Mechanical properties of Tylose gel and chocolate in the freezing range

The mechanical properties of solid foods have not been extensively studied. This is due to the fact that most foods behave as viscous fluids or viscoelastic “solids”. In the case of freezing of foods or by considering solid foods (i.e. chocolate), food can be considered as a solid system. This paper presents results obtained with Tylose® (a model food made of a methyl cellulose gel – 74% water content) and chocolate. The Youngʹs modulus, the Poisson ratio, the bulk modulus and the coefficient of thermal expansions have been determined using specific procedures. These results can be of interest to model the thermomechanical behavior of foods undergoing freezing.