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PRINCIPAL PUBLICATION AND AUTHORS

A synchrotron X-ray scattering study of the crystallization behavior of mixtures of confectionary triacylglycerides: Effect of chemical composition and shear on polymorphism and kinetics, E. Simone (a,b), M. Rappolt (b), H. Ewens (b), T. Rutherford (c), S. Marty Terrade (d), F. Giuffrida (d), C. Marmet (d), Food Res. Int. 177, 113864 (2024); https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113864 (a) Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, Torino (Italy) (b) School of Food Science and Nutrition, Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, University of Leeds, Leeds (UK) (c) Nestlé Product Technology Centre Confectionery, York (UK) (d) Nestlé Research, Lausanne (Switzerland) SANS and SAXS: A Love Story to unravel structural evolution of soy proteins and polysaccharide fibres during high moisture extrusion for meat alternatives, E.D. Garina (a), R. den Adel (b), J.P.M. van Duynhoven (b,c), G.N. Smith (d), R.M. Dalgliesh (d), M. Sztucki (e), W.G. Bouwman (a), Food Hydrocoll. 155, 110121 (2024); https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2024.110121 (a) Department of Radiation Science and Technology, Delft University of Technology, Delft (The Netherlands) (b) Unilever Global Foods Innovation Centre, Wageningen (The Netherlands) (c) Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen (The Netherlands) (d) ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton (UK) (e) ESRF

Advancing food innovation through synchrotron techniques

The ESRF plays a pivotal role in helping food companies improve product quality and sustainability by providing access to advanced research techniques. Two notable case studies, utilizing small-angle X-ray scattering at beamline ID02, exemplify the successful application of ESRF’s services in the food sector.

The first study, involving researchers from Politecnico di Torino, Nestlé, and the University of Leeds, focused on the crystallization behaviour of cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs). CBEs are increasingly used as substitutes for cocoa butter in chocolate production, but their crystallization properties remain poorly understood, which significantly impacts texture and quality of chocolate. By using advanced techniques such as chromatography, differential calorimetry, and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) at beamline ID02, the team studied the relationship between the molecular composition and crystallization behaviour of various CBEs. Their findings highlighted how triglyceride composition and shear forces

can affect the formation of the desirable crystal forms (Figure 124). This molecular-level understanding of CBE crystallization is crucial for improving CBE formulations in the food and cosmetics industries.

The second study, conducted by researchers from Unilever’s Global Foods Innovation Centre and Delft and Wageningen universities in the Netherlands, explored high-moisture extrusion (HME) to develop sustainable, plant-based meat alternatives. The team used small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) at ISIS in the UK and SAXS at ESRF beamline ID02 to investigate the structural evolution of plant proteins and polysaccharides during HME. Their research revealed that protein fibril alignment begins in the extruder and continues through the cooling die, while polysaccharide fibres achieve strong local alignment in the transition zone. These insights into nanostructural evolution are vital for enhancing the texture and quality of plant-based meat products.

These case studies demonstrate how ESRF’s synchrotron X-rays can be of use to industry to drive food innovation, improve product quality, and support industry’s transition toward more sustainable practices.

Fig. 124: a) SAXS pattern of cocoa butter crystallized in the absence of shear at −2°C/min from 65°C. b) SAXS patterns of the same samples subjected to the same temperature profile in the presence of shear (1000 s−1).