Sustainable Food Technology最新文献

This study assessed the impact of clove essential oil emulsion-loaded arrowroot starch and beeswax-based edible coatings on the physicochemical and microbiological quality characteristics, composition of bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of tomatoes stored at 26 ± 2 °C with a relative humidity of 72 ± 2% for 48 days. Nine formulations of edible coatings were prepared by varying the concentrations of arrowroot starch (10, 15, and 20 g L⁻¹) and clove essential oils (0, 2.5, and 5 mL L⁻¹) while keeping the concentration of beeswax constant (5 g L⁻¹). The formulated edible coatings were applied to tomatoes at the mature green stage using the dip coating method. The results indicated that all of the coating treatments improved the postharvest quality attributes and shelf life of tomatoes compared to those of the uncoated control fruits, leading to reduced food waste, increased economic savings, and better sustainability. Fruits coated with the solution containing 15 g L⁻¹ arrowroot starch, 5 g L⁻¹ beeswax, and 5 mL L⁻¹ clove essential oils showed a significant (p < 0.05) delay in changes in weight, firmness, color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and ΔE), total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, pH value, and decay incidence throughout the storage period, and the coating was found to be effective in reducing the microbial load in tomatoes, extending their shelf life to 49 ± 3 days. Furthermore, the application of this coating formulation preserved the bioactive compounds (phenolics, flavonoids, lycopene, and β-carotene) and antioxidant activity of the tomatoes during storage. The results suggest that the application of the coatings formulated with 15 g L⁻¹ arrowroot starch, 5 g L⁻¹ beeswax, and 5 mL L⁻¹ clove essential oil can effectively delay ripening and maintain the postharvest quality attributes of tomatoes during storage at 26 ± 2 °C with a relative humidity of 72 ± 2% for 48 days, demonstrating significant potential for broader food preservation and packaging applications.

The integration of biosensors into food quality monitoring systems presents a promising approach to enhance food safety and quality assurance. Biosensors enable rapid, accurate, and on-site detection of contaminants, revolutionizing the management of food safety risks throughout the supply chain. This review provides insights into the current challenges, opportunities and future directions of biosensor technology in ensuring the integrity and safety of our food supply. Electrochemical, optical, and piezoelectric biosensors offer versatile platforms for food quality monitoring, each providing unique advantages in sensitivity, specificity, and detection capabilities. By harnessing these principles, biosensors offer valuable tools for detecting a wide range of contaminants, allergens and adulterants in food samples, thus improving food safety and quality assurance measures. However, biosensor implementation faces challenges such as sensitivity and specificity issues, matrix interference, and shelf-life concerns. Overcoming these challenges requires research and development efforts to improve biosensor design, optimization, and performance. Recent advances in biosensor technology, including nanotechnology integration, multiplexed detection and smartphone-based biosensors, offer exciting opportunities to improve and enhance food quality monitoring. Future perspectives include the development of improved sensing technologies, standardization, regulatory considerations, and integration with the Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time monitoring, paving the way for the revolutionization of food safety practices throughout the global food supply chain.

Flour from nine varieties of millets-finger millet, foxtail millet, little millet, kodo millet, pearl millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, browntop millet and sorghum was compared with corn flour in the formulation of fresh tilapia sausages, at 10% inclusion level. The parameters compared were proximate composition, colour, texture attributes, and sensory acceptability. Millet flour-added sausages showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) for most of the varieties in the biochemical constituents compared to the control. Millet flour inclusion did not affect the textural characteristics of sausages and resulted in comparable viscoelastic properties as revealed by the folding test. The colour of raw millet flour did not have any correlation with the final sausage colour. In sensory evaluation, the millet-included sausages presented higher overall acceptability scores than the one prepared using corn flour. Millet flour in fish sausage formulation was concluded to be an ideal healthy substitute to conventionally used flours in sausage and contribute to SDG-2.

Chia seed mucilage (CSM) possesses a range of functional and bio-functional properties, making it a valuable hydrocolloid. The CSM extraction process includes stages such as hydration, separation, recovery, and purification of polysaccharides. Traditional methods using strong bases or acids and high temperatures can damage CSM and demucilaged seeds, which are useful for oil extraction. To address this issue, non-thermal technologies have shown significant promise as an environmentally friendly extraction method. Based on the existing literature, this review focuses on non-thermal techniques such as ultrasonication, cold plasma, microwave, and pulsed electric field, for potential future use. It highlights the benefits of non-thermal technologies on the physical and functional properties of CSM. The review emphasises the potential of CSM as a novel food hydrocolloid across various industries, including its use in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, emphasising sustainable extraction and application.

Corn protein meal (corn gluten meal) is a byproduct of the cornstarch industry, and it has low solubility and low bioavailability. In the present study, nanofibers (NFs) were synthesized by electrospinning technique from the corn protein meal (CPM) with the necessary daily percentages of vitamin E and curcumin, to serve as a nutrient delivery vehicle for food systems. Thereafter, the physicochemical properties of developed nanofibers were characterized by SEM, FTIR, UV, and TGA, and their encapsulation efficiency, zeta potential, and size were studied. According to findings, with the incorporation of vitamin E, NFs are much thinner and more uniform in comparison to other combinations. It was also observed that corn protein meal NFs can encapsulate vitamin E and curcumin. This study validates the successful preparation of CPM NFs incorporating vitamin E and curcumin. These nanofibers have the potential to be used as a nutrient delivery vehicle for the food industry at a commercial scale.

Wild edible vegetables (WEVs) are integral for sustained nutrition and livelihood of forest-dwelling tribal communities. Shelf-life enhancement of WEVs is crucial to overcome their perishability and ensure availability. Chemical preservatives are detrimental to their commercial ‘organic’ status, and modern processing technologies are often challenging to be implemented by the marginalized farmers. In this study, four nutritionally important WEVs popularly cultivated, consumed and marketed in the hilly, forest-covered state of Mizoram, India, namely, Solanum aethiopicum (ST), Solanum torvum (TP), Solanum anguivi (TT) and Leucaena leucocephala (JZ), were subjected to brining and drying to enhance their shelf-lives. The drying method was standardized using response surface methodology at 80 °C and 540 minutes, obtaining the lowest moisture content with the highest total phenolic content (TPC) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (DRSA). A strong positive correlation was obtained between TPC and DRSA values of ST (R = 0.738), TP (R = 0.760), TT (R = 0.977) and JZ (R = 0.935). Both brined bottled and dried vacuum-packaged samples were studied over 35 days of storage. Packaged dried samples were stored at room temperature (RT) and under refrigeration (RF). Brined WEVs showed a decrease in moisture and carbohydrate contents. Microbial conversion of sugars to lactic acid was evidenced by lowering pH to below 3.0. Bacterial activity also markedly enhanced TPC, flavonoids and DRSA values by causing free phenolics release and their structural transformation. However, overall microbial population in terms of aerobic coliform bacteria and fungal species were efficiently retarded up to more than 65% by the two treatments. Vacuum-packaged RF samples exhibited lowered microbial metabolism. Pigment degeneration and tissue structure changes were indicated by changed color and hardness. Dried tissue brittleness enhanced the extractability of bioactive compounds. Vacuum-packaging improved antioxidant retention in the processed WEVs.

The present study investigates the nutritional, phytochemical, and antioxidant potential of ten banana cultivars, in unripe form, popular in southern India, viz. Yangambi (YAN), Mysore Ethan (ME), Zanzibar (ZAN), Peyan (PEYA), Palayankodan (PALA), Malayannan (MA), Nendran (NEN), Robusta (ROB), Kappa and Monthan (MON). All cultivars in the unripe form were found to be good sources of resistant starch, with MA being the richest source (41.78 ± 1.29% d/w). The phenolic compounds, free vitamins, and amino acids were estimated and quantified using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The antioxidant activity was assessed in terms of DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging abilities. Among the varieties, MA showed higher phenolic content, whereas flavonoid content was highest for Kappa. LC-MS/MS characterisation revealed the presence of significant amounts of phenolic compounds such as shikimic acid, epicatechin, ferulic acid, and rutin; free amino acids like phenylalanine, histidine, glutamine, lysine, and arginine; and free vitamins such as pyridoxine, nicotinic acid, and ascorbic acid among the varieties. ROB and PALA demonstrated potential DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, and α-amylase inhibition when compared to other cultivars. Molecular docking of shikimic and ferulic acid with α-amylase amino acid residues resulted in high binding energies of −5.45 and −5.48 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively, confirming the hypoglycemic potential. The bioactive and nutritional potential of these cultivars, as detailed in the present study, positions them as excellent sources for food, functional food, and nutraceutical applications.

Fruits are nutrient-rich, highly perishable goods which contribute to postharvest losses and waste. The food industry continues the search for processing methods that allow for the manufacturing of attractive and convenient fortified fruits while extending their shelf life. To meet the present consumer demands for more nutritious and sustainable food products, innovative or revisited food processing techniques need to be explored. In the present work, jaggery is proposed as a non-conventional osmotic agent to produce fortified apple snacks through the combination of vacuum impregnation (VI) and osmotic dehydration (OD) techniques and further stabilization via convective hot air-drying (HAD) or freeze drying (FD). Physicochemical and antioxidant attributes of intermediate and final products were analyzed to evaluate the potential of these techniques to introduce jaggery bioactive constituents in the apple matrix. The results confirmed that the antioxidant properties of jaggery may be incorporated into the tissue by both VI and OD, especially with progressive OD (pOD) in solutions from 30 to 50 Brix degrees. Stabilization through HAD at 60 °C significantly enhanced the antioxidant properties of jaggery-enriched snacks (total phenols: 11.0 ± 0.6 (pOD HAD) and 8.0 ± 0.6 (VI HAD) vs. 6.3 ± 0.12 (HAD) mg GAE per g dry product), whereas FD maintained natural and incorporated antioxidants (total phenols: 10.8 ± 0.4 (pOD FD) and 6.2 ± 0.9 (VI FD) vs. 6.5 ± 0.2 (FD) mg GAE per g dry product). Optical and textural properties were affected by the addition of jaggery and processing techniques. Replacing intercellular air with liquid reduced luminosity, which increased after dehydration, especially through FD. In conclusion, jaggery or non-centrifugal cane sugar is proposed as a healthier osmotic agent to produce more nutritious and sustainable apple snacks by applying matrix engineering techniques such as vacuum impregnation and osmotic dehydration, followed by hot air-drying or freeze-drying stabilization.

Harnessing lignin, which is the second most abundant biopolymer and is cost-effective, biocompatible, and nontoxic, could be a promising alternative to conventional food packaging materials. Each year, millions of tons of lignin are produced, and it is commonly used as a low-value fuel by being burned. However, this inexpensive and abundant bioresource biomass has the potential to be utilized as food packaging materials. It is crucial to explore lignin-based renewable resources to facilitate the shift towards an environmentally friendly materials circular economy. Recent research has shown that lignin-based materials possess excellent anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties, in addition to good mechanical and antiviral properties, UV light barrier, and enhanced thermal properties, making them suitable candidates for use as food packaging materials. This study aims to provide current perspectives on the use of lignin based materials for food packaging applications. The article provides a critical analysis of the physicochemical characteristics, processing techniques, and extraction and structural features of lignin from various sources as well as its derived materials. Additionally, it outlines the latest trends in converting lignin into lignin nanoparticles. This comprehensive review concludes with future perspectives on lignin based materials for food packaging applications.

Opuntia ficus indica cladodes are a rich source of bioactive compounds and dietary fiber; therefore, they could be a functional ingredient in the production of health-promoting foods. This study aimed to develop cookies by substituting wheat flour with powdered cladodes in different proportions, 15, 20 and 25%, and analyze them in terms of physical and bioactive compounds and sensory characteristics. Proximal analysis showed that powdered cladodes were high in total dietary fiber (54.89%). The analysis of total phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity revealed values of 2050.20 mg GAE per 100 g db and 312.14 mg Trolox per 100 g db. Powdered cladode supplementation increased hardness and decreased color parameters (L*, a* and b*) compared to control (without cladode powder). Moreover, rising levels of powdered cladodes contribute to the increased total phenolic compound content and antioxidant capacity compared to control. Sensory analysis showed that 15% cladode supplementation was adequate for preparing an acceptable functional cookie. The sorption isotherm showed that it was possible to fit the GAB model to the experimental data and the cookies were stable at 25 °C. Cladodes of Opuntia ficus indica could be considered as a functional ingredient and a source of dietary fiber and antioxidants for the manufacture of foods with benefits to human health and nutrition.