Showing papers by "Gilles Feron published in 2017"

The degree of processing of foods which are most widely consumed by the French elderly population is associated with satiety and glycemic potentials and nutrient profiles

Abstract: Food processing impacts both food structure and nutritional density. The effect of food structure on satiety and glycemic potentials is well recognized. However, the association between processing, satiety and glycemic potentials and nutrient profiles has not been much studied, especially in the diets of the elderly. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring relations between the level of food processing, consumption and nutrient profiles and satiety and glycemic potentials among 6686 French elderly people (≥65 years). Dietary assessment was realized through a web-based 24 h dietary record tool. Among a total of 2688 foods, 280 generic foods were aggregated based on a consumption threshold of at least 5% by the population. The satiety potential was calculated using the Fullness Factor equation, and the glycemic potential using the glycemic index and the glucose glycemic equivalent. Foods and dishes were ranked according to an adapted international NOVA classification as raw/minimally-processed (G1), processed (G2) and ultra-processed (G3). ANOVA and correlation analyses showed that the more food is processed, the lower its satiety potential and nutrient density and the higher its glycemic impact, especially when comparing G1 and G3. Besides, the foods consumed in the greatest quantity daily tend to be the most satiating, and ultra-processed foods were among the less frequently consumed both in terms of percentage and daily quantity (around two-fold difference between minimally- and ultra-processed foods). In conclusion, because it is partly related to health food potential, the degree of processing, especially for ultra-processed products, should be taken into consideration more when evaluating consumption profiles of different populations.

Behavioral and physiological determinants of food choice and consumption at sensitive periods of the life span, a focus on infants and elderly

Abstract: Infancy and old age are two crucial periods in the human life span. During infancy, early exposure to a large variety of flavor and texture plays a key role in shaping food acceptability and later eating habits. In elderly people, food history is one of the major determinants of food choice. In both populations, sensory and oral motor skills are important determinants of food choice. During eating, the formation of a food bolus that can be safely swallowed is a complex oral process, and the oral capacity to perform this process impacts directly food acceptability or rejection both in infants or elderly. Food liking in elderly is also impacted by chemosensory impairment. The specificities of these populations imply to conduct active researches aiming at proposing novel food products better adapted to them but also guidelines to caregivers who are widely involved in their feeding practices.

New determinants of olfactory habituation.

Abstract: Habituation is a filter that optimizes the processing of information by our brain in all sensory modalities. It results in an unconscious reduced responsiveness to continuous or repetitive stimulation. In olfaction, the main question is whether habituation works the same way for any odorant or whether we habituate differently to each odorant? In particular, whether chemical, physical or perceptual cues can limit or increase habituation. To test this, the odour intensity of 32 odorants differing in physicochemical characteristics was rated by 58 participants continuously during 120s. Each odorant was delivered at a constant concentration. Results showed odorants differed significantly in habituation, highlighting the multifactoriality of habituation. Additionally habituation was predicted from 15 physico-chemical and perceptual characteristics of the odorants. The analysis highlighted the importance of trigeminality which is highly correlated to intensity and pleasantness. The vapour pressure, the molecular weight, the Odor Activity Value (OAV) and the number of double bonds mostly contributed to the modulation of habituation. Moreover, length of the carbon chain, number of conformers and hydrophobicity contributed to a lesser extent to the modulation of habituation. These results highlight new principles involved in the fundamental process of habituation, notably trigeminality and the physicochemical characteristics associated.

Chewing bread: impact on alpha-amylase secretion and oral digestion

Abstract: During chewing, saliva helps in preparing the food bolus by agglomerating the formed particles, and it initiates enzymatic food breakdown. However, limited information is actually available on the adaptation of saliva composition during the oral processing of complex foods, especially for foods that are sensitive to salivary enzymes. We addressed this question in the context of starch-based products and salivary alpha-amylase. The objectives were two-fold: (1) to determine if salivary alpha-amylase secretion can be modulated by the bread type and (2) to evaluate the contribution of the oral phase in bread enzymatic breakdown. Mouthfuls of three different wheat breads (industrial, artisan and whole-meal breads) were chewed by twelve subjects. Saliva samples were collected at rest and at different times corresponding to 33, 66 and 100% of the individual's chewing sequence. Alpha-amylase activity and total protein content were determined for all saliva samples that were collected. Additionally, the salivary maltose concentration was measured as a marker of bread enzymatic digestion. Boluses were collected at the swallowing time to evaluate the saliva uptake. Chewing industrial bread induced higher saliva uptake than the other breads despite a similar chewing duration. The evolution of salivary amylase activity tended to depend on the type of bread and was highly influenced by a large degree of inter- and intra-subject variability. The protein and maltose concentration steadily increased during chewing as a result of bread breakdown. The salivary protein concentration was mainly affected by the release of the water-soluble proteins of the bread. The salivary maltose concentration was found to be significantly lower for the whole-meal bread. When considering the weight of the mouthful, enzymatic breakdown was found to be most efficient for the breads ranking from industrial > artisan > whole-meal.

Differences in the Density of Fungiform Papillae and Composition of Saliva in Patients With Taste Disorders Compared to Healthy Controls.

Abstract: This study investigated the relation of the fungiform taste papillae density and saliva composition with the taste perception of patients suffering from diagnosed taste disorders. For this purpose, 81 patients and 40 healthy subjects were included. Taste was measured by means of regional and whole mouth chemosensory tests, and electrogustometry. Olfaction was assessed using the Sniffin Sticks. Fungiform papillae were quantified using the "Denver Papillae Protocol for Objective Analysis of Fungiform Papillae". In addition, salivary parameters [flow rate, total proteins, catalase, total anti-oxidative capacity (TAC), carbonic anhydrase VI (caVI), and pH] were determined and the Beck Depression Inventory was administered. Patients showed less taste papillae compared to healthy subjects. The number of papillae correlated with total taste strip score and salivary flow rate. Regarding salivary parameters, the flow rate, protein concentration, and TAC of patients were higher compared to controls. In addition, salivary flow rate, protease, caVI, and catalase values correlated with the summed taste strip score. Regarding various taste disorders, salty-dysgeusia patients showed the lowest taste test scores compared to those with bitter or metal-dysgeusia. Olfactory function of patients was significantly worse compared to healthy controls. This difference was most pronounced for ageusia patients. Compared to controls, patients also exhibited higher depressive symptoms. The density of fungiform papillae seemed to be positively associated with taste perception. Furthermore, patients exhibited changes in saliva composition (higher salivary flow rate, increased protein concentration, proteolysis, and TAC) compared to controls indicating that assessment of saliva may be critical for the diagnostic procedure in taste disorders.

Model cheese aroma perception is explained not only by in vivo aroma release but also by salivary composition and oral processing parameters

Abstract: The aim of the present paper was to determine, from four model cheeses differing in fat content and firmness and consumed by fourteen well characterised subjects, the respective impacts of in vivo aroma release, bolus rheology, chewing activity, mouth coating and salivary composition on dynamic aroma perception. The originality of the approach is that it considers all the parameters together and is able to evaluate their relative contribution using multi-block partial least square (MB-PLS) regression. The fruity aroma perception of the more hydrophilic compound (ethyl propanoate) was related to its dynamic release parameters before swallowing whereas the blue cheese aroma perception of the more hydrophobic compound (nonan-2-one) was related to its dynamic release parameters after swallowing and was highly impacted by mouth coating. Moreover the MB-PLS approach made it possible to evidence the combined effects of saliva composition and cross-modal interactions to understand why in some cases dynamic aroma perception could not be explained by dynamic in vivo aroma release data. Subjects with a low sodium content in saliva perceived fruity aroma which is not congruent with saltiness as less intense and salt- congruent (blue cheese) aroma as more intense, which was explained by their higher sensitivity to salt. Subjects with high lipolysis activity perceived fruity aroma which is not congruent to fat as less intense and fat-congruent (blue cheese) aroma as more intense, which should be explained by the link between lipolysis activity and fat sensitivity. These results could be considered for the reformulation of foods towards specific populations taking into account nutritional recommendations.

Using food comfortability to compare food's sensory characteristics expectations of elderly people with or without oral health problems.

Abstract: Food consumption is by far the most important point where food's organoleptic properties can be perceived and can elicit sensory pleasure. Ageing is often accompanied by oral impairments. Those impairments may impact food perception by changing texture perception and the release of flavor components, which have a significant impact on food acceptability. The present study aimed at evaluating the impact of oral health on the perception of food comfortability in an elderly population. This was achieved by asking elderly people with a good oral health and elderly people with poor oral health to rate six cereal products and six meat products using a food comfortability questionnaire. Thirty-seven and 35 elderly people (65–87 years old) underwent either a cereal or meat session, respectively. The present study showed very few effects of dental and saliva status on food perception. For the cereal products, a significant effect of dental status was observed for one texture descriptor and one flavor descriptor, and a significant effect of salivary status was observed for two texture descriptors and one flavor descriptor. For the meat products, a significant effect of dental status and a significant effect of salivary status were observed on one flavor descriptor. For both products, no significant impact of dental or salivary status was observed on the general perception of food oral comfort nor on food bolus formation. Future studies exploring the impact of a broader set of oral parameters and potential adapting factors are needed to further explore the results of the present study. Practical applications During oral food consumption, mastication, salivation, and swallowing play a key role in the acceptance of food and beverages by modulating the perception of texture, taste, and aroma, as well as providing eating comfort by assisting the food breakdown process into a bolus that can be safely swallowed. The age-related oral impairments such as loss of teeth, decrease in salivary flow or dysphagia are known to have an impact on food consumption. However, very few products are developed to skirt those impairments. Therefore, in the context of an ageing population, there is a need to develop functional foods that meet the specific nutritional needs of the elderly population, as well as a well-balanced flavor and texture framework. Considering the large interindividual variability observed on the elderly people, developing adapted functional foods is a major challenge for the food industry and society.