Bread functionality tests

The aroma of fmit, the taste of candy, and the texture of bread are examples of flavor perception. In each case, physical and chemical stmctures ia these foods stimulate receptors ia the nose and mouth. Impulses from these receptors are then processed iato perceptions of flavor by the brain. Attention, emotion, memory, cognition, and other brain functions combine with these perceptions to cause behavior, eg, a sense of pleasure, a memory, an idea, a fantasy, a purchase. These are psychological processes and as such have all the complexities of the human mind. Flavor characterization attempts to define what causes flavor and to determine if human response to flavor can be predicted. The ways ia which simple flavor active substances, flavorants, produce perceptions are described both ia terms of the physiology, ie, transduction, and psychophysics, ie, dose-response relationships, of flavor (1,2). Progress has been made ia understanding how perceptions of simple flavorants are processed iato hedonic behavior, ie, degree of liking, or concept formation, eg, crispy or umami (savory) (3,4). However, it is unclear how complex mixtures of flavorants are perceived or what behavior they cause. Flavor characterization involves the chemical measurement of iadividual flavorants and the use of sensory tests to determine their impact on behavior. 

Schirmer et al. (1987) described one baker with dermatitis. He had positive skin-prick tests to a-amylase and various bread improvers. The immediate test reaction to a-amylase persisted for 48 h. A patch test with a-amylase was also positive, as well as radioallergosorbent test (RAST) to a-amylase, malt and bread improvers. We had a patient with occupational allergic contact urticaria from fungal but not bacterial a-amylase (Kanerva et al. 1997). Accordingly, enzymes with the same function and the same name may have different antigenic characteristics. When reporting about enzyme allergy, it is important to reveal details of the causative enzymes. 

---