Diagnostique des pratiques de fumage de la viande de poulet (Gallus gallus) dans la ville de Lome au Togo

Le fumage traditionnel du poulet est une pratique moins répandue au Togo comparativement au fumage du poisson. De plus en plus, cette pratique devient une activité économique qui occupe bon nombre de femmes et satisfait une frange de consommateurs. Cette étude visait à décrire et à caractériser l’activité de fumage de la viande de poulet à travers ses composantes telles que les acteurs, les procédés et les conditions de production dans la ville de Lomé au Togo. Pour ce faire, une enquête exploratoire par ratissage systématique des acteurs (processors de fumage) et un suivi des étapes technologiques ont été réalisés. L’étude a révélé que la  production du poulet fumé à Lomé est une activité menée uniquement par des femmes. Près de 53,3% de ces femmes ont été alphabétisées dont 6,7% ont eu à franchir le niveau primaire. Elles transformaient exclusivement les poulets importés sous forme entière ou de découpes en poulets fumés qu’elles commercialisaient elles-mêmes. Le fumage du poulet passait par la décongélation, le lavage, l’assaisonnement et/ou la pré-cuisson et le fumage proprement dit. Il existait une variation dans la conduite de ces opérations unitaires d’une productrice à une autre mais la différence essentielle observée se situait au niveau du traitement appliqué au poulet avant le fumage. La conduite du fumage était empirique utilisant comme combustibles le bois combiné à différents matériaux  végétaux principalement la sciure de bois, les coques de noix de coco, les enveloppes de maïs séché et les cartons de récupération. L’équipement utilisé, ékpo ou ado en langue locale Ewé est une sorte de four traditionnel couramment utilisé dans les pratiques culinaires au Togo. La durée moyenne du fumage était environ de 60,33 ± 10,6 min et la température moyenne atteinte à cœur du poulet est de 82,51 ± 5,8 °C. Le poulet fumé, essentiellement transformé pour les besoins de goût, a une durée de conservation assez limitée (<24 heures) à température ambiante. Malgré les conditions de travail précaires et des règles d’hygiène peu observées sur les sites de production, le poulet fumé semble satisfaire les consommateurs. De ce fait, des études complémentaires de caractérisation sensorielle, physicochimique et microbiologique seraient nécessaires pour évaluer la qualité de ces poulets fumés. Mots clés : poulet fumé, fumage traditionnel, procédé, fumoir traditionnel, Lom

A multilevel investigation supported by multivariate analysis for tomato product formulation

Industrial processing of tomato includes its cutting and mincing, thermal treatments, and the addition of ingredients, which might induce changes in physicochemical properties of the final products. In this frame, the impact of texturing/thickening [xanthan gum (X) or potato fiber (F)] on the macroscopic, mesoscopic and molecular properties of tomato double concentrate (TDC) was investigated to determine if F can efficiently substitute X, in association with small solutes (sugar and salt) and thermal treatment (cold and hot). At a macroscopic level, multivariate statistics (MANOVA) underlined that color change (ΔE) was increased by X and F addition contrary to heating and the addition of salt and sugar. MANOVA revealed that texture was greatly enhanced through the use of F over X. 1H NMR molecular mobility changes were more controlled by texturing agents (F and X) than thermal treatment and small solutes. Particularly F increased the more rigid population indicating stronger interaction with water molecules resulting in shear-thinning flow. However, adding X contributed into the increase of the dynamic and mobile populations. Therefore, F can be a valid “clean label” substitute of X in modulating tomato products properties

A multi‐scale characterisation of the durum wheat pasta cooking process

A multi‐level investigation was carried out to characterise uncooked to overcooked pasta. Macroscopic, mesoscopic and molecular properties were measured and their changes were clearly related to the process of cooking: hardness and viscoelastic decreased, moisture content and gelatinisation degree increased and 1H molecular mobility changed. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 82% (PC1: 47.7% and PC2: 34.3%), enabling the differentiation by cluster of different cooking phases: uncooked, undercooked (described by degree of gelatinisation and rigid protons’ populations [FID and T2]); medium‐cooked (described by higher mobility protons [T2E1, T2E2 and %PopE2]), cooked at suggested cooking time (described by viscoelastic properties) and over‐cooked pasta by molecular mobility parameters (T2D, T2E and %PopF). Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry was a valuable tool to describe the entire cooking process, whereas viscoelastic properties effectively characterised suggested cooking time

Use of discrimination analysis to identify differences during cooking of novel pasta formulations

Given the great innovation in pasta formulations, elucidating factors that will impact pasta behaviour during cooking is essential when alternative ingredients are incorporated. Whole wheat (W), vegetable (V) and gluten free (GF) pastas (from raw to overcooked) were analysed using a multiscale approach and compared with a standard (STD) formulation. Macroscopic (moisture content and hardness), mesoscopic (viscoelastic properties and degree of gelatinization) and molecular (1H NMR relaxometry) properties were evaluated and coupled with discrimination analysis (by means of principal components analysis and partial least square). Results from 2-ways ANOVA indicated that the cooking time (CT) was the main factor influencing the studied properties overlapping the effect of pasta formulation (PF). The application of partial least square analysis was effective in indicating viscoelastic properties and several molecular mobility indicators as typifying features able to describe pasta behaviour during cooking and discriminating GF from their gluten-containing counterparts

Can a structured emulsion (fat in water-fibre system) substitute saturated fat in cookies without hampering their quality?

Replacing fat and saturated fat in baked goods without affecting their quality characteristics is a challenging task. This study evaluated complete and partial substitution of saturated fats (butter and palm oil) by structured emulsions [SE, oil (sunflower) – in – water (fibre-water) emulsion] in cookies by investigating its impact on product quality. Nutritional labelling underlined a drastic reduction in saturated fatty acids [−35% (50% substitution) and −73% (100% substitution)] compared to their conventional counterparts (butter and palm oil). Partial substitution did not markedly affect physicochemical properties, while complete substitution resulted in thinner, harder and darker cookies compared to the controls. Particularly, cookies made with (50:50) structured emulsion – palm oil had the highest sensory scores, and they were perceived as soft, buttery and crunchy. Thus, the use of structured emulsion might be a valuable alternative to develop a potentially healthier product with acceptable sensory properties