Food Science and Technology International最新文献

This study investigated the effects of soaking time and temperature on the physical properties of black peanut kernels (BPK), a Taiwanese native peanut species. Results revealed that higher soaking temperatures and longer durations increased the water absorption rate and the moisture content of BPK. After soaking, the activation energy, enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy were positive, indicating that BPK was temperature-sensitive and capable of absorbing energy from its surroundings. Following steamed softening, the hardness of BPK decreased as soaking time and temperature increased. Specifically, BPK pre-soaked at 25 °C or 40 °C for 8 h and then steamed softening at 121 °C for 20 min (F₀ = 12) achieved a hardness of 4.68 and 4.87 × 10⁵ N/m², respectively, meeting the easy-chewing standard (< 5 × 10⁵ N/m²) based on Taiwan's Eatender guidelines. However, increasing the steamed softening temperature to 124 °C for 11, 16, and 20 min (with F₀ values of 5, 10, and 15, respectively) did not further soften BPK. In conclusion, pre-soaking BPK at 25 °C for 8 h and then steamed softening it at 121 °C for 20 min successfully developed a ready-to-eat and easy-to-chew product for older adults.

Rice due to its high carbohydrate content, is an ideal medium for Bacillus cereus growth, a spore-producing microorganism. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of a grape extract in combination with heat treatments and different pH against B. cereus spores in a rice solution. The survivor data obtained were fitted to the Weibull survival function, and the values of parameters a and b (scale and shape indexes, respectively) were determined. Results showed that the grape extract affected the survival of B. cereus spores at 90 °C and 95 °C, reaching greater logarithmic reductions in acidic pH values. This behaviour was reflected in a parameter of the Weibull survival function which decreased as the temperature increased and at acidic pH values. In addition, a secondary model was developed by relating the logarithm of a to the independent variables (temperature and pH). A global model relating B. cereus inactivation with temperature and pH was developed, and validated by calculating the accuracy factor. The results demonstrate the usefulness of grape extract as a by-product, which can be used as an additional control measure for rice, especially when combined with mild heat treatments and acidic pH values.

Yongchuan douchi is a well-loved condiment. However, the aroma of rapid Yongchuan douchi is inferior to that of traditional Yongchuan douchi. The objective of this study was to improve the aroma quality of rapid Yongchuan douchi and evaluate the effect of aroma enhancement from the perspective of consumers. The aroma characteristics of samples were analyzed by consumers through flash profile (FP) (n = 15) and rate-all-that-apply (RATA) (n = 75). The results showed improvement in the aroma quality of rapid Yongchuan douchi with the two yeast strains, and consumers could perceive the modification of the aroma characteristics. It shows that the douchi aroma and sour aroma of rapid Yongchuan douchi increased significantly after aroma-enhancing fermentation, while the soy sauce aroma, soybean aroma, and musty aroma decreased. Similar results were obtained from FP and RATA. RATA showed that rapid Yongchuan douchi with aroma-enhancing fermentation aroused higher levels of positive emotions, which may increase the acceptance of consumers to rapid Yongchuan douchi. In summary, the aroma quality and consumer preference of rapid Yongchuan douchi were enhanced. The work provides insights into the quality improvement of rapid Yongchuan douchi from the perspective of consumers.

Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation has been identified as a promising method for enhancing the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by reducing microbial count and boosting their defence mechanisms. In this study, the impact of UV-C radiation on the physical, biochemical, and microbial properties of sapota fruits was investigated by subjecting them to different doses (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 kJ m^-2; 12 ± 1°C; 85-90% relative humidity) to enhance their shelf life. The results revealed that higher doses of UV-C radiation resulted in significantly lower weight loss and higher firmness compared to untreated samples and samples treated with lower doses. Furthermore, UV-C-treated fruits displayed a delayed increase in total soluble solids, total sugar, and reduced sugar content compared to the untreated fruit during storage. The UV-C-treated fruits also exhibited a delayed decline in ascorbic acid and titratable acidity during storage. The treated fruits exhibited significantly higher phenolic content than the untreated fruits. Additionally, significantly lower decay and microbial count were observed in fruits treated with higher doses than in those treated with lower doses. The samples treated with a dose of 7.5 and 10 kJ m^-2 had a shelf life of 25 days compared to 14 days for the control fruits.

This research aimed to evaluate the quality characteristics of cooked and vacuum-packed meatballs reformulated with cold-pressed hempseed oil as a partial pork substitute (0.8%, 2.5%, 4.2%, and 7.5%) during 12 days of storage. The water activity, cooking, and storage losses increased with a higher content of hemp oil (P < 0.05). The total saturated fatty acids were reduced by 37.6%, whereas the polyunsaturated fatty acids content improved by 96.1%. Hemp oil addition decreased protein and lipid oxidation during the storage period (P < 0.05). The inhibition effect on carbonyl content reached 34.9% and on TBARS values reached 17.5%. Sensory analysis revealed no significant changes to the texture, odour, and taste attributes over 12 days of storage in vacuum packaging. The results indicate that cold-pressed hemp oil can be an alternative ingredient for the production of meat products with improved nutritional value, particularly by enriching them with n-3 α-linolenic fatty acid.

The strain Staphylococcus PT-1 was isolated from soy sauce mash and whole genome sequencing revealed it didn't contain drug resistance genes and virulence genes. Salt tolerance test showed that PT-1 could withstand 20% NaCl. It was inoculated into a pork broth medium. Through volatile component detection, the content of pyrazine in the fermentation broth was 0.83% pyrazine and 1.36% 2, 5-dimethylpyrazine. When the strain was applied to the brewing process of soy sauce, the contents of total nitrogen and amino acid nitrogen in the resulting product were higher than those in the control group; the contents of ammonium salt and NaCl were lower than those in the control group; the total acid content was similar. Solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to detect the volatile components of two finished soy sauce products. Compared to soy sauce fermented by typical means, that added with PT-1 contained unique components, such as 2,5-dimethylpyrazine (1.8027%), 2-methylpyrazine (0.0158%), 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (0.5809%), and 4-ethyl guaiacol (8.7477%). Sensory evaluation showed that the total score of PT-1-fermented soy sauce was higher than that of the control group and was characterized by full and rich flavor. These results provide new insights for improving the quality of soy sauce by using novel strains for fermentation.

Minimally processed vegetables are washed and subsequently disinfected by immersion in water solutions with antimicrobials which reduce the initial pathogenic or spoilage microbial load. Chlorine remains one of the most widely used disinfectants for vegetables and hence the importance of studying its properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of peeling, cutting, and shredding on the effectiveness of chlorine (200 ppm) as a disinfectant in lettuce, carrot, and potato. Three independent repetitions of each experiment were completed, and data was statistically analyzed. Results showed that the maintenance of the chlorine concentration in the disinfectant solution, over time, depended on the vegetables' preliminary processing technique (whole, peeled, cut, or shredded) (p < 0.05). In general, the disinfection treatments studied reduced Escherichia coli by 1-8 logs. The addition of chlorine in the disinfectant solution allowed greater reduction in E. coli than using water immersions (p < 0.05) and disinfection times longer than 5 min did not improve these microbiological reductions (p>0.05). The vegetables' subdivision (whole, peeled, cut, or shredded) can affect both E coli's reduction and the vegetables' residual chlorine concentration. No trend was observed in terms of sensory differences and their relationship to the vegetables' processing and disinfection. These results suggest that each facility must validate its disinfection processes, according to the conditions established on site and reduction goals related to initial microbial counts, vegetables' quality, processing operations, and other important aspects.

In this study, tiger nut was pretreated with xylanase (Xyl), microwave radiation (MW), and a combination of both (MW + Xyl). The structure, nutritional composition, technofunctional, and antioxidant properties of the pretreated and untreated (control) tiger nut flour (TNF) were investigated. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic and X-ray diffractrometric spectra of the control and the pretreated samples are similar; however, there was a slight change in some peaks in the pretreated samples, indicating structural re-organization of macromolecules. Scanning electron microscopic images show reductions of surface erosion and formation of clusters in the MW + Xyl-treated TNF compared to the other pretreated samples. Pretreatment increased the protein, Ca, total phenolic content, and swelling capacity of TNF by 3.71-7.31%, 29.41-32.35%, 4.39-9.65%, and 1.59-6.75%, respectively. Meanwhile, 45.52-58.78% and 11.54-15.38% reductions in fat content and water absorption capacity, respectively, were recorded. Pretreatment of TNF with Xyl and MW + Xyl increased its soluble dietary fiber by 26.84% and 64.34%, respectively; however, a 3.31% reduction was recorded following MW treatment. The highest 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity (53.20%) was recorded in the MW + Xyl-treated TNF. These findings proved that pretreating TNF with microwave radiation and Xyl could improve its technological and nutritional qualities, enhancing its applicability in food systems.

This study was carried out to develop regular and gluten-free cakes with the high nutritional and functional value from composite flours. Composite flour was prepared by blending of equal amounts of chestnut, lupine and pumpkin flour. Wheat flour (for regular cake) and corn starch: rice flour blend (for gluten-free cake) used in cake formulation were replaced with composite flour in ratios of 9, 18, 27 and 36%, respectively. Composite flour had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on all color parameters of the crust and crumb of regular and gluten-free cake samples. Cake weight and hardness values increased with the use of composite flour in regular and gluten-free cake samples, and higher weight and hardness values were determined in gluten-free cakes. High composite flour ratios (27-36%) resulted in the lowest cake volume in both cakes. The gluten-free cake had lower ash, protein, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC) compared to the regular cake. The composite flour usage increased the ash, protein, antioxidant activity, TPC, and mineral contents of both cake samples. When the nutritional, functional, technological and sensory properties of cakes were evaluated together, it was concluded that the use of 9% composite flour was the most appropriate ratio for both cake types.

Lime (Citrus floridana) is a quickly perishable fruit, limiting its shelf life because of reduced chlorophyll content and post-harvest quality under different storage conditions. To increase chlorophyll stability as well as other quality factors of limes, they were coated with beeswax in 0.1 wt.% and sodium nitroprusside in three various concentrations (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mM) at 25 °C for 3 min and then stored at 8 °C for 60 days. In this research, changes in weight loss, juice content, firmness (F), chlorophyll, chlorophyllase activity, polyphenol oxidase activity, color, total acidity (titratable acidity), ascorbic acid (ASA) and sensory evaluation were studied. During storage at low temperatures, BW surface coating (0.1%) alone, sodium nitroprusside alone, and also in combination with each other and a double layer were effective in maintaining chlorophyll and the qualitative characteristics of limes. In our observations, the best treatment was the treatment where the limes were coated by beeswax enriched by sodium nitroprusside coating. This treatment contained the highest content of lime juice and the highest chlorophyll plus the lowest activity of chlorophyllase and polyphenol oxidase, while the amount of green color was maintained to a large extent. As a result, it is possible to use beeswax enriched by sodium nitroprusside coating method to maintain the quality and chlorophyll of cold-stored lime fruits.