The quality of baked products is the complex, multidimensional result of a recipe, and a controlled heating process to produce the desired final properties such as taste, colour, shape, structure and density. The process of baking a sponge cake in a convective oven at different air temperatures (160-180-220 °C) leading to the same loss of mass was considered in this study. A special mould was used which allowed unidirectional heat transfer in the batter. Instrumentation was developed specifically for online measurement of weight loss, height variation and transient temperature profile and pressure in the product. This method was based on measuring heat fluxes (commercial sensors) to account for differences in product expansion and colour. In addition, measurement of height with a camera was coupled to the product mass to calculate changes in density over time. Finally, combining this information with more traditional measurements gave a better understanding of heat and mass transfer phenomena occurring during baking.

A response study and the effects of different parameters (pH, temperature and enzyme dose) on kinetics of isolated soy protein hydrolysis by a trypsin-like endopeptidase (TL1) were conducted. Degree of hydrolysis (%DH) data varied at different times under different hydrolysis conditions. Fitting the kinetics data to Michaelis-Menten kinetics model did not result in reasonable kinetic parameters, which implied that Michaelis-Menten kinetics was invalid for such a hydrolysis process. A kinetics model proposed by (Gonzalez-Tello, Camacho, Jurado, Paez, & Guadix, 1994) was found to fit the kinetics curve well and resulted in acceptable model parameters. A simple simulation example was performed to demonstrate the concept of how the kinetics equation could be applied in process engineering.

The aim of this research was to study the sensorial acceptance of a fortified food containing different minerals (calcium, magnesium and iron) and to determine the actual quantities present (bioaccessibility) when extracted in maté. A sensorial analysis was performed to compare sensorial quality of fortified and non-fortified maté. Although panelists identified differences between the fortified and non-fortified maté, only 3% of them commented on an unpleasant flavor. Sequential extraction assays were performed simulating maté consumption under laboratory conditions. Profile concentration diminished sharply after the second extraction. Magnesium was found to be completely extracted in the first 500 mL. Calcium and Iron were extracted in a very low percentage (29% and 25%, respectively). The outlet rate of the minerals was fitted to two models, and a good fitness (p < 0:001) in all cases was obtained.