Foams are omnipresent in our daily lives, playing crucial roles in various consumables such as beers, coffees, breads, and desserts like ice cream. Despite their prevalence, the complexity of foam structures and dynamics remain poorly understood, posing significant challenges to scientists and food technologists alike. Recent collaborations between the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and Aarhus University have aimed to bridge this gap, facilitating a deeper investigation into foam behavior and paving the way for innovations in food science.
Unraveling the characteristics of foam requires meticulous analysis and a breadth of analytical techniques. Leonardo Chiappisi, a researcher at ILL and the coordinator of the Partnership for Soft Condensed Matter (PSCM), articulates the complexities of foam analysis, noting that structural parameters span an extensive range, from macroscopic to nanometric scales. The delicate nature of foams further complicates this analysis, as they are inherently unstable, involving processes of formation, drainage, and eventual collapse. These intricacies mean that studying foam necessitates a high degree of precision and multiple analytical approaches to acquire a comprehensive understanding of its structural nuances.
At ILL, innovative techniques have been developed to conduct detailed characterizations of foams. An experimental setup has been designed specifically to generate foam samples in situ, while enabling simultaneous multidimensional analysis through small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), imaging, and electrical conductivity measurements. This integrated approach allows researchers to capture foam’s rapidly changing dynamics while gleaning insights across varied length scales.
SANS stands out as a technique capable of illuminating the nano-scale structural dynamics of foam. By analyzing the scattering patterns produced when a beam of neutrons interacts with foam samples, researchers can extract vital structural information that reveals the composition and arrangement of bubbles at minute scales. What makes the D22 and D33 diffractometers at ILL particularly advantageous is their capacity to operate with multiple detectors, facilitating comprehensive data acquisition in one experimental run—a feature of utmost importance when dealing with the inherently unstable nature of foams.
The non-invasive nature of neutrons enables extensive probing of foam samples without disrupting their structure, thus maintaining the integrity of the measurements. The wider diameter of the neutron beams also means that a significant number of foam bubbles can be analyzed simultaneously, ensuring that the results garnered are statistically robust. This method—when synthesized with optical imaging data and correlating electrical conductivity measurements—yields invaluable insights into foam’s structural composition, which is critical for meaningful quantitative analysis.
ILL’s commitment to fostering societal impact underscores its mission to make sophisticated science accessible across various applied fields. The capabilities honed for extensive foam characterization have been showcased at numerous conferences, the LINXS Northern Lights on Food Conference being a notable example. By converging food science expertise with knowledge of advanced characterization methods, these conferences aim to tackle intricate challenges faced in the food sector.
As current global trends push for a transition from animal-based to plant-based diets for improved nutrition and sustainability, the importance of understanding plant-derived proteins and their functionalities has never been more urgent. Milena Corredig, a food science professor at Aarhus University, emphasizes the hurdles posed by this transition, noting that the challenges faced when processing plant-based proteins often lead to undesirable outcomes, such as poor taste and texture when mimicking traditional dairy products.
Chiappisi and Corredig, alongside their teams, have merged their expertise to address these challenges, initially focusing on pea albumin—an innovative, water-soluble protein derived from peas that holds promise for use in foaming applications within the food industry. While neutron scattering presents an advantageous avenue for studying soft matter, Corredig articulates the complexities of translating food science issues into experimental proposals suitable for facilities like ILL. This communication barrier, often rooted in differing terminologies and conceptual frameworks, represents a primary obstacle in collaborative research.
Through academic collaboration, efforts have been made to establish cohesive methodologies and shared vocabulary that incorporate the insights of both food science and condensed matter physics into the study of pea albumin-based foams. The groundwork laid at PSCM focused on optimizing preparation procedures, validating experiment feasibility in SANS, and developing comprehensive models to analyze scattering data meaningfully. This interdisciplinary work culminates in a significant publication in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, advancing our understanding of foams stabilized by pea-derived proteins.
Such studies not only delve into the structural characteristics of foams but also mark a notable step towards the development of plant-based products that can rival their animal-derived counterparts. As the understanding of these foam systems progresses, it brings the food industry closer to delivering high-quality, plant-based alternatives that meet consumer expectations on texture and flavor.
The collaboration between the ILL and Aarhus University represents a powerful model for how interdisciplinary research can catalyze innovations in food science and beyond. Overcoming the challenges of understanding complex systems like foams allows for the potential development of new products and textures that could reshape current dietary norms and promote more sustainable practices within the food production and consumption landscape.
Advancing the understanding of foam structure and stability is crucial not just for food science but also for broader applications in material science and engineering where foams are integral to product formulation. The insights garnered from neutron scattering and collaborative research may lead to breakthroughs that redefine how foamy textures can be engineered in various applications, from culinary creativity to industrial processing.
As such, the journey to mastering foam technology is set to continue, with each new discovery enriching the narrative of food innovation and sustainability in our ever-evolving global landscape.
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Subject of Research: Foam characterization and plant-derived proteins
Article Title: A time-resolved investigation at multiple-length scales of the structure of liquid foam stabilized by albumins from pea
News Publication Date: 15-Jan-2025
Web References: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2024.09.086
References: Not available
Image Credits: ILL
Keywords
Foams, Neutrons, Plant proteins, Scientific collaboration, Soft matter, Albumin, Food science.
