<p><b><i>A Recipe for Health: Fixing a Broken Food System</i></b></p><p>The House of Lords report ‘Recipe for Health: A plan to fix our broken food system’ was published on the 24 October 2024. Its findings are reverberating around the food sector. The report finds that obesity and diet related diseases are a public health emergency that costs society billions each year in healthcare costs and lost productivity. It sets out a plan how to fix it so we can all eat better diets and have healthier lives. The government has two months to respond. We are undoubtedly in a public health crisis. The NHS will be under ever growing pressure unless we act on the rising tide of obesity. A subject which resonates personally with me.</p><p>I have worked in the public health sector for over 40 years. The challenges appear to be growing and more challenging. Smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use are the leading risk factors of preventable ill health and mortality in the UK. All of these risk factors are socially patterned and have complex multiple causes, including structural social and economic conditions. The Health Survey for England 2021 estimates that 25.9% of adults in England are obese and a further 37.9% are overweight but not obese. Obesity is a global and complex public health concern. It is associated with reduced life expectancy and is a risk factor for a range of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver, and respiratory disease, and can also impact on mental health. There is no single silver bullet to resolve the problem.</p><p>In 2022 to 2023, 64.0% of adults aged 18 years and over in England were estimated to be overweight or living with obesity. This is similar to 2021 to 2022 (63.8%) but there has been an upward trend since 2015 to 2016 (61.2%). In 2022 to 2023 26.2% of adults were estimated to be living with obesity. This is similar to 2021 to 2022 (25.9%) but, as with the prevalence of overweight (including obesity), there has been an upward trend since 2015 to 2016 (22.6%). Globally obesity has tripled since 1975 and by 2016 13% were obese. This in a world where millions go to bed hungry.</p><p>I speak as someone that has struggled with my weight over the years. In my 30s I managed to hit 25 stone, then I stopped weighing myself as it was upsetting me., I am now just 15 ½ stone which is about right for my BMI with a height of 6‘6“. I often used to argue that I was not overweight, just under height. I always knew what was causing my obesity. I was informed but did not have the discipline to take action. It is only a change in the psychomotor which I believe elicits action. Losing weight is not difficult if you can motivate yourself. But this is no mean task!</p><p>Resolving obesity is a daunting challenge. There may well be future clinical solutions to the problem. Appetite suppressing drugs containing glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1) such as Ozempic look set to impact the globa
{"title":"From the President and IFST News","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_3.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_3.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b><i>A Recipe for Health: Fixing a Broken Food System</i></b></p><p>The House of Lords report ‘Recipe for Health: A plan to fix our broken food system’ was published on the 24 October 2024. Its findings are reverberating around the food sector. The report finds that obesity and diet related diseases are a public health emergency that costs society billions each year in healthcare costs and lost productivity. It sets out a plan how to fix it so we can all eat better diets and have healthier lives. The government has two months to respond. We are undoubtedly in a public health crisis. The NHS will be under ever growing pressure unless we act on the rising tide of obesity. A subject which resonates personally with me.</p><p>I have worked in the public health sector for over 40 years. The challenges appear to be growing and more challenging. Smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use are the leading risk factors of preventable ill health and mortality in the UK. All of these risk factors are socially patterned and have complex multiple causes, including structural social and economic conditions. The Health Survey for England 2021 estimates that 25.9% of adults in England are obese and a further 37.9% are overweight but not obese. Obesity is a global and complex public health concern. It is associated with reduced life expectancy and is a risk factor for a range of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver, and respiratory disease, and can also impact on mental health. There is no single silver bullet to resolve the problem.</p><p>In 2022 to 2023, 64.0% of adults aged 18 years and over in England were estimated to be overweight or living with obesity. This is similar to 2021 to 2022 (63.8%) but there has been an upward trend since 2015 to 2016 (61.2%). In 2022 to 2023 26.2% of adults were estimated to be living with obesity. This is similar to 2021 to 2022 (25.9%) but, as with the prevalence of overweight (including obesity), there has been an upward trend since 2015 to 2016 (22.6%). Globally obesity has tripled since 1975 and by 2016 13% were obese. This in a world where millions go to bed hungry.</p><p>I speak as someone that has struggled with my weight over the years. In my 30s I managed to hit 25 stone, then I stopped weighing myself as it was upsetting me., I am now just 15 ½ stone which is about right for my BMI with a height of 6‘6“. I often used to argue that I was not overweight, just under height. I always knew what was causing my obesity. I was informed but did not have the discipline to take action. It is only a change in the psychomotor which I believe elicits action. Losing weight is not difficult if you can motivate yourself. But this is no mean task!</p><p>Resolving obesity is a daunting challenge. There may well be future clinical solutions to the problem. Appetite suppressing drugs containing glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1) such as Ozempic look set to impact the globa","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"8-17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_3.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142851392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><b><i>Richard Marshall gives an overview on AI and how it is transforming food product development in the UK, enhancing everything from recipe optimisation data-driven innovation. Advanced techniques such as inverse design allow food scientists to create new products by working backwards from desired characteristics, accelerating development and boosting success rates</i></b>.</p><p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly significant role in both personal lives and in all areas of industry. Many people will have already used it perhaps unknowingly, for example when using an internet search engine or using automotive parking assistance. AI includes a number of different levels of data manipulation. It forms the basis of expert systems that analyse complex data to produce results. At the next level, machine learning (ML) algorithms learn from data to make predictions or decisions. A more advanced version of machine learning has artificial neural networks (ANN) which mimic human brain function, taking data in, analysing it in some form of ‘black box’ and then presenting the results. More recently, we have seen the development of large language models (LLM) that use natural language inputs and outputs – they ‘understand’ discursive questions. Within such systems, data is often analysed using fuzzy logic when it has varying levels of ‘truth’. AI is very suitable for use in product development particularly using inverse design, that is starting from knowing about products, recipes and ingredients.</p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence in machines. It involves the development of methods and software that enable computers to perceive their environment and react to it. AI aims to mimic human thinking and problem-solving abilities<sup>(</sup><span><sup>1</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>AI is becoming more and more prominent in our lives. It has the potential to give significant benefits to the way we live, to make industry more competitive and more efficient in ways that we never imagined a few years ago. As with any emerging technology, there are risks and fears as well as positive opportunities. The UK Government has recognised this and hosted an international conference on AI in 2023<sup>(</sup><span><sup>2</sup></span><sup>)</sup>. We are generally unaware that AI is already playing a major role in many activities. Internet search engines, such as Google, use it to present results to users, often in a way that biases towards favouring advertisers, promoting certain views or suppressing certain sites<sup>(</sup><span><sup>3</sup></span><sup>)</sup>. The Internet of Things (IoT) enables smart devices, such as domestic fridges, smart watches and autonomous vehicles to communicate with the world, sharing data, providing assistance and information. The food industry is no exception in this regard. Robotics has been used for some considerable time to move product around factories, control process operat
{"title":"From Data to Finished Product","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_5.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_5.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b><i>Richard Marshall gives an overview on AI and how it is transforming food product development in the UK, enhancing everything from recipe optimisation data-driven innovation. Advanced techniques such as inverse design allow food scientists to create new products by working backwards from desired characteristics, accelerating development and boosting success rates</i></b>.</p><p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly significant role in both personal lives and in all areas of industry. Many people will have already used it perhaps unknowingly, for example when using an internet search engine or using automotive parking assistance. AI includes a number of different levels of data manipulation. It forms the basis of expert systems that analyse complex data to produce results. At the next level, machine learning (ML) algorithms learn from data to make predictions or decisions. A more advanced version of machine learning has artificial neural networks (ANN) which mimic human brain function, taking data in, analysing it in some form of ‘black box’ and then presenting the results. More recently, we have seen the development of large language models (LLM) that use natural language inputs and outputs – they ‘understand’ discursive questions. Within such systems, data is often analysed using fuzzy logic when it has varying levels of ‘truth’. AI is very suitable for use in product development particularly using inverse design, that is starting from knowing about products, recipes and ingredients.</p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence in machines. It involves the development of methods and software that enable computers to perceive their environment and react to it. AI aims to mimic human thinking and problem-solving abilities<sup>(</sup><span><sup>1</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>AI is becoming more and more prominent in our lives. It has the potential to give significant benefits to the way we live, to make industry more competitive and more efficient in ways that we never imagined a few years ago. As with any emerging technology, there are risks and fears as well as positive opportunities. The UK Government has recognised this and hosted an international conference on AI in 2023<sup>(</sup><span><sup>2</sup></span><sup>)</sup>. We are generally unaware that AI is already playing a major role in many activities. Internet search engines, such as Google, use it to present results to users, often in a way that biases towards favouring advertisers, promoting certain views or suppressing certain sites<sup>(</sup><span><sup>3</sup></span><sup>)</sup>. The Internet of Things (IoT) enables smart devices, such as domestic fridges, smart watches and autonomous vehicles to communicate with the world, sharing data, providing assistance and information. The food industry is no exception in this regard. Robotics has been used for some considerable time to move product around factories, control process operat","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"22-25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_5.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><b><i>Bogdan Dobraszczyk explores the science behind bread-making, focusing on how the formation and development of gas bubbles during mixing, proofing, and baking influence the texture, volume, and quality of the final product, with insights into the role of dough rheology, flour quality, and baking techniques</i></b>.</p><p>Bread is a staple food that was consumed by 80% of the world's population during the year 2022, and a principal source of carbohydrate and protein. It comes in various shapes, flavours and textures according to various culinary preferences in different countries, from the typical white and brown bread consumed in the UK and USA, baguettes and brioche in France, rye breads in Eastern and Northern Europe to the flatbreads of North Africa, the Near East and India.</p><p>Bread is strongly associated with the development of agriculture and a move away from a hunter gatherer lifestyle. It was central to the formation of early human societies. From the Middle East, where wheat and other cereals were first domesticated, cultivation spread north and west, to Europe and North Africa, and east toward East Asia.</p><p>Bread is mainly composed of air. During mixing, bubbles are formed within the dough, and as the dough proves (ferments), these bubbles expand and grow. The size, distribution, and development of these bubbles play a crucial role in shaping the bread's final quality. They determine its texture, mouthfeel, and overall volume, making the process of bubble formation one of the key factors in creating the perfect loaf.</p><p>The images below show (Figure 2, 1) a digital reconstruction of bread texture, and (Figure 2b) an electron microscope picture showing the typical open foam structure of white bread. It is clear that not all bubbles are equal – there is quite a large distribution of shapes and sizes, which will have an impact on the texture of the bread. The higher magnification electron microscope picture of bubbles in white bread shows that the bubbles are interconnected, which indicates that a dynamic process of bubble expansion occurs during the baking process where bubbles interact with each other.</p><p>Several different ingredients are used by commercial bakers with the aim of <i>improving</i> the bread. This generally means increased bubble stability in the dough to allow for the mechanical shocks generated during moving the dough around in an industrial process and the rapid proofing times required for fast throughput. An artisan baker is less likely to use improvers as they can easily adapt their processing conditions such as proof time and temperature to suit their particular recipe. A basic bread recipe usually only contains flour (which is mainly starch and gluten), salt, yeast and water, but commercial bakers will add:</p><p>• <b>Emulsifiers</b> in bread create a stable and strong dough that retains more gas. The result of this is a light and soft crumb. Emulsifiers also slow down starch retrogradation, whic
{"title":"Not all bubbles are equal: bread texture and the science of baking","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_10.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_10.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b><i>Bogdan Dobraszczyk explores the science behind bread-making, focusing on how the formation and development of gas bubbles during mixing, proofing, and baking influence the texture, volume, and quality of the final product, with insights into the role of dough rheology, flour quality, and baking techniques</i></b>.</p><p>Bread is a staple food that was consumed by 80% of the world's population during the year 2022, and a principal source of carbohydrate and protein. It comes in various shapes, flavours and textures according to various culinary preferences in different countries, from the typical white and brown bread consumed in the UK and USA, baguettes and brioche in France, rye breads in Eastern and Northern Europe to the flatbreads of North Africa, the Near East and India.</p><p>Bread is strongly associated with the development of agriculture and a move away from a hunter gatherer lifestyle. It was central to the formation of early human societies. From the Middle East, where wheat and other cereals were first domesticated, cultivation spread north and west, to Europe and North Africa, and east toward East Asia.</p><p>Bread is mainly composed of air. During mixing, bubbles are formed within the dough, and as the dough proves (ferments), these bubbles expand and grow. The size, distribution, and development of these bubbles play a crucial role in shaping the bread's final quality. They determine its texture, mouthfeel, and overall volume, making the process of bubble formation one of the key factors in creating the perfect loaf.</p><p>The images below show (Figure 2, 1) a digital reconstruction of bread texture, and (Figure 2b) an electron microscope picture showing the typical open foam structure of white bread. It is clear that not all bubbles are equal – there is quite a large distribution of shapes and sizes, which will have an impact on the texture of the bread. The higher magnification electron microscope picture of bubbles in white bread shows that the bubbles are interconnected, which indicates that a dynamic process of bubble expansion occurs during the baking process where bubbles interact with each other.</p><p>Several different ingredients are used by commercial bakers with the aim of <i>improving</i> the bread. This generally means increased bubble stability in the dough to allow for the mechanical shocks generated during moving the dough around in an industrial process and the rapid proofing times required for fast throughput. An artisan baker is less likely to use improvers as they can easily adapt their processing conditions such as proof time and temperature to suit their particular recipe. A basic bread recipe usually only contains flour (which is mainly starch and gluten), salt, yeast and water, but commercial bakers will add:</p><p>•\t<b>Emulsifiers</b> in bread create a stable and strong dough that retains more gas. The result of this is a light and soft crumb. Emulsifiers also slow down starch retrogradation, whic","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"40-43"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_10.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142851394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><b><i>As the IFST celebrates its 60th year anniversary, Food Innovation SIG member Sarah Gaunt and Chair Susan Arkley present some of the key innovations from the past 60 years in the familiar themes of health, packaging, processing, regulations and mainstream alternatives. Guest contributors Wayne Martindale, Craig Leadley, Jake Norman, Tom Hollands and Gavin Milligan comment on the innovations driving change in the industry today and in the future</i></b>.</p><p>The food industry's evolution is one of continuous innovation, discovery, and adaptation. From chance findings to targeted scientific efforts, each advancement has shaped how we produce, consume, and view food today. This journey has brought breakthroughs in health products, packaging, alternative foods, processing, technology, and regulation. However, progress also presents challenges, such as the demand for sustainable solutions and strategies to tackle increasing environmental and public health issues.</p><p>As the link between food and health became clearer in the late 20th century, scientific advances and growing consumer demands fuelled the creation of products focused on well-being. Some breakthroughs happened by chance, others through research.</p><p>In 1976, an accidental discovery revolutionised sweetness engineering. Tate & Lyle scientists, Leslie Hough and Shashikant Phadnis at Queen Elizabeth College, were exploring sucrose uses<sup>(</sup><span><sup>1</sup></span><sup>)</sup>. When Phadnis misheard ‘test’ as ‘taste,’ he found a chlorinated sugar compound to be extremely sweet, leading to sucralose (E955), a non-nutritive sweetener 320 to 1,000 times sweeter than sucrose. Stable under heat and pH changes, it became essential in baking and shelf-stable foods, reshaping low-calorie sweeteners.</p><p>Interest in probiotics, first proposed by Elie Metchnikoff in 1907, surged after 1980, as studies explored gut health benefits<sup>(</sup><span><sup>2</sup></span><sup>)</sup>. Though popular, many health claims are contested, with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejecting several for lacking scientific evidence, stressing the need for rigorous research. The journey into gut health continued with Marcel Roberfroid who, in 1995 discovered prebiotics: non-digestible fibres promoting beneficial bacteria growth in the colon, often found in everyday foods. These play a key role in gut health<sup>(</sup><span><sup>3</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>As health focus grew, demand for functional foods—offering benefits beyond nutrition—boomed with EFSA imposing strict regulations to ensure health claims are scientifically supported<sup>(</sup><span><sup>4</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>In the 1990s, research revealed the risks of trans fats, linking them to coronary heart disease. This prompted a global push to eliminate trans fats, showing how the industry responds to science and consumer demand for healthier choices<sup>(</sup><span><sup>5</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>
{"title":"60 Years of Innovation: How Technology and Sustainability Are Redefining Food","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_4.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_4.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b><i>As the IFST celebrates its 60th year anniversary, Food Innovation SIG member Sarah Gaunt and Chair Susan Arkley present some of the key innovations from the past 60 years in the familiar themes of health, packaging, processing, regulations and mainstream alternatives. Guest contributors Wayne Martindale, Craig Leadley, Jake Norman, Tom Hollands and Gavin Milligan comment on the innovations driving change in the industry today and in the future</i></b>.</p><p>The food industry's evolution is one of continuous innovation, discovery, and adaptation. From chance findings to targeted scientific efforts, each advancement has shaped how we produce, consume, and view food today. This journey has brought breakthroughs in health products, packaging, alternative foods, processing, technology, and regulation. However, progress also presents challenges, such as the demand for sustainable solutions and strategies to tackle increasing environmental and public health issues.</p><p>As the link between food and health became clearer in the late 20th century, scientific advances and growing consumer demands fuelled the creation of products focused on well-being. Some breakthroughs happened by chance, others through research.</p><p>In 1976, an accidental discovery revolutionised sweetness engineering. Tate & Lyle scientists, Leslie Hough and Shashikant Phadnis at Queen Elizabeth College, were exploring sucrose uses<sup>(</sup><span><sup>1</sup></span><sup>)</sup>. When Phadnis misheard ‘test’ as ‘taste,’ he found a chlorinated sugar compound to be extremely sweet, leading to sucralose (E955), a non-nutritive sweetener 320 to 1,000 times sweeter than sucrose. Stable under heat and pH changes, it became essential in baking and shelf-stable foods, reshaping low-calorie sweeteners.</p><p>Interest in probiotics, first proposed by Elie Metchnikoff in 1907, surged after 1980, as studies explored gut health benefits<sup>(</sup><span><sup>2</sup></span><sup>)</sup>. Though popular, many health claims are contested, with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejecting several for lacking scientific evidence, stressing the need for rigorous research. The journey into gut health continued with Marcel Roberfroid who, in 1995 discovered prebiotics: non-digestible fibres promoting beneficial bacteria growth in the colon, often found in everyday foods. These play a key role in gut health<sup>(</sup><span><sup>3</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>As health focus grew, demand for functional foods—offering benefits beyond nutrition—boomed with EFSA imposing strict regulations to ensure health claims are scientifically supported<sup>(</sup><span><sup>4</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>In the 1990s, research revealed the risks of trans fats, linking them to coronary heart disease. This prompted a global push to eliminate trans fats, showing how the industry responds to science and consumer demand for healthier choices<sup>(</sup><span><sup>5</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"18-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_4.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><b><i>Experts from the Advanced Food Innovation Centre at Sheffield Hallam University discuss food sector research and innovation through the lens of AI</i></b>.</p><p>The Advanced Food Innovation Centre (AFIC) is a National Centre of Excellence based on Sheffield Hallam University's Health Innovation Campus. It is dedicated to driving sustainable innovations in the global food system. Four research themes - digital connectivity, food system sustainability, healthier lives, and feeding a growing population - enable problem-led, collaborative solutions for the food sector.</p><p>Through pilot-scale production facilities, laboratories, and workshops, the AFIC serves as a collaborative hub for research and innovation between industry and academia. ￡15m in research income has enabled advancements in food processing and manufacturing solutions, new processes technology, energy efficient systems and novel techniques to meet the demand for healthy foods.</p><p>Food and drink is the largest UK manufacturing sector – accounting for around 19% of UK manufacturing output and directly contributing ￡33bn to the UK economy.</p><p>The <b>Sheffield City Region</b> surrounding Hallam, generates as much GVA from food and drink manufacturing as the whole of the North-East and there are 360 food manufacturers registered in the region.</p><p>Running alongside these, there are future sector challenges including: climate change, a growing world-wide population, political instability and the potential of future pandemics<sup>(</sup><span><sup>2</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>The recurring theme in the press and the literature is that, given things may well become more challenging, the food and drink industry is going to inevitably have to do more with less - droughts, storage challenges, and import/export complexities will diminish stocks of raw ingredients.</p><p>These problems are compounded by low quality food processing, inefficient manufacturing and rising costs – that is where AI comes in. Applied effectively, AI has the potential to greatly reduce waste and therefore slow the diminishing of resources, while cutting down costs.</p><p>These realities have significantly influenced the decision to apply Alex's expertise and knowledge toward sustainable innovations in the food sector.</p><p>A great example has been the opportunity to work with <b>Koolmill</b> on using AI and image processing for controlling the quality of food product outputs.</p><p>Rice feeds <b>nearly half the world</b>'s population but traditional rice milling is both <b>wasteful</b> and <b>power hungry</b>. The team has developed a digitalised rice mill that is <b>more efficient</b>, <b>less wasteful</b>, and uses AI and automation to ensure <b>high quality output</b>.</p><p>The collaboration has been so successful that it recently secured an Innovate UK AI feasibility study grant – this will use AI to rigorously assess the quality of milled rice, working out the amount of broken rice in order
{"title":"Artificial Intelligence and the food sector: a golden opportunity for growth","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_8.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_8.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b><i>Experts from the Advanced Food Innovation Centre at Sheffield Hallam University discuss food sector research and innovation through the lens of AI</i></b>.</p><p>The Advanced Food Innovation Centre (AFIC) is a National Centre of Excellence based on Sheffield Hallam University's Health Innovation Campus. It is dedicated to driving sustainable innovations in the global food system. Four research themes - digital connectivity, food system sustainability, healthier lives, and feeding a growing population - enable problem-led, collaborative solutions for the food sector.</p><p>Through pilot-scale production facilities, laboratories, and workshops, the AFIC serves as a collaborative hub for research and innovation between industry and academia. ￡15m in research income has enabled advancements in food processing and manufacturing solutions, new processes technology, energy efficient systems and novel techniques to meet the demand for healthy foods.</p><p>Food and drink is the largest UK manufacturing sector – accounting for around 19% of UK manufacturing output and directly contributing ￡33bn to the UK economy.</p><p>The <b>Sheffield City Region</b> surrounding Hallam, generates as much GVA from food and drink manufacturing as the whole of the North-East and there are 360 food manufacturers registered in the region.</p><p>Running alongside these, there are future sector challenges including: climate change, a growing world-wide population, political instability and the potential of future pandemics<sup>(</sup><span><sup>2</sup></span><sup>)</sup>.</p><p>The recurring theme in the press and the literature is that, given things may well become more challenging, the food and drink industry is going to inevitably have to do more with less - droughts, storage challenges, and import/export complexities will diminish stocks of raw ingredients.</p><p>These problems are compounded by low quality food processing, inefficient manufacturing and rising costs – that is where AI comes in. Applied effectively, AI has the potential to greatly reduce waste and therefore slow the diminishing of resources, while cutting down costs.</p><p>These realities have significantly influenced the decision to apply Alex's expertise and knowledge toward sustainable innovations in the food sector.</p><p>A great example has been the opportunity to work with <b>Koolmill</b> on using AI and image processing for controlling the quality of food product outputs.</p><p>Rice feeds <b>nearly half the world</b>'s population but traditional rice milling is both <b>wasteful</b> and <b>power hungry</b>. The team has developed a digitalised rice mill that is <b>more efficient</b>, <b>less wasteful</b>, and uses AI and automation to ensure <b>high quality output</b>.</p><p>The collaboration has been so successful that it recently secured an Innovate UK AI feasibility study grant – this will use AI to rigorously assess the quality of milled rice, working out the amount of broken rice in order","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"32-35"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_8.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p>Welcome to the Final Issue of 2024! As the year draws to a close, this issue of <i>Food Science and Technology</i> focuses on Food Quality from various perspectives, including analyses. It explores how ingredient interactions influence texture, the impact of processes and packaging on maintaining quality, and the critical importance of managing allergens.</p><p>The issue begins with a retrospective on the evolution of innovations over the past 60 years, marking the conclusion of IFST's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Developments in food analysis, sustainability, and consumer safety have transformed the industry. Let's take food microstructure, for example, this is a key aspect related to quality. It helps understanding texture changes upon processing, and potential sensory appeal of the finished product. In products like bread, the distribution of gas bubbles during mixing, proofing, and baking defines texture and volume too. Advanced techniques, like dough inflation, offer precise control, ensuring consistent, high-quality products.</p><p>Food quality is closely tied to bioactive retention. Smart processing techniques like fermentation and encapsulation preserve nutrients, enhancing bioavailability and health benefits.</p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) - once again - takes centre stage in this edition, with a look at its transformative role in food science. From optimising recipes to designing new products through advanced methodologies, AI is revolutionising the field. Its applications in research and product development continue to grow, making it an essential area to revisit in 2025.</p><p>Sustainable packaging is also a key focus, with life cycle assessments exploring how to balance environmental concerns with the need to preserve food quality.</p><p>To bring a festive touch to this edition, I have included a special crossword puzzle as a lighthearted end-of-year challenge. I encourage sharing your thoughts with me—I always value hearing from you.</p><p>I hope this issue proves both insightful and inspiring as we look ahead to the opportunities and challenges of the coming year.</p><p>Enjoy the read!</p><p>Researchers at INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment) have developed a pioneering 3D biomimetic artificial mouth that mimics human chewing and saliva production. This cutting-edge tool is designed to enhance our understanding of how food breaks down and forms a bolus, all processes critical to digestion and nutrient absorption. The artificial mouth replicates the physical and biochemical environment of the human oral cavity, allowing scientists to observe how different foods respond to chewing forces, saliva, and oral enzymes. This provides a controlled setting to study the early stages of digestion, crucial for nutrient access and absorption further along the digestive tract. The technology offers promising applications in food science. Researchers can investigate how various food textures, st
{"title":"Editorial and News","authors":"Veronica Giacintucci","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_2.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_2.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Welcome to the Final Issue of 2024! As the year draws to a close, this issue of <i>Food Science and Technology</i> focuses on Food Quality from various perspectives, including analyses. It explores how ingredient interactions influence texture, the impact of processes and packaging on maintaining quality, and the critical importance of managing allergens.</p><p>The issue begins with a retrospective on the evolution of innovations over the past 60 years, marking the conclusion of IFST's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Developments in food analysis, sustainability, and consumer safety have transformed the industry. Let's take food microstructure, for example, this is a key aspect related to quality. It helps understanding texture changes upon processing, and potential sensory appeal of the finished product. In products like bread, the distribution of gas bubbles during mixing, proofing, and baking defines texture and volume too. Advanced techniques, like dough inflation, offer precise control, ensuring consistent, high-quality products.</p><p>Food quality is closely tied to bioactive retention. Smart processing techniques like fermentation and encapsulation preserve nutrients, enhancing bioavailability and health benefits.</p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) - once again - takes centre stage in this edition, with a look at its transformative role in food science. From optimising recipes to designing new products through advanced methodologies, AI is revolutionising the field. Its applications in research and product development continue to grow, making it an essential area to revisit in 2025.</p><p>Sustainable packaging is also a key focus, with life cycle assessments exploring how to balance environmental concerns with the need to preserve food quality.</p><p>To bring a festive touch to this edition, I have included a special crossword puzzle as a lighthearted end-of-year challenge. I encourage sharing your thoughts with me—I always value hearing from you.</p><p>I hope this issue proves both insightful and inspiring as we look ahead to the opportunities and challenges of the coming year.</p><p>Enjoy the read!</p><p>Researchers at INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment) have developed a pioneering 3D biomimetic artificial mouth that mimics human chewing and saliva production. This cutting-edge tool is designed to enhance our understanding of how food breaks down and forms a bolus, all processes critical to digestion and nutrient absorption. The artificial mouth replicates the physical and biochemical environment of the human oral cavity, allowing scientists to observe how different foods respond to chewing forces, saliva, and oral enzymes. This provides a controlled setting to study the early stages of digestion, crucial for nutrient access and absorption further along the digestive tract. The technology offers promising applications in food science. Researchers can investigate how various food textures, st","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"4-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_2.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142851391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p>Last week, as I was on the 13:02 train from Marylebone, I saw field after sodden field, many still submerged from recent flooding. Add in the scorching summer heat across much of continental Europe. Many yields will be low. Again. Earlier in the day, I’d been the last speaker on the 10-strong panel at the Lord Mayor's World Food Day Colloquy<sup>(1)</sup>. Sitting opposite me was a young hospital medic—bright, articulate, and highly educated. Yet he hadn’t considered the impact of constant rain on crops, nor the effects of the heat-wave across Europe on our food supplies. He was also unaware of the vast quantities of food needed to sustain a population. Not untypical, I guess. Remarkably, even some of the Players of <i>The Game</i> are surprised by the quantities of food a population needs. Yet it's easy to compute, back-of-the-envelope stuff<sup>(2)</sup>.</p><p>I’ve yet to meet a food sector professional, though, who doesn’t grasp the scale or complexity of the organisational operations involved. They’re all concerned about sourcing and walk the talk about ‘sustainable supply chains’. In truth, though, such a thing doesn’t exist for long. It's a constantly shifting landscape when it comes to securing produce.</p><p>Are we <i>too late for the party</i>, as baldly stated by a logistics manager who recently played <i>The Game</i>? Maybe.</p><p>To up our chances, as I repeatedly said in my Mansion House talk, we can choose to be prepared for the exigencies ahead. This is the reason behind the creation of <i>The Game</i> in the first place. Our 2017-18 horizon scanning project highlighted that the already intense global competition for food could only increase<sup>(3, 4)</sup>. Project contributors, though only in private discussions, suggested that in the best-case scenario, millions would die; at worst, humanity could face an existential crisis. Possibly soon. Their consensus, like that of many others at the time, was we mustn’t talk openly about such scenarios because, they argued, if people knew what was coming, they would be paralysed, unable to act. <i>The Game</i> is predicated on a radically opposite stance. <i>Facing a future of accelerating climate change while blind to worst case scenarios is naive risk management at best, and fatally foolish at worst</i><sup><i>(5)</i></sup>. This is serious, heavy stuff. As Players quickly learn, we do serious. But not solemn! <i>The Game</i> is huge fun to play. Players are responsible for maximising the chances of ‘their’ population to have access to sufficient supplies of safe, nutritious food in the face of ‘events’ we deal to each team. Here they are story-makers, emotionally immersed and engaged in fictional decision-making. This allows freedom to discuss what to do, and eagerness to learn from other perspectives around the table; <i>so much diversity, so much in common</i> as a recent Player wrote on his review sheet.</p><p>We felt a deep-rooted responsibility when preparing to run <i>The Game
{"title":"The Game: Tackling Future Food Challenges","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_14.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_14.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Last week, as I was on the 13:02 train from Marylebone, I saw field after sodden field, many still submerged from recent flooding. Add in the scorching summer heat across much of continental Europe. Many yields will be low. Again. Earlier in the day, I’d been the last speaker on the 10-strong panel at the Lord Mayor's World Food Day Colloquy<sup>(1)</sup>. Sitting opposite me was a young hospital medic—bright, articulate, and highly educated. Yet he hadn’t considered the impact of constant rain on crops, nor the effects of the heat-wave across Europe on our food supplies. He was also unaware of the vast quantities of food needed to sustain a population. Not untypical, I guess. Remarkably, even some of the Players of <i>The Game</i> are surprised by the quantities of food a population needs. Yet it's easy to compute, back-of-the-envelope stuff<sup>(2)</sup>.</p><p>I’ve yet to meet a food sector professional, though, who doesn’t grasp the scale or complexity of the organisational operations involved. They’re all concerned about sourcing and walk the talk about ‘sustainable supply chains’. In truth, though, such a thing doesn’t exist for long. It's a constantly shifting landscape when it comes to securing produce.</p><p>Are we <i>too late for the party</i>, as baldly stated by a logistics manager who recently played <i>The Game</i>? Maybe.</p><p>To up our chances, as I repeatedly said in my Mansion House talk, we can choose to be prepared for the exigencies ahead. This is the reason behind the creation of <i>The Game</i> in the first place. Our 2017-18 horizon scanning project highlighted that the already intense global competition for food could only increase<sup>(3, 4)</sup>. Project contributors, though only in private discussions, suggested that in the best-case scenario, millions would die; at worst, humanity could face an existential crisis. Possibly soon. Their consensus, like that of many others at the time, was we mustn’t talk openly about such scenarios because, they argued, if people knew what was coming, they would be paralysed, unable to act. <i>The Game</i> is predicated on a radically opposite stance. <i>Facing a future of accelerating climate change while blind to worst case scenarios is naive risk management at best, and fatally foolish at worst</i><sup><i>(5)</i></sup>. This is serious, heavy stuff. As Players quickly learn, we do serious. But not solemn! <i>The Game</i> is huge fun to play. Players are responsible for maximising the chances of ‘their’ population to have access to sufficient supplies of safe, nutritious food in the face of ‘events’ we deal to each team. Here they are story-makers, emotionally immersed and engaged in fictional decision-making. This allows freedom to discuss what to do, and eagerness to learn from other perspectives around the table; <i>so much diversity, so much in common</i> as a recent Player wrote on his review sheet.</p><p>We felt a deep-rooted responsibility when preparing to run <i>The Game","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"56-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_14.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><b><i>Shalima Sreenath explores how food processing affects bioavailability of bioactive compounds in functional foods, and how it also impacts overall food quality. By focusing on methods like fermentation, encapsulation, and thermal processing, it shows how processing can improve nutrient absorption while maintaining or enhancing the quality, flavour, and texture of food</i></b>.</p><p>In recent years, the concept of food as medicine has emerged as a transformative force in the realm of nutrition, combining ancient wisdom with cutting-edge science to redefine our approach to health. While its roots trace back to early civilizations that recognised the healing potential of food, today's renewed interest is fueled by mounting evidence linking diet to chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Advances in nutritional science, coupled with the rise of functional foods and personalised nutrition, are driving this movement forward in the 21st century. This evolution signifies a shift towards holistic, preventative healthcare, where the role of food is not just to nourish but to actively promote health and well-being.</p><p>When evaluating the health benefits of functional foods, a key factor to consider is their bioavailability, which refers to the proportion of of bioactive compounds absorded and utilised by the body after consumption. Bioavailability determines how effectively these beneficial compounds are delivered to target tissues to exert their desired health effects.</p><p>When it comes to food-related factors, food processing plays a major, if not the most important role in influencing bioavailability. Processing methods can significantly influence nearly all food-related aspects of bioavailability. This is especially important for functional foods since these are consumed with the greater purpose of tapping the benefits beyond day-to-day nutrition. From the moment raw materials are harvested, through to storage, preparation, and cooking, each stage in the food production journey can either preserve, enhance, or degrade the nutritional value of the final product. For these foods to deliver their promised benefits, it is essential that processing methods are carefully selected and optimised.</p><p>Thermal processing is one of the most common food processing methods used for extending shelf-life, improving safety by eliminating pathogens. It is also chosen for its ability to alter texture, making foods more palatable and easier to digest. Thermal processing includes methods like boiling, steaming, roasting, and pasteurization, and can either enhance or degrade nutrient bioavailability, depending on the nutrient.</p><p>An example of the impact of thermal processing on bioactive compounds is the processing of tomatoes, where the bioavailability of lycopene is positively impacted. Lycopene is a carotenoid and a powerful antioxidant that has been associated with various health benefits, such as reducing the risk of
{"title":"Unlocking Bioavailability: Elevating Food Quality Through Smart Processing","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_11.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_11.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b><i>Shalima Sreenath explores how food processing affects bioavailability of bioactive compounds in functional foods, and how it also impacts overall food quality. By focusing on methods like fermentation, encapsulation, and thermal processing, it shows how processing can improve nutrient absorption while maintaining or enhancing the quality, flavour, and texture of food</i></b>.</p><p>In recent years, the concept of food as medicine has emerged as a transformative force in the realm of nutrition, combining ancient wisdom with cutting-edge science to redefine our approach to health. While its roots trace back to early civilizations that recognised the healing potential of food, today's renewed interest is fueled by mounting evidence linking diet to chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Advances in nutritional science, coupled with the rise of functional foods and personalised nutrition, are driving this movement forward in the 21st century. This evolution signifies a shift towards holistic, preventative healthcare, where the role of food is not just to nourish but to actively promote health and well-being.</p><p>When evaluating the health benefits of functional foods, a key factor to consider is their bioavailability, which refers to the proportion of of bioactive compounds absorded and utilised by the body after consumption. Bioavailability determines how effectively these beneficial compounds are delivered to target tissues to exert their desired health effects.</p><p>When it comes to food-related factors, food processing plays a major, if not the most important role in influencing bioavailability. Processing methods can significantly influence nearly all food-related aspects of bioavailability. This is especially important for functional foods since these are consumed with the greater purpose of tapping the benefits beyond day-to-day nutrition. From the moment raw materials are harvested, through to storage, preparation, and cooking, each stage in the food production journey can either preserve, enhance, or degrade the nutritional value of the final product. For these foods to deliver their promised benefits, it is essential that processing methods are carefully selected and optimised.</p><p>Thermal processing is one of the most common food processing methods used for extending shelf-life, improving safety by eliminating pathogens. It is also chosen for its ability to alter texture, making foods more palatable and easier to digest. Thermal processing includes methods like boiling, steaming, roasting, and pasteurization, and can either enhance or degrade nutrient bioavailability, depending on the nutrient.</p><p>An example of the impact of thermal processing on bioactive compounds is the processing of tomatoes, where the bioavailability of lycopene is positively impacted. Lycopene is a carotenoid and a powerful antioxidant that has been associated with various health benefits, such as reducing the risk of ","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"44-47"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_11.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><b><i>Allergens and sensitivities affect millions worldwide, yet misconceptions about food allergies persist. From historical discoveries to modern challenges in allergen management, Stella Holt explores what food businesses need to understand about allergens to ensure safety, respect, and transparency for every customer</i></b>.</p><p>‘No one had allergies when I was a child!’</p><p>Coming from Greek, the term ‘allergy’ was first coined in 1906, by Austrian Paediatrician, Clemens Peter Pirquet von Cesenatico. ‘Allos’ meaning ‘other’ or ‘altered’, and ‘Ergos’ meaning ‘reaction’, led to the term we know today, but the understanding of it is very different. There are references to the symptoms of hay fever in a book published in Paris 1564. There are also historical records of ancient Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians suffering skin rashes and respiratory problems they had attributed to certain substances, though none of them can be either proven or disproved.</p><p>In 1819, Dr John Bostock at St Thomas's Hospital in London, UK, first linked ‘summer catarrh’ to flowering plants and pollen. From there research took place and we now know that it can be much worse than a ‘summer cold’ to which our parents and grandparents referred, and there are many substances known to cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitised.</p><p>An allergy is an unexpected reaction to a substance by the immune system. If everyone had the same reaction to the same substance, it would be called a poison.</p><p>The initial reaction occurs only after a person has been sensitised to the substance—that is, when the immune system tags the substance as an invader and responds to it upon subsequent exposure. The reactions range from mild symptoms such as sneezing, slight itching, or vomiting, to severe reactions including asthma, hives (swollen, reddened, and itchy patches of skin), difficulty swallowing, swelling of the mouth, throat, and airways, a drop in blood pressure, collapse, and even death.</p><p>An allergen is the substance which causes the allergic reaction and is most often the protein element.</p><p>Around the world there are varying lists of foods that must be declared by food businesses, with 9 in the USA, 14 in the UK and EU, 10 in Australia, and 29 in Japan.</p><p>Bearing in mind that it is the protein that is responsible for causing the reaction, it is important to understand that these often go by different names. For instance, someone following the Six Food</p><p>Elimination Diet under hospital supervision may be given a long list of alternative names to look for in the ingredient lists of bought foods. A few examples include Sodium Caseinate (from milk), Lecithin/E322 (from egg or soya), Lysozyme/E1105 (from egg or soya), and Hydrolysed Whey Protein (from milk). Peanuts may also be known as Groundnuts, Monkey-nuts, Goober pea, or Cacahuete. Some people are unaware that Edamame and Soya are the same thing, or that Tofu is Soya.</p><p>Recently, a customer ask
{"title":"Beyond the Label: Insights into Allergens for Food Businesses","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/fsat.3804_13.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3804_13.x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b><i>Allergens and sensitivities affect millions worldwide, yet misconceptions about food allergies persist. From historical discoveries to modern challenges in allergen management, Stella Holt explores what food businesses need to understand about allergens to ensure safety, respect, and transparency for every customer</i></b>.</p><p>‘No one had allergies when I was a child!’</p><p>Coming from Greek, the term ‘allergy’ was first coined in 1906, by Austrian Paediatrician, Clemens Peter Pirquet von Cesenatico. ‘Allos’ meaning ‘other’ or ‘altered’, and ‘Ergos’ meaning ‘reaction’, led to the term we know today, but the understanding of it is very different. There are references to the symptoms of hay fever in a book published in Paris 1564. There are also historical records of ancient Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians suffering skin rashes and respiratory problems they had attributed to certain substances, though none of them can be either proven or disproved.</p><p>In 1819, Dr John Bostock at St Thomas's Hospital in London, UK, first linked ‘summer catarrh’ to flowering plants and pollen. From there research took place and we now know that it can be much worse than a ‘summer cold’ to which our parents and grandparents referred, and there are many substances known to cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitised.</p><p>An allergy is an unexpected reaction to a substance by the immune system. If everyone had the same reaction to the same substance, it would be called a poison.</p><p>The initial reaction occurs only after a person has been sensitised to the substance—that is, when the immune system tags the substance as an invader and responds to it upon subsequent exposure. The reactions range from mild symptoms such as sneezing, slight itching, or vomiting, to severe reactions including asthma, hives (swollen, reddened, and itchy patches of skin), difficulty swallowing, swelling of the mouth, throat, and airways, a drop in blood pressure, collapse, and even death.</p><p>An allergen is the substance which causes the allergic reaction and is most often the protein element.</p><p>Around the world there are varying lists of foods that must be declared by food businesses, with 9 in the USA, 14 in the UK and EU, 10 in Australia, and 29 in Japan.</p><p>Bearing in mind that it is the protein that is responsible for causing the reaction, it is important to understand that these often go by different names. For instance, someone following the Six Food</p><p>Elimination Diet under hospital supervision may be given a long list of alternative names to look for in the ingredient lists of bought foods. A few examples include Sodium Caseinate (from milk), Lecithin/E322 (from egg or soya), Lysozyme/E1105 (from egg or soya), and Hydrolysed Whey Protein (from milk). Peanuts may also be known as Groundnuts, Monkey-nuts, Goober pea, or Cacahuete. Some people are unaware that Edamame and Soya are the same thing, or that Tofu is Soya.</p><p>Recently, a customer ask","PeriodicalId":12404,"journal":{"name":"Food Science and Technology","volume":"38 4","pages":"52-55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3804_13.x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142851425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><b><i>IFST have published their latest Technical Brief on Acrylamide. Technical Briefs are short explainers of food science topics aimed primarily at food manufacturing Technical Managers but useful to others with an interest in the subject</i></b>.</p><p>Acrylamide, a chemical compound with the formula C<sub>3</sub>H<sub>5</sub>NO, is extensively used in industrial applications, particularly in the manufacture of polymers and cements. Interestingly, acrylamide also forms naturally in certain foods as a result of cooking or heating processes, especially when foods are cooked at high temperatures. Common sources of acrylamide in the diet include potato-based products such as chips, crisps, and other fried or baked snacks, where heat encourages its formation. Cereal products like bread, toast, biscuits, crackers, and breakfast cereals—especially those that are browned or toasted—also contribute significantly. Additionally, coffee beans develop acrylamide during the roasting process, with levels influenced by factors such as bean variety and roasting duration.</p><p>Through comprehensive analytical techniques, scientists and food safety authorities can monitor and manage acrylamide levels in the food supply chain, ensuring consumer safety and informed dietary choices. Analysis involves sample preparation, extraction, purification and quantification, using sophisticated techniques. Acrylamide formation is not homogenous in a food, so sampling is important, for example most acrylamide in a loaf of bread will be in the crust. Preparation can involve grinding or blending to create a consistent mixture. Extraction can be carried out with solvents (e.g. water, methanol, acetonitrile) or by Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE). Analysis requires high-specification and specialist laboratory testing, usually Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MSMS) and, less commonly, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) after derivatisation. Once typical acrylamide levels are modelled for a particular production process, and product design, then indirect indicators can be used for in-process specification control e.g. monitoring of raw materials for formation precursors, such as asparagine.</p><p>By implementing strategies, acrylamide levels can be significantly reduced enhancing food safety and consumer confidence. Strategies are highly specific to the product type, and detailed guidance has been published for some product types. Common themes include:</p><p><b>1. Raw material selection and preparation:</b> To reduce acrylamide formation in food products, it is crucial to select raw materials that naturally contain low levels of asparagine and reducing sugars, as these compounds are key precursors to acrylamide formation during cooking. Furthermore, agricultural practices can be optimised to lower asparagine and sugar concentrations in crops by adjusting fertilisation and harvest timings to minimise the accumulation of these compounds. In certain recipes, subst
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