The model foods and the food models to be created should have different ultimate aims:
• Functional (nutrition, sensory, bioavailability, etc.)
• Product and/or process innovation base – reverse engineering
• Sustainability – eco-design of products and processes
• Proof of concept
• Genericity of reactions, transformations, etc.
• Cost optimisation
• Development of the functionalities of raw materials without fractionation
Fields and expertise involved, technical means required
• Physical chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, processes
• Mathematics, statistics
Expertise required for addressing complexity
• Multidisciplinary and integrated approaches
• Multi-partner projects
• Experience with model food/food model dialogue
• Knowledge of sectors and applications
Technical means
• Manufacturing under realistic conditions, instrumentation
• Analyses at all relevant time and space scales
• Powerful calculation tools, modelling
The programme structure is presented below, along with the objectives of each of the three thematic axes
Integrating variability and heterogeneity
Variability of the raw material – characterisation, control and development
Process heterogeneity: using processes to innovate within a reverse engineering approach, adapting processes and products
Reaction system dynamics
Obtaining information in real-time, coupling
Controlling transfers within processes
Identifying markers and monitoring their kinetic changes with sensor- or tracer-type tools
Obtaining a reaction scheme
Compartmentalisation of structured systems
Identifying relevant scales at which compartmentalisation occurs
Identifying concentrated systems and the laws that govern behaviours: continuity and discontinuity, homogeneity and heterogeneity
Understanding the behaviour of solutes (water, gas, etc.) in discontinuous environments
A cross-disciplinary "eco-design" approach that integrates the results of the three axes
Eco-designing products and processes, taking the overall "system" into account
The programme will benefit from experience acquired within the dvision in terms of model development:
• Typology of models used in recent projects
Liquid phase plus fat (emulsions, etc.)
Solid phase plus fat (cheese matrices)
Cellular and intrinsically structured solids
Liquids, powders
Proteins in solution
• Typology of issues considered
Reactivity
Supramolecular edifices of biomolecules
Construct and deconstruct
How to model?
• Obstacles/difficulties to eliminate
Transformation dynamics: reaction, kinetics, transfer/reaction coupling; structuring, system biology/process coupling; on-line measurements, quantitative measurements
What relevant generic model? At what scale?
Non-reproducibility of models due to variations in raw materials
Often excessive preparation time for complex models
The platforms, facilities, equipment, tools and databases of the Division available for the programme
