Gastronomy, Volume 2, Issue 2 (June 2024) – 2 articles

The dough formation during the kneading for the industrial production of toast pan bread was examined using a series of mechanical tests to assess possible transformations in its rheological properties. For this purpose, the Young’s modulus of elasticity and squeeze flow viscometry of the doughs taken from various processing stages of the kneading process were determined. The rheological properties of the dough were assessed using dynamic and creep tests. Young’s modulus data revealed the changes in the elasticity of the dough exhibited during the different steps of kneading, whereas dynamic and creep tests indicated that throughout kneading, the dough displayed the behavior of a weak solid. Elongational viscosity measurements showed that the dough exhibited pseudoplastic behavior throughout the kneading process. The doughs from the various processing steps exhibited differences in zero shear viscosity values. It is suggested that the changes occurred during the processing stages, related to the development of secondary bonding within the gluten matrix. Full article

Over the last decade, volumes of international studies have illuminated the potential harms associated with ultra-processed products sold as foods. These potential harms include, but are not limited to, an increased risk of non-communicable diseases, poor mental health, and early mortality. Studies examining such products and health have included top-down methods (e.g., nutritional epidemiology), bottom-up approaches (e.g., animal and pre-clinical mechanistic studies), and human intervention trials. The identification of potential harms associated with high levels of food processing has been aided by the NOVA Food Classification System, developed around 2009. Here, in this perspective essay, we argue that lexicon matters, and the continued reference to such ultra-processed products as “foods” is a barrier to policy-related discourse. Using a historical framework, we contend that the term “ultra-processed food” sits in foundational misalignment with how food has been defined, perceived, deliberated on, engaged with, and experienced by humans over millennia. Moreover, we suggest that language that positions ultra-processed products as “food” is part of a mindset that privileges technology and the continued application of isolated nutrients as a means to remedy deeply rooted socioeconomic problems. In the context of global policy, the parallels between food-like ultra-processed products and tobacco are extraordinary. Full article