The potential of immuno- probes for locating storage proteins in wheat endosperm and bread M.L. Parker, E.N.C. Mills and M.R.A. Morgan, 1. Sci. Food Agric. 52, 35-45

A monoclonal aniibody (IFRN 0033) was raised against a total gliadin frac- tion from whear flour (Avalon cultivart. The antibody was shown by ELLSA to react equally well with total gliadins, avenins and hordeins, and exhibited high binding tc -F-gliadins, fast w

gfiadins, SIOW ru-gliadins and C-hordein. The observation that the antibody binds to bread crumbs suggests that the antigenic determinants on the proteins were not altered significantly during baking. However, the antibody did not recognize the proteins exposed on the gluten/gas- cell interface of bread crumbs. The authors proposed that this may be due to antigenic determinants be- coming buried in the stretched gluten mass during proving, or io masking of the antigenic determinants by lipid present at the gluten/gas-cell interface.

Factors affecting retention in spray-drying microencapsulation of volatile materials M. .Rosenberg, 1.1. Kopelman and Y. Talnion, 1. Agric. Food Chem. 38, 1288-l 294

The microencapsulation technique may be applied to protect volatile or unstable materials such as essential oils or other flavour components from degradative reactions or evaporative iosses. The process involves coating a solid panicle or liquid droplet in a ‘generally recognized as safe’ wall material such as gum arabic; spray drying is the most common

microencapsulation technique currently used in the food industry. This paper reports the results of studies on the retention of volatiies by spray-dried microcapsules.

Emulsions containing volatile esters were incorporated into capsules of gum arabic. Increasing the total solids con- tent of the emulsion and increasing the drying temperature improved the reten- tion of ethyl caproate by gum arabic during spray drying. Storage of micro- capsules at relative humidities of greater than 64% led to a sharp reduc- !ion in volatile ester retention. Scan- ning eiectron microscopy studies of the microcapsules suggested that high rela- tive humidities led to dissolution of the wall polymer to form a paste that could not retain vo!atiles.

Indices of quality and maturity for different commercial sizes of pea seed for canning ’

C. Ros and F. Rincon, Food Chem. 38, l-10

Measurement cf tendrri:ess using a tenderomeier is the mosr common method of assessing the quality/maturity of peas grown commerciafiy. However, variations in tenderometer value indicate substantial variations in pea quality, and

other indices of qualitv. such as crude protein content, total sulphur content, abumin protein content and the C :I\! and N:S ratios 0: the. seeds, may also be applied. This study compared such chemical indices of pea quality with tenderomete- vJues to ascertain whether tendernneter value is an adequate predictor of pea protein quality The authors reported that tenderorneter values of peas with diameters ranging from 4.7 to 8.8mm correlated significantly with crude ,.V~tcln, total suiphur and albumin protein contents.

t j The Joural Club section comprises a selection of brief reports on j !

recently published research papers of interest to food scientists. Though not exhaustive in its scope, the section is designed to keep readers informed of developments in areas other than their own.

96 .~

Detection of pork in processed meat: experimental coi,sparison of methodology W.N. Sawaya, T. Saeed, M. Mameesh, E. El-Rayes, A. Husain, S. Ali and f-i. Abdul Rahman, Food Chem. 37, 201-219

In countrjes where religious laws pro- hibit the consumption of pork, the ability to detect park in other meat products is particularly important. Several methods have been developed for the detection of pork fat or pork meat in food products, but there is still a need for a reliable, simple method for the detection of low amounts of pork in heat-processed meat products.

Four different methods of det.?cting pork in beei were evaluated for accuracy and precision: high-performance iiquid chromatography (HPLCI analysis of triglycerides, HPLC analysis of the his- tidine-containing dipeptides carnosine, anserine and balenine, analysis of fatty acid profiles by gas-liquid chroma- tography [CLC), and enzyme-finked immunosorbent assays (ELlSAs) for pork muscfe antigens. The authors rec- ommended the ELISA method. The GCC determination of 11,14-eicosaoienoic acid coupled with the analysis of tri- glycerides by HPLC was recommended for the analysis of samples that contain only fat.

Effect of gamma irradiation parameters on the e in-vi&o digestibility of P-lactoglobulin R. V&ine, G. Parent and L. Savoie, 1. Sri. Food Agric. 52, 221-230

trrad.;:i?n has been reported to alter the amino arid proiiles of food proteins and to pr011:~:e dtamina!:on and bond cleavage reactions. This study exam- ined the effect or irradiation on the amino acid coniposition and on the digestibility in r+tro (by pepsin and pancreatin) of P-lactoglobulin. Beta-lactoglobulin was irradiated in frozen and liquid solutions ?I pH 5.2 and pH 7.0, sod in the dry state. Irradia!ion levels rarlqed from 1 kCy to 5OkGy. T171~ amino acid com- position and in-r JO ciigestibility were not altered in any sample by irradiation at 50 kGy.

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