Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety最新文献

Nanomaterials are increasingly used in food packaging polymers to enhance barriers, strength, and antimicrobial properties, raising important questions about their migration into food and potential health risks. Driven by these concerns, this review evaluates the toxicity and safety of nanomaterials in food packaging from a dimensional perspective. It explores how dimensionality (0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D) influences nanoparticle transport, gastrointestinal transformation, biological fate, and toxicological responses. Comparing published migration studies, we find that 0D metal and metal oxide nanoparticles tend to migrate more into acidic and aqueous simulants, while 2D nanoclays and graphene-based materials generally release fewer particles but can still emit ionic or fragment species during long-term storage. Correspondingly, IC₅₀ and EC₅₀ values reported across intestinal and hepatic cell models vary significantly among different dimensional classes, indicating that nanomaterials of similar chemistry are not toxicologically identical if they have different dimensions. Although current research offers extensive short-term in vitro and in vivo data, evidence for long-term, low-dose, oral exposure remains very limited. Overall, these findings highlight the need for safety assessments tailored to dimensionality, including realistic migration data, advanced gastrointestinal models, and studies on chronic dietary exposure to support the responsible development of nano-enabled food packaging.

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is the underground bulb of the garlic plant, which belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and a common and popular spice worldwide. Due to its numerous health benefits, garlic is also used as a medicinal agent to alleviate and treat various ailments. Numerous studies have demonstrated that garlic and its bioactive compounds possess antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, antiobesity, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, cardiovascular, and hepatoprotective properties. These properties are mainly due to the active substances contained in garlic, such as alliin, allicin, diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS), and S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC). In recent decades, garlic deep processing technology has received increasing attention as food deep processing technology has advanced. Garlic products obtained through deep processing techniques, such as aging, freezing, pretreatment, ultrasonic pretreatment, and high-pressure pretreatment, not only possess a unique flavor but also exhibit stronger biological activity. It is evident that these processing procedures will impact the active ingredients in garlic, ultimately affecting the unique properties of the final product. For instance, black garlic has a sweet taste and a high content of polyphenols, whereas “Laba” garlic has a crisp and tender texture and a bright green color. This paper summarizes the various beneficial bioactivities of garlic, introduces the commonly used deep processing methods, and discusses representative garlic deep processing products. This review will facilitate the development of garlic products with high retention activity and the expansion of garlic's applications across various fields such as medicine and health products.

Extrusion technology has been widely applied in texturization of plant proteins, especially for the plant-based meat substitute manufacture. The die, as the core component of the extruder, plays a vital role in the formation of plant protein fibrous structures during the extrusion process. However, information such as die geometry, function, and parameters is not sufficient, which poses challenges for protein restructuring control and final plant-based product design. Therefore, this review aims to systematically summarize the primary functions and classifications of extruder dies in the literature, and thus, uncover the importance of die design in the development of extrusion technology. Furthermore, the current research about the changes of protein conformation, nutrient composition, and the texture formation attributed to the die types, dimension, and temperature is analyzed. Lastly, some novel dies emerged are discussed in conjunction with new plant-based product design. The review will provide a reference for the targeted design of die components and new products in future extrusion processes.

The global market for nonthermal processed foods is rapidly expanding due to their superior nutritional value and sensory qualities. Novel nonthermal technologies, which extend the shelf life of liquid foods, are gaining significant global attention for their safety and environmental friendliness, leading to widespread acceptance among manufacturers and consumers. Laser cavitation (LC) is an emerging, sustainable, and novel nonthermal technology for advanced liquid food processing. Cavitation bubbles are generated by laser irradiation, which focuses a high-intensity laser beam into a liquid, creating plasma and resulting in rapid bubble formation and collapse. This offers applications such as microbial reduction, bioactive compound extraction, emulsion improvement, and nutritional quality enhancement in liquid food. This review explores the mechanism of LC, its equipment design, configuration, and operation. In addition, it discusses the potential applications of laser-induced cavitation in the food processing sector, along with its challenges. Existing cavitation-based technologies, including acoustic and hydrodynamic cavitation, have several limitations. Acoustic cavitation can cause protein denaturation at high temperatures, high collapse intensity of bubbles, and reduced efficiency over time. Hydrodynamic cavitation faces challenges such as equipment deterioration, a lack of directional sensitivity, and complex setup requirements. To overcome these limitations, LC technology is preferred for its greater precision and controlled energy delivery. The noncontact, focused distribution of the laser beam makes it a more compact and energy-efficient option for processing liquid foods.

The authentication of seafood species is a substantial issue due to the rising trend of adulteration and mislabeling worldwide, carrying significant and troubling implications for the economy, environment, and even public health. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is emerging as a promising approach for seafood authentication due to the rapid turnaround and simplified isothermal operational conditions. Despite the accuracy of traditional LAMP result interpretation methods, they are frequently time-consuming and labor-intensive, necessitating the use of sophisticated analyzers and skilled technicians. Instead, visual detection is advantageous due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, portability, and suitability for on-site detection. In this review, we summarized recent advances in visual LAMP detection, highlighting innovations in detection techniques leveraging the coordination chemistry between metal ions and pyrophosphate ions. We have also introduced various strategies for qualitative and quantitative tests using smartphone-based analysis of pH-sensitive indicators. Furthermore, amplicon-based methods were also analyzed, encompassing both sequence-dependent and sequence-independent approaches. Based on the current state of the technological landscape, we concluded by offering several critical recommendations for future research directions in this burgeoning field, which can accelerate the widespread adoption and practical implementation of these technologies in seafood authentication.

The freshness of food directly affects the quality, safety, and taste of food. Traditional freshness monitoring methods often involve time-consuming processes and complex operations that struggle to meet the need for rapid and real-time detection. With the industrialization of food, the complexity of production, storage, and transportation of staple foods has increased, further increasing the need for efficient freshness monitoring technologies. At present, the development of visual monitoring technology is relatively mature, but its application in the field of staple food has not yet formed a system. This review focuses on food visualization monitoring technologies, particularly their potential applications in monitoring the freshness of staple foods. This article delves into key technologies such as pH-responsive systems, colorimetric sensors, and fluorescence sensing techniques and explores their integration with smart packaging and machine learning. These techniques can effectively detect spoilage-related substances with high sensitivity and accuracy. When integrated with smart packaging and machine learning, their efficiency and reliability can be further improved. Although these technologies perform excellently in terms of sensitivity and accuracy, they still face issues such as cost, stability, and safety in practical applications. This paper systematically evaluates existing technologies with the aim of exploring the future development directions of staple food freshness monitoring technologies, providing new insights for the development of efficient, accurate, and economically feasible food quality control methods.

As environmental protection awareness grows, there is a tremendous increase in demand for biodegradable packaging materials. However, their poor mechanical qualities have significantly hindered the broader use of biodegradable packaging materials in everyday applications. As a result, the problem of inadequate mechanical qualities in real-world applications of biodegradable packaging materials must be addressed. This is of great significance for promoting the development of biodegradable packaging materials. This paper focuses on the optimization strategies for the mechanical properties of next-generation biodegradable packaging materials, providing a comprehensive analysis from molecular to macrostructural levels. It also discusses traditional optimization approaches and their limitations. Moreover, an in-depth examination of the relationship between biodegradability and the mechanical performance of degradable materials is presented. The research additionally investigates the migration and safety of bioactive constituents within biodegradable packaging. Enhancing the mechanical properties of these materials not only addresses a critical scientific challenge but also transforms biodegradable materials from biodegradable concepts into practical commodities capable of meeting the demands of the modern packaging industry. This research is important for more than just technological progress; it is also important for our ability to create a future that is circular, low-carbon, and economically viable. It represents a vital driver in advancing green transformation and achieving sustainable development.

Adlay (Coix lacryma-Jobi L.) is a nutrient-dense cereal crop with an extensive history in Asian culinary and traditional health applications. It has attracted increasing attention due to its favorable nutrient profile and diverse bioactive composition that underpin attractive functional properties. Novel food products derived from adlay are increasingly emerging. However, the current advancements in novel food products from adlay, regulatory status, postharvest handling, and future prospects remain underexplored. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the traditional applications, chemical composition, novel food products development, postharvest handling, and regulatory status of adlay. It also discusses future prospects and limitations aiming to guide future research while advancing health-promoting foods from this alternative grain source.

Fat-soluble vitamins (FSVs), including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are essential micronutrients but exhibit poor water solubility, high sensitivity to light, heat, and oxidation, and consequently low bioavailability, which limits their effective utilization in functional food and nutraceutical systems. Recent advances show that binding or encapsulation of FSVs with food macromolecules—proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates—can markedly improve their physicochemical stability and gastrointestinal absorption. This review critically summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions and explains how they alter the structural organization and delivery performance of FSVs. The major characterization techniques, including FTIR, fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR, calorimetry, and light-scattering analyses, are discussed to illustrate how they reveal binding modes and guide carrier design. Comparative analysis highlights that proteins provide specific hydrophobic pockets and hydrogen-bonding sites, lipids enable micellar solubilization and membrane transport, and carbohydrates such as cyclodextrins or polysaccharide matrices contribute to inclusion, protection, and controlled release. Collectively, these macromolecule-based strategies offer promising approaches to enhance the stability and bioavailability of FSVs in food and pharmaceutical formulations. Future directions include the development of environmentally responsive carriers, the investigation of microbiota-mediated metabolism of bound FSVs, and the integration of artificial intelligence-assisted design to accelerate the creation of intelligent and personalized vitamin delivery systems.

Contamination by foodborne pathogens has become a serious threat to human health and has caused significant economic losses. As a protective barrier, food packaging can protect food from bacteria, ultraviolet rays, and other external factors. Among these, antibacterial silver food packaging shows great potential for extending food shelf life and controlling foodborne pathogen contamination due to its excellent antibacterial and barrier properties. This paper offers a comprehensive review of recent progress in the application of antibacterial silver nanomaterials in food packaging. In addition to an overview of the various synthesis methods for antibacterial silver nanomaterials, the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and the synthesis of Ag-based nanomaterials are highlighted. Furthermore, two main antimicrobial mechanisms of AgNPs and the effects of AgNPs on the properties of packaging are also discussed in detail. Subsequently, we also explore the application of various types of antibacterial silver food packaging for vegetable, fruit, and meat preservation, with a focus on highlighting the potential of smart food packaging for food safety applications. Finally, the future prospects and development of silver-based nanomaterials for antibacterial food packaging are discussed, and the challenges that need to be addressed in the application of silver-based nanomaterials to ensure safety and reliability are outlined. Overall, antibacterial silver food packaging is emerging as a new and effective means of preserving food.