International Journal of Food Science最新文献

Background: Honey provides various nutritional, health, and economic advantages, making it crucial to oversee its production and import. Thus, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) regulates and monitors honey products. This study assesses the compliance of honey products with the SFDA's food labeling and claims regulations.

Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was aimed at assessing the compliance of the honey products labeling requirements set by SFDA. The data of this study were collected by surveying the package labeling information of selected prepackaged honey. The labeling compliance was assessed by using a comprehensive checklist that takes into account the various aspects of honey products labeling requirements. The claims' compliance was assessed based on SFDA health and nutritional claims technical regulation.

Results: The present study involved 306 locally distributed honey products. Natural honey and Sidr honey were the most common types included in the sample. Out of the 10 compliance components, only four had a compliance rate of 90% or above. Brand name was the most commonly complied component on all products' labels at 100%, followed by food additives at 99.67%. Only 1.96% of the honey samples carried health or nutritional claims; nutritional claims were found to be 100% compliant, and 50% of the written health claims were identified as prohibited claims.

Conclusion: The assessment revealed both strengths and areas for improvement. While there was high compliance with nutritional claims and accurate product naming, there were notable issues with health claims and batch numbering. These findings underscore the importance of ongoing monitoring and regulatory oversight.

Food waste is one of the fastest growing sustainability challenges, wasting scarce resources and aggravating environmental degradation. Its valorization into organic fertilizers provides a critical opportunity to recover nutrients, reduce landfill burdens, and strengthen circular bioeconomy strategies. This review critically examines FW-derived organic fertilizers (FWOFs) across four major conversion routes including composting, vermicomposting, anaerobic digestion, and pyrolysis and also evaluates their impacts on soil health, nutrient cycling, crop yield and quality, and environmental trade-offs. We emphasize that while FWOFs offer multiple benefits, outcomes remain highly variable due to heterogeneity in feedstocks, processing methods, and application practices. Evidence highlights the strong potential for improving soil organic matter, water retention, and micronutrient supply but also raises unresolved risks from heavy metals, microplastics, and the survival of pathogens. By integrating multiscale evidence, this review provides a fertilizer-focused perspective that identifies critical knowledge gaps, standardization needs, and adoption pathways. In conclusion, this work underscores both the opportunities and limitations of FWOFs, offering concise guidance for advancing sustainable agriculture and circular bioeconomy practices.

This study investigated the fungal distribution on maize across Nigeria's diverse agroecological zones. A total of 270 maize samples were collected from farms (90), markets (90), and storage facilities (90) from all seven agroecological zones in the country. The fungal strains were identified at the species level using conventional identification techniques, molecular methods, and phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that the highest fungal loads were recorded in the Sahel savanna (SHS), Sudan savanna (SS), and northern Guinea savanna (NGS) zones, with NGS showing peaks above 4.0 × 10⁶ CFU/g, particularly in farm and store samples. Lower fungal loads were observed in the mid altitude, derived savanna (DS), and humid forest (HF) zones, with median values mostly below 5.0 × 10⁵ CFU/g. Notably, the variability and presence of outliers were more pronounced in the SHS, SS, and NGS zones, indicating inconsistent contamination levels. A total of 986 fungal isolates were obtained from across the different agroecological zones. The fungi strains were grouped into 10 fungal genera, namely, Aspergillus sp. (42. 87%), Fusarium sp. (33.50%), Penicillium sp. (18.32%), Rhizopus sp. (3.46%), Absidia sp. (0.5%), Mucor sp. (0.5%), Curvularia sp. (0.3%), Microsporum sp. (0.1%), Alternaria sp. (0.1%), and Cladosporium sp. (0.1%). The molecular-based identification of some of the isolates revealed the presence of new species in the crop, Talaromyces sayulitensis, Aspergillus montevidensis, Epicoccum sorghinum, Aspergillus piperis, Exserohilum rostratum, and Tyrophagus putrescentiae. The studies demonstrated a high prevalence of mycotoxin-producing fungi, particularly from the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium, which pose serious health risks due to their potential to contaminate food supplies with harmful toxins like aflatoxins and fumonisins.

High-fat diets (HFDs) may affect the blood-brain barrier (BBB) function and cause neuroinflammation. Different dietary oils may influence BBB and neuroinflammatory responses due to their unique fatty acid compositions. To elucidate the potential effects of different dietary oils, this study compared the effects of tea seed oil with those of soybean oil and lard on markers of BBB and neuroinflammation. Six-week-old ovariectomized mice were fed a normal or HFD for 12 weeks. The mice's brain lipid profiles, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), BBB function-related markers (i.e., S100 calcium-binding protein β [S100β], matrix metalloproteinase-9 [MMP-9], zonula occludens-1, and glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]), and inflammation marker levels were evaluated. When mice were fed diets containing large amounts of fat (i.e., HFDs), different types of fat seemed to elicit different effects on these measures. However, different dietary fats had no different effects on the measurements during normal diet intervention. The mice fed the tea seed oil-based HFD exhibited upregulated levels of BDNF and downregulated levels of GFAP, S100β, MMP-9, and proinflammatory cytokines compared to those fed the soybean oil- and lard-based HFDs. While HFDs might impact BBB function and neuroinflammation, the type of dietary fat consumed might play a significant role, suggesting that tea seed oil might have beneficial effects on BBB markers and neuroinflammation compared to soybean oil and lard in ovariectomized mice under HFD conditions. However, further studies are warranted to determine the effects of these HFDs on cellular composition within the brains of these ovariectomized mice.

The Agave cupreata leaves are the main crop residues generated by the mezcal industry. It is known that agave leaves are potential sources of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds that could be used in the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, the valorization of crop residues and maximal utilization of this material are of major research interest in the development of environmentally and sustainably produced products. In this study, the aqueous extract was microencapsulated (MCAC) from Agave cupreata leaves in order to evaluate its physicochemical properties, stability, and antibacterial and antiulcerogenic activity. The results showed that MCAC exhibited a spherical shape, concavities, and a rough surface. The phytochemical profile showed that MCAC presented flavonoids, terpenes, and saponins. Optimal storage conditions at 35°C for MCAC were determined from adsorption isotherms. The integrity of MCAC was observed up to a water activity of 0.436. The results of the antibacterial activity demonstrated a growth inhibitory effect of PAC and MCAC on Gram-negative bacteria at a concentration of 32 mg mL^-1. In animal experiments, compared with the negative control (absolute ethanol), MCAC and PAC powders exerted a protective effect against ethanol-induced gastric ulcers, with protection rates of 34.45% and 92.24%, respectively. The results suggest that the powder obtained in the present study may be useful as a food additive and/or as an ingredient of pharmaceutical drugs.

Fresh fruit is an important dietary source of nutrients and health-related compounds, also contributing to food security and economic development worldwide. Postharvest losses exert a huge negative impact on fruit quality, consumers' acceptance, economic value, and market availability. High-throughput techniques have contributed to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit ripening and senescence. However, the application of these findings to develop conservation technologies remains scarce. The current systematic review is aimed at evaluating the literature on omics studies for sensory properties, shelf-life duration, microbiological and physiological quality outcomes during fruit ripening, postharvest conservation, and ex planta senescence. Four databases were investigated from 2014 to 2025, and data from 171 studies were compiled, converted to Gene Ontology terms, and analyzed using multivariate methods. The results reinforced the key role of phytohormones in climacteric and nonclimacteric fruit conservation. Ethylene and abscisic acid-controlled processes are the main contributors to senescence in climacteric and nonclimacteric fruit, respectively. Among the outcomes investigated, most omics studies assessed the effects of conservation technologies on fruit quality and sensory properties. After harvest, carbohydrate and reactive oxygen metabolic pathways are important contributors to conservation strategies. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histones posttranslational changes, are promising targets for novel conservation techniques. Further research on the impact of conservation technologies on fruit genomic, transcriptional, and metabolic changes may contribute to devising novel, paradigm-changing postharvest alternatives.

Ginger, a vital food component, has a long history of usage in various forms of traditional and alternative medicine with numerous health benefits. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is considered herbal medicine, being a safer alternative with manifold active and harmless ingredients. The primary aim of this research was to conduct a phytotherapeutic profiling and potential evaluation of essential oil and aqueous extracts derived from ginger rhizomes. The rhizomes were acquired from a local market in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Essential oil extraction was performed using a hydrodistillation method, yielding conc. from 200 to 3.125 mg/mL. Results indicated that both the essential oil and aqueous extracts possessed substantial total phenolic content. Furthermore, DPPH radical scavenging activity was notable at 200 mg/mL, with the essential oil showing 80.54% ± 1.36% and the aqueous extracts at 90.06% ± 0.85%. The extracts also demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against Azospirillum lipoferum and antifungal activity against Trichoderma hamatum (24 ± 2) at 200 mg mL^-1 in comparison to standard antibiotics. Moreover, the essential oil extracts exhibited promising antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory (83.33 ± 0.90) properties compared to commercial drugs. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) analyses revealed the presence of multiple phytotherapeutic compounds, viz, trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide, heptatetracontylcyclohexane, 3,5-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol, tris(heptafluorobutyrate), tetratriacontane, 17-hexadecyl-, and 1-deoxy-1-(methylamino)-D-galactitol, N,O,O,O,O,O-hexa(trifluoroacetyl)-, which have not been reported in Z. officinale previously. Thus, the plant is a highly valuable resource for the pharmaceutical industry as a safer alternative to conventional drugs.

Formulating foods that are rich in essential nutrients (minerals, vitamins, and functional ingredients) while being low in simple sugars, fats, and salt is imperative in the fight against noncommunicable diseases. This study contributes to this effort by formulating a soup powder made from natural ingredients, specifically squash, green banana, black beans, and coconut (SBBC), which are well known for their positive effects on the prevention and management of these health conditions. The produced soup powder was analyzed for its nutritional composition, glycemic index, and sensory characteristics. A mixing plan constrained to the extreme peak followed by optimization was used for formulation using Statgraphics Centurion Version XIX software. The results indicated that the proportions of raw materials in the optimized formulation were 25.20%, 15%, 34%, 25.80%: SBBC. One hundred grams of soup powder based on SBBC thus formulated contains 10.87 g proteins, 58.80 g total carbohydrates, 13.13 g lipids, 10.78 g crude fiber, 2842.19 g potassium, 473.85 g magnesium, 600 g calcium, 7.73 zinc, 147.44 g phosphorus, 0.99 g iron, and 124 μg of total carotenoids. The energy value was 396.8 kcal with a glycemic index of 57.98%. More than half of the panelists found the soup to be pleasant. These findings suggest that the SBBC-based soup powder can effectively provide essential nutrients in a palatable form, supporting individuals in meeting their nutritional needs.

This study investigated changes in the physicochemical characteristics of starches obtained from unpolished red rice (URR) under germination and combined germination and heat-moisture treatment (HMT). Starches isolated from native, germinated, and germinated combined with HMT exhibited high purity, an A-type crystalline structure, and irregular polyhedral granules measuring 3-8 μm in size. Germination did not influence the pasting temperature, trough and final viscosities, or setback of red rice starch. However, it increased the maximum viscosity, breakdown, and swelling power while reducing solubility. Germination elevated the concentration of rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and decreased the amount of resistant starch (RS). Notably, the increments in RDS and reductions in slowly digestible starch (SDS) and RS were positively correlated with longer germination durations (6-24 h). When HMT was applied after germination, increases were observed in pasting temperature, solubility, and RS content, while decreases occurred in maximum viscosity, breakdown, swelling power, and RDS content. Consequently, starches extracted from red rice germinated for 6 h and subsequently modified by HMT exhibited desirable characteristics, including the lowest RDS content (54.09%) and the highest RS content (30.39%) among all tested samples. These starches could be utilized in the production of low-carb products.

A droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay was developed for the identification and quantification of porcine DNA in commercial gelatin products. The method employed primers targeting the beta-actin gene and demonstrated high specificity against five nontarget species across 18 different products. The ddPCR method showed enhanced sensitivity, detecting porcine DNA at concentrations as low as 0.06 ng/μL in standard gelatin powder, surpassing the detection limit of 0.11 ng/μL achieved by real-time PCR. The robustness of the assay was validated using seven types of commercial porcine gelatin products, including candies, marshmallows, dietary supplements, collagen, and capsule shells. ddPCR analysis revealed that six out of seven commercial product samples tested positive for porcine DNA, compared to only three samples detected by RT-PCR. Sequencing of the ddPCR amplicons further confirmed the accuracy of the assay, with high similarity to the reference porcine species.