Journal of Food Process Engineering最新文献

In this study, the average evaporation temperatures of the refrigerated display cabinets (RDC) operating according to 3M0 (+4°C/−1°C) and 3M1 (+5°C/−1°C) conventional fan-assisted defrost (CFAD) and new without defrost (NWD) operation were −2.5°C for 3M0 NWD, −10°C for 3M0 CFAD, 3M1 NWD −1.5°C, 3M1 CFAD −8°C while the condensation temperature was 45°C for both systems. The experimental study was carried out at 3M0 and 3M1 temperature classes for both processes. With the design working according to the NWD process, the refrigerated package temperatures were kept at appropriate levels by the standards. With this design change, it was experimentally calculated that the annual energy consumption values of the refrigeration system were reduced by 10.52% and 10.99% in the 3M0/3M1 temperature classes, respectively. The energy efficiency index (EEI) values were reduced by 10.60% and 10.97% in the 3M0/3M1 temperature classes, respectively. In this respect, the energy class labeling of the refrigeration system has been improved from “B” to “A” for both temperature classes. Carbon emission values of the designs are analyzed; when switching from the CFAD process to the NWD process, the annual carbon emission values decreased from 915.42 kgCO₂/year to 819.06 kgCO₂/year in the 3M0 temperature class and from 891.33 kgCO₂/year to 793.36 kgCO₂/year in the 3M1 temperature class. With the eco-design realized as a result of the study, the package temperatures of the refrigerated products were kept within the values required by the standard, and carbon emissions were reduced due to the improvement in the energy label. Thus, these findings have important implications for food protection processes.

Numerous native fruits with technological, nutritional, and economic potential remain largely unexplored in Brazil. Among these is the facheiro fruit (Pilosocereus pachycladus F. Ritter), a tree-like cactus native to the Brazilian semi-arid region. When ripe, this fruit yields a dark purple pulp characterized by a mildly sweet and slightly acidic flavor. This study aimed to produce and characterize powders derived from facheiro fruit pulp. The powders were prepared with different hydrocolloids—carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), guar gum, and xanthan gum—at varying concentrations and were labeled as follows: FI (pulp without additive), FC (pulp + 1% CMC), FG (pulp + 0.5% guar gum), and FX (pulp + 0.5% xanthan gum). These formulations were dried in a thin layer at 70°C in a forced-air oven until reaching hygroscopic equilibrium. The powders were subsequently analyzed for their physical, physicochemical, technological, and hygroscopic properties. The analyses included water adsorption isotherms at 20°C, 30°C, and 40°C, as well as thermodynamic, thermal, and morphological evaluations. The powders exhibited a predominance of sugars, low protein content, and low acidity (pH > 5.0). The addition of hydrocolloids enhanced water, oil, and milk absorption capacities without significantly affecting flowability or cohesiveness but led to a reduction in porosity. Notably, xanthan gum also reduced the angle of repose. Water adsorption isotherms exhibited a type II sigmoid shape and were effectively described by the Oswin, Peleg, and GAB models. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process was entropy-driven and spontaneous. FTIR and UV–vis analyses confirmed the presence of lipids, proteins, phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, and glycosides in the powders.

Energy and water consumption are critically important in the sugar industry. In this context, the heat exchanger network of a target sugar factory has been modeled and optimized, as this sector is the primary consumer of energy and water. A key innovation of this work lies in the coupling of interacting components within the model, leading to a more comprehensive framework compared to previous models in the literature. Some sections of the system are modeled using analytical interpretations, while others are developed through a regression learning process utilizing statistical data. This integration of analytical formulation and data-driven modeling represents another significant advancement in this research. The resulting model demonstrates acceptable accuracy for most measurable parameters, with an average deviation of approximately 4%. The optimization results indicate that certain parameters, such as the cooling pool evaporation rate, exhibit considerable flexibility, allowing optimization algorithms to converge more easily. Conversely, other parameters, such as the vapor fed to the exchangers, are more rigid, which restricts the freedom of the optimization process. Moreover, the effectiveness of the elements within the optimization target function is crucial for identifying the optimal point. Overall, minimizing energy consumption and water usage simultaneously presents a significant challenge, necessitating careful consideration in determining which optimal point is most practical.

The different carrier agents used in the production of powdered products result in their distinct physicochemical features. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the influence of four carrier agents (modified starch, MS; maltodextrin, MA; gum arabic, GA; and hydrolyzed collagen, HC) on the production of white acai (WA) powder via freeze drying and spouted bed drying. The yield, moisture content, total polyphenol content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AAT), hygroscopicity, solubility, fluidity, color, and chemical structures of all WA powders were evaluated. The yield (≥ 75.40%) and moisture content (≤ 4.93 g 100 g⁻¹) of freeze-dried powders did not differ statistically (p > 0.05), regardless of the carrier agent used. The addition of MS or HC to spouted bed drying increased the yield (≥ 42.70%), and the moisture content of the corresponding WA-HC powder was ≥ 6.00 g 100 g⁻¹. The WA-MS powders were least soluble (≤ 48.96%) and hygroscopic (≤ 13.73 g 100 g⁻¹). The WA-MA and WA-GA powders showed higher TPC (≥ 8.52 mg EAG g⁻¹) and AAT (≥ 42.75 μmol ET g⁻¹). In addition, they were more soluble (≥ 94.36%), hygroscopic (11%–15% according to the Carr index), and preserved the original color of the pulp better than those of the other formulations. The chemical structures of all WA powders were the same as those of the WA pulp. This indicates the efficient encapsulation of bioactive compounds and the preservation of the functional groups of the original raw material, even after drying. The findings highlight WA powder for diversifying açaí-derived products and suggest potential process improvements.

In this study, blanching, ultrasonication, and pulsed electric field were used as pretreatment prior to frying to mitigate acrylamide formation in jackfruit chips. Application of pretreatments effectively reduced acrylamide and its precursor content in chips. Structural modification on product introduced by all three pretreatments resulted in leaching of acrylamide precursors. Comparing all the pretreatment applied ultrasound treatment at 22 kHz (U1) showed effective mitigation of acrylamide along with superior organoleptic and nutritional properties. The lowest reducing sugar content (1.99 g/100 g) and a reduced asparagine content (0.001 mg/g) in U1 limited acrylamide formation. Nutritional, biochemical, physical and sensory properties of the products were analyzed and results reveals application of all three pretreatments at optimized condition as potential tool to produce jackfruit chips with desired quality and limited acrylamide.

In an effort to develop a novel approach for detecting the moisture content of peanut kernels and enhancing detection efficiency, this study employed electrical impedance technology, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance technology to investigate the relationship between water phase state, impedance values (real and imaginary components), phase angle, and moisture content of peanut kernels ranging from 10.4% to 41.0%. The findings revealed that water in the peanut kernel mainly gathered in the middle part of the two cotyledons. As the moisture content escalates from 10.4% to 41.0%, the ratio of free water to bound water decreased from 6.3:1 to 1.9:1. The highest correlation coefficient was observed between the real part of impedance and moisture content, whereas the phase angle exhibited the lowest correlation coefficient. The real part of impedance emerged as the most effective impedance spectrum parameter for modeling the moisture content of peanut kernels. Furthermore, the relationship between electrical impedance spectrum parameters, and water content was found to be frequency-dependent, with the highest correlation between the real part of impedance and water content observed in the frequency range of 1–4 MHz, yielding an R² value of 0.986. These research outcomes offer valuable insights for advancing the development of rapid and nondestructive moisture content detection technologies for peanut kernels utilizing resistance methods.

Instant controlled pressure drop (ICPD) treatment is a novel approach for the quality improvement of milled rice. In this investigation, temperature and moisture profiling for the bulk-level ICPD treatment of paddy and its effect on the gelatinization kinetics of milled rice were studied using machine learning approaches, namely, artificial neural network (ANN), adaptive neuro-fuzzy interface system (ANFIS), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). For CFD-based temperature profiles, the coefficient of determination (R²) values ranged from 0.91 to 0.95, while for moisture profiles, the values were between 0.97 and 0.99. In case of ANN predictions, the 2-5-3 architecture showed adequate performance based on an R² value of 0.99 and a mean squared error (MSE) of 0.514. For ANFIS-based predictions, the R² values exceeded 0.99, while the MSE values ranged from 0.0034 to 0.0084. The 2-3-3-1 ANFIS architecture with gaussmf membership function and nine fuzzy rules showed the best results. These results indicated that the ANFIS-based model exhibited more accuracy as compared to ANN- and CFD-based predictions. In addition, the broken rice percentage (BRP) was determined to assess the impact of temperature and moisture profiles on the quality of milled rice, showing a decrease in BRP with the increase of treatment time. The parboiled rice treated for 40 s had the highest quality by considering BRP obtained from all the nodes.

Mathematical models are the most cost-effective way to learn about a system. The objective of this study was to identify the model that best describes data for extraction kinetics of flavonoids released from cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) bean shells (CBS) with nine choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvent (ChCl-DES) aqueous solutions. Conventional solvent extraction with an ethanol aqueous solution was used to compare results. Four phenomenological and two empirical models were compared. Flavonoid concentration in the extracts was measured spectrophotometrically and fitted by nonlinear regression. Model goodness-of-fit was evaluated by comparing the adjusted determination coefficient and root mean square error. All the studied models effectively captured the kinetic data by showing a coefficient of determination greater than 0.92. The DES composition influenced the most accurate model. The DES-based extraction notably enhanced the washing and diffusion stages and improved the extraction process.

Developing new sustainable alternatives to fat in food products that maintain textural and rheological properties while offering substantial nutritional value presents a huge challenge in the food industry. Lemon fiber, which is dietary fiber and a by-product of the citrus industry is recognized to have considerable health advantages, due to containing fiber and bioactive substances while having strong rheological characteristics. Present study is composed of two parts. In the first part, usage possibilities of lemon fiber as a fat replacement and optimization were carried out using response surface methodology where the concentration of fat and fiber varied between 10%–25% and 0.5%–1.5%, respectively. The a_w and pH values of the samples showed a decrease with an increase in lemon fiber considerably (p < 0.05). The sample with fiber to fat ratio of 1.5:25 exhibited the greatest hardness and work of shear values, followed by the control sample, which was recorded as 200.4 ± 16.75 g and 178.9 ± 13.10 g s, respectively. Subsequent to this encouraging outcome, 2%, 2.5%, and 3% lemon fiber was used in the sample containing 10% fat. The rheological properties of the samples were markedly enhanced with increased fiber content, while the 3:10 sample (fiber:fat) exhibited no significant change compared to the control sample. The results of the study showed that lemon fiber can be used in filling creams and similar products for fat reduction.

Microwave heating is a booming technology in the food industry that has gained attention for its outstanding benefits. However, the problem of uneven heating remains a persistent challenge in practical applications. To solve this problem, this study presents a novel microwave heating method that improves heating uniformity by generating a rotating electric field. However, unlike traditional methods, it does not rely on physical rotation. To illustrate the method succinctly, a structure with three center-symmetric coupling slots was designed. The cyclic activation of these slots results in an effect similar to a port in rotation, generating a dynamic electric field in the resonant cavity so that the microwave energy is absorbed more uniformly. To validate the proposed method, a corresponding multiphysics field simulation model is developed. The heating process was simulated and analyzed by deeply coupling Maxwell's equations with heat conduction equations. Moreover, a well-established system was built for physical experimental validation. The results show that the proposed method surpasses the traditional single-port fixed-position heating with a 79.3% improvement in heating efficiency and a 17.2% improvement in heating uniformity.