Food Science and Technology International最新文献

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.

The use of healthy ingredients in meat-based products is gaining popularity. The goal of this study was to use plant proteins to partially replace meat in beef burger compositions. In a lab, ground beef burgers were made with 4%, 9%, and 14% wheat germ flour. The final products' physical, chemical, and microbiological properties were determined. The obtained results indicated that as the amount of replacement with dehydrated wheat germ flour (DWGF) increased, the moisture and crude protein contents of fresh laboratory-made beef burgers decreased significantly. On the other hand, the level of ash and total carbohydrates increased. Also, the results showed that substituting beef with DWGF caused changes in the chemical properties (decreased total volatile nitrogen, trimethylamine, acid value, peroxide value, thiobarbituric value, and cholesterol content), color properties (increased L* while decreasing a* and b*), decreased textural properties, and cooking properties (increased water-holding capacity, water retention, fat retention, cooking yield while decreasing cooking loss) of the burger. Except for threonine and lysine, the majority of necessary amino acids in fresh laboratory-made beef burgers were steadily enhanced as the substitution level increased. For the control sample, the limiting amino acid was valine; for the beef burger using dehydrated wheat germ flour DWGF, the limiting amino acid was threonine. Even at a 9% substation level, the physical and organoleptic properties of a fresh laboratory-made beef burger containing DWGF were not changed fundamentally. As the substation level of DWGF increased, the number of microorganisms gradually reduced and the beef burger with 14% DWGF had the lowest bacterial load.

Pumpkin pulp (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne) is recognized for its antioxidant properties, but its antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities remain insufficiently explored. This study comprehensively characterized the phytochemical profile of C. maxima pulp extract (CmPE) and assessed its potential as a natural antimicrobial agent. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed a rich composition of bioactive compounds, including gallic acid, ellagic acid, naringin, morin, and kaempferol. CmPE demonstrated potent antioxidant activity, with IC₅₀ values of 16.6 and 28.5 μg·mL^-1 in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS^•+) assays, respectively. Antimicrobial testing established CmPE's broad-spectrum efficacy, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 15 to 500 μg·mL^-1 against bacteria and yeasts. Furthermore, CmPE reduced biofilm viability by 30% in Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Cryptococcus gattii at MIC, coupled with evidence of microbial plasma membrane damage, as shown in mechanistic studies. These findings underline CmPE's unique combination of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm activities, offering promising nutraceutical applications to address the growing challenge of microbial resistance.

Recent advancements in coffee processing increasingly involve the use of isolated or native microorganisms, such as starter cultures, to enhance desired coffee characteristics and modulate sensory properties. This study employed a participatory research approach, collaborating with coffee producers to investigate the incorporation of homemade starter cultures into coffee bioprocessing. Coffee was processed using both wet and semi-dry methods, with three distinct starter cultures-lactic acid bacteria, yeast combined with fruit, and coffee pulp leachate-evaluated alongside respective controls. Parameters such as titratable acidity, antioxidant capacity, caffeine, trigonelline, theobromine content, and sensory profiles were assessed. Significant differences in antioxidant capacity were observed across the coffee processing methods; notably, coffee roasted using the wet method exhibited significantly higher antioxidant capacity compared to coffee roasted using the semi-dry method. However, no significant differences were found in caffeine content or titratable acidity levels across all methods. All bioprocesses resulted in variations in cupping profiles compared to their respective controls. Considering the specific conditions under which bioprocessing took place, the introduction of starter cultures led to notable changes in coffee transformation processes relative to their control treatments. For instance, the use of yeast and fruit inoculum increased the total score of washed coffee by seven points compared to its control. Similarly, the addition of lactic inoculum to honey-processed coffee led to a three-point increase relative to its control. These results indicate promising advancements in coffee bioprocessing. Importantly, all methods are scalable, cost-effective, and straightforward, offering significant potential for coffee producers.

The knowledge regarding the proximate composition of fish is essential for the effective implementation of preservation and processing practices. This study examined the proximate composition of four commercially important marine fish species of the Bay of Bengal: Carangoides malabaricus (Malabar trevally), Scomberoides commersonnianus (Talang queenfish), Dussumieria acuta (Rainbow sardine), and Sardinella fimbriata (Fringescale sardine). Fresh fishes were collected from the fishing boats of the Teknaf region, and immediately transported to a laboratory under iced (4 °C) condition. Proximate compositions of different body sections, types of muscle, and raw and cooked samples were analyzed. The average moisture, protein, lipid, and ash content were 77.08 ± 1.34%, 20.19 ± 1.76%, 1.39 ± 0.32%, and 1.34 ± 0.08% in Malabar trevally; 77.14 ± 1.15%, 20.27 ± 1.75%, 1.32 ± 0.69%, and 1.27 ± 0.08% in Talang queenfish; 76.16 ± 1.56%, 20.46 ± 1.24%, 1.67 ± 0.08%, and 1.71 ± 0.03% in Rainbow sardine; and 76.10 ± 1.76%, 20.65 ± 1.54%, 1.63 ± 0.05%, and 1.62 ± 0.04% in Fringescale sardine. White muscle contained the highest percentage of moisture and protein. Lipid content was highest in the dark muscle and the highest ash content was not uniform in any type of muscle. Moisture content was highest in the head region, the highest protein, lipid, and ash content varied among body parts. Moisture content was highest in the raw samples, and protein, lipid, and ash content was highest in the fried samples. The proximate composition significantly varied among different muscle, body parts, and raw and cooked samples (p < 0.05). These findings can facilitate processing industries and contribute to increasing the knowledge base of fisheries research.

The quest for healthiness has driven the meat industry to seek solutions to reduce or replace saturated animal fat. The replacement (partial or total) of animal fat by polyunsaturated vegetable oils rich in omega fatty acids has gained prominence in terms of making a product healthier. However, an obstacle to this strategy is the effects on the sensory characteristics of the products, which may be unfavorable to consumers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lipid reformulation of hamburgers through the total replacement of pork fat with canola, sunflower, and corn oil emulsions. The physical-chemical, technological, and sensory properties analyses were performed. There were no significant changes (P > 0.05) in moisture content, protein content, ash content, pH, weight loss (%), moisture retention (%), or shrinkage (%). However, the lipid content was reduced (P < 0.05) and there was a significant improvement in the fatty acid profile with the application of gelled emulsions. The lipid peroxidation and oxidation also increased (P < 0.05) for the samples with the addition of gelled emulsions, and we observed the same behavior for lipid retention (%). In the sensory evaluation, the samples showed good overall acceptance, with hedonic scores ranging from "like slightly" to "like very much." In addition, through check-all-that-apply questions, we observed that the most positive scores given applied to the treatments were applied to the emulsions. The total replacement of animal fat by gelled emulsions is a promising strategy for producing healthier hamburgers.

Drying with variable air temperature is a technique to decrease the drying time, preserve quality and maintain the nutritional components of products. The aim of this study was to find the effect of different heating patterns with variable air temperatures on the drying time, energy consumption and the quality of garlic as well as investigate the critical times to change the air temperature. The constant air temperatures were 50, 60, and 70 °C, and the variable air temperature included three patterns of 60 °C → 50 °C (I), 70 °C→50 °C (II), and 70 °C (30 minutes) →50 °C (III). Despite preventing garlic slices' color changes in the constant air temperature of 50 °C, the antioxidant contents of the samples reduced significantly (45%), and the drying time was 136 minutes. At the air temperature of 70 °C, the color changes peaked, and the drying time was 65 minutes. The best drying condition was observed among the variable air temperature by pattern III. The drying time and loss of antioxidants were 24% and 45% lower than the one in the constant air temperature of 50 °C; besides, the effective moisture diffusivity was 24% higher. The color changes of these samples were lower compared to other patterns and the final product had acceptable quality and was produced in an optimal time.