Surface energy and viscoelasticity influence caramel adhesiveness

Adhesion is an important textural attribute that directs consumer eating patterns and behaviors and can be a negative attribute during food processing. The objectives of this study were to modify caramel formulation and compare adhesion to different materials to quantify the influence of surface energetics and viscoelasticity on caramel adhesiveness. Mechanical adhesion was viewed in the context of pressure sensitive tack theory, where adhesion is controlled by viscoelasticity of the adhesive material and the surface energy relationship of material and probe. Caramel samples varied in total amount of fat and protein, and mechanical adhesion was measured using a series of materials with total surface energies of 39.7-53.2 mJ/m² . Adhesiveness decreased as fat and protein content increased, with a significant effect of total surface energy. Viscoelasticity was modeled using creep recovery data fit to a four-element Burger mechanistic model. Burger model parameters representing retarded elasticity correlated strongly with adhesiveness. The results suggest two zones of adhesion based on formulation, one driven by both surface energy relationships-most notably dispersive and total surface energy-and viscoelasticity, and the other driven solely by viscoelasticity.

Relationships between mechanical properties and adhesion have been explored but are still not well understood, and could aid in the design of food products with a controlled level of adhesion. The results of this study indicate the importance of considering material surface energy when measuring mechanical adhesion or texture profile analysis. Understanding the relationships between viscoelastic behavior and adhesion can be used to make inferences on perceived texture.