Journal of Food Process Engineering最新文献

This study aims to compare zeodration, an emerging athermal dehydration technique, with conventional convective drying at 40°C, focusing on their effectiveness in drying strawberries. Zeodration operates under vacuum at near-ambient temperature (25°C), utilizing zeolites as highly selective adsorbents for water vapor. The method was applied to both strawberry slices and whole fruits. Experimental results on 5 mm thick, 30 mm diameter slices showed that after 10 h of zeodration, the moisture content was reduced to 0.062 g/g (dry basis), demonstrating its potential as a low-temperature alternative to convective drying. Drying kinetics were evaluated using diffusion-based and semi-empirical models. The two-term diffusion model effectively described moisture transport, with an effective diffusivity of 1.87 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s, while the Midilli model provided the best overall fit, showing the highest R² and lowest RMSE and χ² values. In addition to kinetic analysis, product quality was assessed through measurements of water activity, color, texture, and dimensional stability. Water activity decreased from 0.84 ± 0.022 to 0.52 ± 0.028 after zeodration, indicating improved microbial stability. Moreover, zeodration better preserved color and texture compared with convective drying. These results demonstrate the potential of zeolite adsorption drying as a gentle and efficient method for producing high-quality dried strawberries, bridging kinetic modeling with quality preservation.

Conventional drying methods often result in the degradation of temperature-sensitive compounds in fruits like quince. This study explores the potential of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying for processing quince slices while preserving their total phenolic content (TPC). The effects of different voltage levels (5–9 kV) on drying kinetics, transport characteristics, moisture diffusivity, and thermal and mass transfer coefficients were assessed. The results revealed that EHD drying significantly reduced drying time, from 200 min at 5 kV to 130 min at 9 kV, while improving drying efficiency and increasing effective moisture diffusivity. Notably, the theoretical model based on Fick's second law accurately predicted the experimental moisture data. This precision was achieved due to the effectiveness of the novel universal descriptor for estimating heat and mass transfer coefficients in EHD drying, which was carefully developed to improve the accuracy of the mathematical model. This novel approach significantly enhanced the reliability of the model, making it a crucial tool for more accurate predictions in EHD drying studies. Additionally, TPC retention was highest at 9 kV, achieving 103% of the initial TPC, suggesting that EHD drying helps preserve bioactive compounds. Biot numbers (< 0.2) indicated that the drying process was primarily surface-controlled. In conclusion, EHD drying at 9 kV presents a promising alternative to conventional drying methods, improving drying efficiency and preserving the quality of sensitive food products.

Conventional plastic packaging is highly environmentally challenged due to its non-biodegradability and ecological degradation. Guar gum (GG) mixed with Litsea cubeba essential oil (LCEO) is an environmentally friendly alternative, but exhibits only poor mechanical and barrier properties. This research examines the incorporation of polyethylene oxide (PEO) at various concentrations into GG/LCEO-based edible films to enhance performance. Findings showed that the addition of PEO thickened films and deepened color while maintaining similar moisture content. Increasing concentrations of PEO reduced water vapor and oxygen permeability and slightly raised water solubility. Mechanical testing showed a decrease in tensile strength from 7.01 to 4.2 MPa, along with an increase in elongation at break from 23.47% to 62.5%. FTIR analysis showed intense GG–PEO interactions, and XRD showed increased crystallinity. SEM revealed a smoother film surface, particularly at a 1:4 GG: PEO ratio. The films completely biodegraded within 7 days. The PEO-fortified films exhibited a more sustained release profile of LCEO, resulting in enhanced long-term antioxidant and antibacterial efficacy and directly contributing to improved preservation of chicken meat during storage. The findings indicate that the addition of PEO improves the physical, mechanical, and functional properties of GG/LCEO films, making them a viable eco-friendly alternative to plastic packaging.

This study investigated the potential of buttermilk, a dairy by-product, in the production of kurut, a high-protein, shelf-stable functional dairy product. Various formulations were prepared by replacing skim milk (SM) with buttermilk at proportions ranging from 25%–100%. Probiotic cultures were incorporated, and the mixtures were freeze-dried. Samples were stored at +4°C for 90 days and analyzed every 30 days for microbial, chemical, and sensory attributes. The 100% SM sample exhibited the highest protein content (55.14%–57.94%), whereas BM100 (100% buttermilk) had the lowest (50.67%–53.75%). BM50 (50% buttermilk) maintained probiotic viability above the therapeutic threshold (10⁶–10⁷ log cfu/g) until day 60. Sensory analysis identified BM25 (25% buttermilk) as the most preferred formulation (7.45), whereas the 100% SM sample received the lowest score (5.91). The volatile profile was dominated by organic acids, alongside aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and esters, with buttermilk significantly increasing organic acid content. These findings underscore buttermilk's functional role in kurut production, demonstrating its ability to enhance sensory and probiotic properties while ensuring biological and chemical stability under optimal storage conditions.

This study investigated the effects of four postharvest treatments—control (CK), 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), ozone (O₃), and a combination of 1-MCP with ozone (CT)—on the storage quality of ‘Manaohong’ cherries stored at 1°C ± 0.5°C and 90% ± 5% relative humidity. Among these, CT proved most effective in maintaining fruit quality. It substantially lowered the respiration rate, membrane permeability, and decay incidence during storage. Additionally, cherries in the CT retained greater fruit stalk tension, which contributed to better firmness, color attributes (L*, c*, h°), texture, and visual integrity. The CT treatment also enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT), while promoting the accumulation of key antioxidants, including total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and vitamin C (V_C). These changes helped mitigate oxidative stress throughout the storage period. From an aroma perspective, CT reduced the production of short-aldehydes and sulfur-containing compounds—both commonly associated with quality decline. Principal component analysis showed that CT consistently performed well across a wide range of quality indicators, effectively delaying overall deterioration. This was further supported by electronic nose analysis, which revealed a lower accumulation of volatiles typically linked to spoilage in the CT. In conclusion, the combined use of 1-MCP and ozone substantially extended the shelf life of Cerasus pseudocerasus and helped maintain their quality, offering a reliable solution for postharvest preservation.

There is high demand for food proteins with enhanced functional qualities and bioactive characteristics developed through safe technologies. The hydrolysate of whey protein isolate (WPI) was subjected to simultaneous dual frequency energy-gathered ultrasound (SDFU) pretreatment, and its functionality, antioxidant activity and ACE-inhibitory activities evaluated. The results showed that ultrasound pretreatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased the protein functionalities (solubility, emulsion stability index and emulsion ability index) with the highest improvement being recorded at 20 min of sonication. Antioxidant activity of ultrasound pretreated whey hydrolysate was improved after 1 h of hydrolysis using trypsin. The optimal ACE-inhibitory activity of 92.34% was achieved at optimal conditions of 15% concentration, temperature of 46°C, enzyme substrate ratio of 2000 U/g and pH of 8.06 using response surface design. SDFU can be used as pretreatment technique to improve the functionality, antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory activities of WPI.

Conventional gelatin extraction from high-collagen tissues requires prolonged thermal processing (8–10 h), resulting in high energy consumption and potential degradation of functional properties. To address this limitation, this study investigated ohmic heating (OH) as an alternative extraction method for bovine hide gelatin. Gelatin was extracted using voltage gradients of 5–20 V/cm for 1–5 h and compared with both conventional extraction parameters and commercial halal gelatins. OH markedly reduced the extraction time to 1–5 h while maintaining a maximum temperature of 70°C, resulting in significantly improved extraction efficiency and higher dry matter and protein contents (p < 0.05). Although gel strength (122.12–176.81 g) was lower than that of commercial bovine gelatin (242.44 g), all OH-treated samples except those extracted at 20 V/cm formed stable gels. SDS-PAGE and compositional analyses indicated that OH induced partial degradation of high-molecular-weight fractions, consistent with the observed gel strength trends. The amino acid profiles, dominated by glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, and the viscoelastic behavior (G′ > G″) were comparable to commercial references. Thermal analyses further revealed sharper melting transitions and higher ΔH values, suggesting improved thermal stability. Microstructural changes in pore size and distribution supported the observed functional differences. Overall, OH-assisted extraction provides an efficient, energy-saving, and thermally controlled approach to gelatin production. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the applicability of ohmic heating for extracting gelatin from bovine hide, underscoring its potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional processing methods.

Apples are susceptible to damage during harvesting, packaging, and transportation. Early bruises are difficult to distinguish from normal tissue, making manual sorting difficult. To address this challenge, this study proposed an early bruise detection method for apples based on hyperspectral characteristic wavelength images, an adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm, and a deep learning model. NIR hyperspectral images of normal apples and apples with bruises (single/multiple bruises on fruit, stem, calyx surfaces) were captured. By combining the weight coefficients of the best principal component image with spectral features, three characteristic wavelengths were selected, and secondary PCA obtained the optimal principal component image. Using the designed adaptive threshold segmentation based on PCA image combined with Hough circle detection, effective detection of early bruises with varying severity, positions, and numbers was achieved. Comparing the Otsu threshold, fixed threshold, and the proposed adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm, the results showed that the proposed adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm significantly outperformed the Otsu and fixed threshold methods in terms of F1-score (96.18%). Compared to full-wavelength images, the detection of early-stage bruising on apples using images based on three characteristic wavelengths demonstrated a significant speed advantage, validating the superiority of the adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm. Additionally, to further validate the effectiveness of characteristic wavelength images and improve detection accuracy, apple bruising detection based on the deep learning-based YOLOv11 algorithm was also implemented, achieving an F1 score of 99.94% for bruise detection. This study provides technical support for the rapid and non-destructive detection of early apple bruises and has potential application value.

Fruit bars are snack products obtained by mushing fruit, adding sugar, pectin, and other ingredients, and drying the resulting mixture. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a valuable waste product of the coffee industry, on the physicochemical and bioactive properties of a snack fruit bar enriched with bioactive properties after mushing apricot fruit. Results showed that apricot bars containing 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% SCGs had higher phenolic, flavonoid, antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH), ascorbic acid, and total carotenoid contents compared to the control group. Especially, the fruit bar containing 7.5% SCG stood out in terms of tested bioactive properties. Therefore, it has been determined that the antioxidant and phenolic compounds found in SCGs are also reflected in fruit bars. Furthermore, α-amylase and lipase inhibition values were increased in the enriched fruit bars, and the potential of the developed fruit bars to exhibit antidiabetic and antiobesity properties was improved. Furthermore, the intestinal phase phenolic compound bioaccessibility values of the enriched fruit bars (87.40%–133.3%) were higher than the SCG-free control fruit bar (91.7%). The potential for creating an alternative product with improved nutritional and economic benefits by adding a waste product rich in bioactive compounds such as SCGs to the fruit bar formulation was evaluated. Such products could be considered a new alternative to a functional snack product group rich in bioactive substances that could be incorporated into today's diet.