Making complexity visible: the picture-forming Biocrystallisation Method

Results of controlled Milk Processing Ing. Paul Doesburg1 and Machteld Huber, MD2

1) Crystal lab,The Netherlands2) Louis Bolk Institute,The Netherlands

FIGURE 2. Representative biocrystallisation pictures and enlargements derrived from the raw milk sample (left), the 50 Bar homogenised milk sample (middle) and the 200 Bar homogenised milk sample (right).

IntroductionQuality determination of food products is predominantly based on quantitative compound analyses, which reduces biological systems to chemical and physical phenomena. This reduction resulted in a vast body of knowledge about this level in food products.

Yeakley (1991) however, describes three (functionally integrated) organizational levels in living organisms; the physical, the temporal and the spatial level. As food is derived from living organisms, contemporary quality determinations of food products focusing mainly on the physical level, should be extended with methods connecting to these other two levels, as these might complement our perspective on food quality.

ObjectiveThe objective of this poster is to present a method that complements the chemical compound analyses and potentially offers a context for interpretation of the chemical level into the other levels of a living organism.

Methodology reflecting the temporal and spatialorganisational levels

With the picture-forming biocrystallisation method we introduce a method, complementary to compound analysis, which we hypothesize to reflect the temporal and spatial organisational levels in living organisms. The method is based on the crystallisation of an aqueous dihydrate Copper Chloride (CuCl2.2H2O) solution in the presence of organic additives (juices/extracts) in a petri-dish, thereby yielding additive-specific reproducible dendritic structures, which can be evaluated as integrated images. The structures are evaluated visually by means of validated criteria (e.g. Integration, Durchstrahlung and Length of sideneedles; Huber, 2010) and by means of computerized image analysis (Andersen, 1999).

Regarding the temporal and spatial organisational levels, correlations have been found between the biocrystallisation structures and growth and developmental processes (e.g. farming systems), showing a consistency over a broad plant-product range (Bloksma, 2004; Kahl, 2009). In general terms, a loss of spatial organisation in living organisms (e.g. due to ageing, processing) correlates to a reduced organisation in the biocrystallisation pictures. Hypothetically, the degree of spatial organisation is related to food quality, a higher degree thus representing better quality.

Homogenisation of raw whole milkThe sensitivity of the biocrystallisation method towards changes in the spatial level of organisation is illustrated in the processing of raw whole milk. Raw whole milk was homogenised at two intensity levels (50 and 200 Bar) after which the treated and untreated samples were compared by biocrystallisation. Homogenisation has been shown to rearrange the milk fat-globules, introducing a reduction of the mean globular size. Novel globules are stabilized by the adsorption of casein micelles (García-Risco, 2002), implying mainly a redistribution of the spatial organization of milk proteins in reaction to homogenisation. Thus, according to the contemporary (chemical) formulation of food quality, homogenisation of milk has little or no effect on food quality.

ResultsVisual evaluation of the biocrystallisation pictures reveals a reduction of the organisational state after the milk sample is subjected to homogenisation (Fig. 1. and 2.), indicative of a loss of spatial organisation in the milk sample. Increasing the homogenisation pressure results in a further reduction of the organisation in the biocrystallisation pictures. This treatment effect is supported by textural image analysis showing a significant differentiation (p<0.01) between the biocrystallisation pictures of the raw and either of the two homogenised samples. Visually, homogenisation is reflected strongest in a decrease of the criterion 'Integration', which relates to the spatial organization of the different form elements in the biocrystallisation picture. Higher scores represent a hypothesized ‘better quality’ characteristic (Huber, 2010).

ConclusionsThe biocrystallisation method seems to reflect the spatial, as well as the temporal organisational level, when the organism is followed during its development. Hereby the method challenges the chemical definition of food quality. The biocrystallisation method could be a valuable tool in food quality analysis, complimentary to chemical compound analyses, as it might offer a context for interpretation of the chemical level into the other levels of a living organism

LiteratureAndersen,J-O, Henriksen, C.B., Laursen, J., Nielsen, A.A. (1999). Computerized image analysis of biocrystallogram originating from agricultural products. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 22: 51-69. Bloksma, J., Northolt, M., Huber, M., Jansonius, P.-J., Zanen, M. (2004). Parameters for Apple Quality and the Development of the Inner Quality Concept 2001–2003. Publication FQH-03. Louis Bolk Institute, Department of Healthcare & Nutrition, The Netherlands.García-Risco, M., Ramos, M., López-Fandiño, R. (2002). Modifications in milk proteins induced by heat treatment and homogenization and their influence on susceptibility to proteolysis. International Dairy Journal 12: 679–688.Huber, M., Andersen, J-O., Kahl, J., Busscher, N., Doesburg, P., Mergardt, G., Kretschmer, S., Zalecka, A., Meelursarn, A., Ploeger, A., Nierop, D., v.d. Vijver, L., Baars, E. (2010) Standardization and Validation of the Visual Evaluation of Biocrystallizations. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture 27: 25-40.Kahl, J., Busscher, N., Doesburg, P., Mergardt, G., Huber, M., Ploeger, A. (2009). First tests of standardized biocrystallization on milk and milk products. Eur. Food Res. Technol. 229:175–178.Yeakley, J., Cale, W. (1991). Organizational Levels Analysis: A Key to Understanding Processes in Natural Systems. J. Theor. Biol. 149: 203-216.. Biol. (1991) 149, 203-216

FIGURE 1. Graphical presentation of the criteria and the mean score used in the Visual Evaluation of the biocrystallisations derived from three milk samples. Criteria are connected to an ordinal scale of 1 to 9. Higher scores represent a hypothesized ‘better quality’ characteristic (Huber, 2010). Abbreviations indicate: Absence of Flechtwerke; Absence of Quernadeln; length of sideneedles; Fullness with sideneedles; Durchstrahlung; Centre coordination and Integration.

Integr.

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Length sidn.

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Abs. Flechtw.

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RawHom. 50BarHom. 200Bar