins on their stability and physical properties was investigated after a conditioning of 1 week at different relative humidity levels (0% to 94%) at 20 °C. An environmental scanning electron microscopy study showed that the amorphous powders hardened at a relative humidity storage between 59% and 75%; while their semi-crystalline counterparts were partially agglomerated but friable in the same conditions. Caking was observed when the glass transition temperature of the amorphous phase of the material dropped below the storage temperature of the powder. It resulted in a crystallization of the structural units of varying lengths composing inulin, but also an increase of the crystallinity of the semi-crystalline ones. This study showed the importance of the crystallinity of inulin on its stability and physical properties during storage which is of crucial importance for the shelf-life of food and pharmaceutical products in the dry state.

Glass transition phenomena applied to powdered amorphous food carbohydrates. During these last fifteen years, some food technologists and scientists have become aware of the importance of the glass transition, a thermal property of glassy or amorphous material, in food preparation processes. Recent studies have successfully correlated this fundamental notion to technofunctional changes within the powder. The aim of this paper is to present in a non exhaustive manner the relationship between glass transition characteristics and applications in food technology (caking, alterations, etc.).

Au cours de ces quinze dernières années, certains technologues et scientifiques du domaine alimentaire ont pris conscience de l'importance de la transition vitreuse, propriété des matériaux amorphes ou vitreux, et cela dans les processus de préparation des aliments. C'est ainsi par exemple que des études récentes ont corrélé cette notion fondamentale de la transition vitreuse à des changements techno-fonctionnels des poudres contenant des sucres simples, des oligo- ou des polysaccharides. L'objectif de cet article est de présenter de manière non exhaustive des relations entre des caractéristiques de la transition vitreuse et des applications en technologie des aliments (mottage, altérations, etc.). Glass transition phenomena applied to powdered amorphous food carbohydrates. During these last fifteen years, some food technologists and scientists have become aware of the importance of the glass transition, a thermal property of glassy or amorphous material, in food preparation processes. Recent studies have successfully correlated this fundamental notion to technofunctional changes within the powder. The aim of this paper is to present in a non exhaustive manner the relationship between glass transition characteristics and applications in food technology (caking, alterations, etc.).

Glass transition phenomena applied to powdered amorphous food carbohydrates. During these last fifteen years, some food technologists and scientists have become aware of the importance of the glass transition, a thermal property of glassy or amorphous material, in food preparation processes. Recent studies have successfully correlated this fundamental notion to technofunctional changes within the powder. The aim of this paper is to present in a non exhaustive manner the relationship between glass transition characteristics and applications in food technology (caking, alterations, etc.). [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]