A mathematical model to describe flavour release from gelatine gels

A theory of flavour release from gelatine-sucrose gels has been developed based on combined interfacial mass and heat transport. The driving force for flavour release is shown to depend on the bulk melting temperature of the gel, which depends on the gelatine and sucrose concentrations. For gels possessing melting points below the mouth temperature, the driving force for flavour release is the rate at which heat can diffuse into the gels matrix and initiate melting. For harder gels with melting points above mouth temperature the diffusion of sucrose from the surface of the gel into the adjacent saliva phase is the rate limiting step for flavour release, because this lowers the melting temperature of the surface layer. The theoretical model gives good agreement with in vitro release experiments using gelatine gels containing sucrose and dye.