Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety最新文献

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a foodborne protozoan parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, a disease transmitted by the consumption of sporulated oocysts, often via contaminated produce. Since 2018, outbreaks traced back to domestically grown produce in the United States have raised growing concern. Despite its public health significance, research is hindered by methodological challenges, including inability to culture in vitro/in vivo and limited genomic characterization. This review examines current knowledge on its occurrence and transmission, detection methods, host–parasite interactions, genetics, and remediation strategies, while also evaluating use of surrogate organisms (Eimeria spp. and Cryptosporidium parvum) to address research gaps. Detection remains challenging due to low oocyst concentrations in environmental and food matrices, requiring highly sensitive molecular assays. Additionally, the lack of standardized sampling methods that are representative of an entire batch of produces further complicates reliable detection and surveillance efforts. The recently implemented Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Chapter 19c method has improved sensitivity but still requires refinement. Although Eimeria spp. offer insight into sporulation and environmental behaviors and C. parvum has supported methodological development, neither fully replicates C. cayetanensis biology; limiting the translatability of surrogate-based research. Remediation strategies are underexplored, though research on related coccidia suggests significant resistances to conventional sanitizers. Genomic advancements, including the identification of distinct C. cayetanensis lineages, provide useful insights, though gaps in genome assemblies limit phylogenetic and functional analyses. Emerging tools, such as metagenomics, single-cell sequencing, and AI-driven bioinformatics, may overcome persistent barriers. Addressing these challenges is essential for improving detection, risk assessment, and guiding policy, all of which will mitigate the public health burden of cyclosporiasis.

Probiotics perform various functions in regulating human health, including maintaining intestinal flora and inhibiting inflammation. However, they are highly sensitive to heat and oxygen during processing and storage. Additionally, after ingestion, probiotics are influenced by factors such as pH levels in the digestive system, which can compromise their efficacy and prevent them from achieving the desired outcomes. Microencapsulation technology offers physical protection to probiotics through its outer layer, thereby maintaining a high survival rate during processing, storage, and ingestion. This protection extends the shelf life of probiotics and enhances their efficacy in promoting human health. Spray drying is a primary technique for the microencapsulation of probiotics and holds significant research importance. This article reviews the spray-drying process of probiotics, the potential stress-induced damage during this process, the protective mechanisms of wall materials used in probiotic microencapsulation, and recent advancements in spray-drying technologies along with their applications. The aim is to offer valuable insights to guide the future application and development of spray-dried probiotics in the fields of food, medicine, animal husbandry, and related areas.

Rice, which is consumed globally as a dietary staple, is processed into various rice-based foods, accounting for over one-third of the total consumption and enriching daily diets. However, starch in these products often undergoes changes during processing, transportation, storage, and distribution, leading to reduced solubility, enzymatic digestibility, and sensory quality. Through physical, chemical, and biological modifications and the assistance of additives, its specific attributes and functional properties can be improved, thereby enhancing its performance in food applications. The regulation of starch retrogradation and the elucidation of its underlying mechanisms are critical for ensuring the quality and shelf life of rice-based foods. This review systematically overviews the factors affecting the retrogradation properties of starch in rice-based foods throughout the entire production-to-consumption chain. A bibliometric analysis reveals research trends linking “rice” and “retrogradation properties.” The objective of this review was to propose precise and feasible approaches for regulating the starch retrogradation in rice-based products to enhance quality. Notably, the amylose content and starch structure directly govern recrystallization kinetics, enabling direct control of retrogradation through genetic modification and variety selection. Indirect regulation is achieved by modulating the processing and storage temperatures to modulate the starch–water interaction and gelatinization–recrystallization kinetics. Furthermore, modification techniques and exogenous additives alter the molecular rearrangement, thereby improving gel stability and freeze thaw resistance. Understanding these mechanisms lays the foundation for improving the quality and shelf life of rice-based foods, bridging the gap between fundamental research and industrial applications.

Umami is crucial for enhancing food palatability, modulating appetite, and preventing obesity. Edible fungi, as nutrient-rich and sustainable food sources, are particularly abundant in umami (enhanced) substances, including monosodium glutamate (MSG), umami amino acids, 5′-nucleotides, peptides, and their derivatives. This review systematically summarizes their molecular structures, sensory properties, and structure–function relationships, emphasizing how processing, storage, and intrinsic factors affect their stability, activity, and synergy. Strategies such as fermentation, hydrolysis, Maillard reaction, physical assistance, and bioengineering are discussed for targeted production. Particularly, multi-combination processing and genetic engineering offer great potential in tailoring high-potency umami compounds. Advances in purification methods enable the separation of active peptides with outstanding umami and high purity. Moreover, recent research on receptor–ligand binding, orthosteric recognition/allosteric modulation, signal transduction, and multisensory integration shed light on the mechanisms of umami recognition and enhancement. Emerging digital tools, including biosensors and computational modeling, support high-throughput screening and function prediction of umami compounds. Overall, this review provides comprehensive perspectives on the molecular basis, processing, optimization, mechanism, and evaluation of umami components in edible fungi, offering theoretical guidance for the development of novel health-oriented umami regulators.

The escalating challenges of agro-food waste management have driven research into sustainable extraction methodologies for efficient bioactive compound recovery. Conventional thermal and solvent-based methods often result in compound degradation, solvent toxicity, long extraction times, and low yields. In contrast, non-thermal strategies provide higher efficiency, reduced solvent use, shorter processing times, and better preservation of thermolabile compounds, enabling greener recovery processes. Ozone has emerged as an eco-friendly, non-thermal alternative with strong oxidative and cell-disruptive properties that enhance extraction performance. This review critically examines ozone's roles as pretreatment, direct extraction enhancer, and solvent activation agent in agro-food biomass valorization. Ozone facilitates cell wall disruption, mass transfer, and selective oxidation, improving recovery of polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and so forth. Furthermore, ozone modifies solvent polarity and reactivity, enhancing efficiency. Its integration with ultrasound, microwave, enzymatic, and supercritical fluid extractions offers promising potential for scalable, sustainable industrial applications. Unlike previous reviews, which mainly focused on ozone's lab-scale applications, this paper provides a novel and critical perspective by exploring ozone as a three-fold strategy. It uniquely discusses mechanistic insights and synergistic hybrid extractions and evaluates safety, environmental, and regulatory considerations that are often overlooked. While ozone-assisted extraction (OAE) technologies hold great potential, challenges such as compound stability, optimization of treatment parameters, and regulatory considerations require further exploration. This review highlights recent advancements in OAE and discusses industrial feasibility, economic concerns, and future research directions. By integrating ozone technology into bioactive compound recovery, agro-food waste valorization can contribute significantly in developing a circular economy and a more sustainable food industry.

The global food waste crisis and the achievement of the sustainable development goals have increased the demand for innovative food preservation technologies. Liposomes have the ability of controlled release and targeted delivery, which can encapsulate active compounds within phospholipid bilayers, ensuring biocompatibility and stability. This technology has solved the problems of instability, strong irritation, and low utilization rate of bioactive substances, while also catering to consumers' requirements for natural and safe products. This review presents an in-depth analysis of the structure, preparation methods, functional characteristics, stability and release models of liposomes, and comprehensively explores their various applications in food preservation, emphasizing their roles in extending the shelf life and maintaining food quality. Liposomes have shown remarkable potential in reducing food spoilage and nutrient loss by continuously releasing active ingredients and enhancing antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Future liposomes should focus on exploring responsive humidity mechanisms, green sustainable production methods, and personalized adaptive systems. Liposomes were anticipated to emerge as a pivotal technology for mitigating food waste and offering sustainable solutions within the global food supply chain.