Impact of water content and Bloom index on gelatin glycation

International audienceThe increasing number of people around the world suffering from chewing disorders necessitates the design of foods adapted to their needs. Glycation could be considered as one of the possible texturing methods. This chemical reaction alters the texture of food products by changing their macromolecular structure. However, there is no consensus on its effects on food texture. In this study, gelatin is used as a model medium to study the effect of glycation on its texture by considering two different Bloom indices (gel strength) and two different initial water contents. Our results suggest that the initial water content of gelatin, as well as its Bloom index, have an impact on the glycation reaction and on the texture of gelatin gels. The effect of these two factors influences the binding of D-ribose to reactive amino acids, in particular due to a variable amount of gelatin triple helix aggregates. This study shows the importance of controlling the water content and the Bloom index of gelatin to regulate the glycation reaction when used for food texturing