Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies最新文献

Obtaining proteins from agro-industrial by-products can enhance their value and reduce waste. Flaxseed meal, a by-product of flaxseed oil extraction, contains up to 40% protein. Enhancing flaxseed protein extraction and improving the functionality of the protein isolates presents an opportunity to add value to this by-product and to expand its application. This study aimed to optimize the alkaline extraction of proteins from flaxseed meal and to evaluate the impact of microfluidization on the physicochemical and techno-functional properties of the resulting protein isolates. Optimal extraction was achieved at pH 10.9 and 45 °C, with an extraction yield of 63.04% and a global yield of 29.71%. Microfluidization significantly reduced the particle size and β-sheet content while increasing the hydrophobicity, solubility, and α-helix content of flaxseed protein isolates (FPI). Additionally, there was a decrease in free-sulfhydryl groups as pressure increased. Concentrated FPI solutions exhibited gel-like behavior (G' > G”), with moduli increasing at 54 and 68 °C. Stability was maintained during frequency sweeps, and the highest-pressure treatment resulted in the lowest tan δ value, indicating more solid-like behavior. These findings underscore the potential of microfluidization as an industrial technique to enhance the functional properties of FPI obtained through alkaline extraction, particularly by reducing protein aggregation.

In this study, sesame protein isolate modified with different emerging technologies, including high-pressure homogenization, high-intensity ultrasonication, and high-hydrostatic pressure, was applied to improve the stability of sesame paste. Sesame protein addition reduced the phase separation by up to 48% in sesame paste compared to the sample (control) without protein addition, and also significantly enhanced the firmness and spreadability. With the addition of sesame protein isolate, the sesame paste samples formed a denser and more compact appearance. The flow characteristics of samples were better fitted by the Herschel-Bulkley equation, and modifying the added protein also played an essential role in improving the flow properties of sesame paste samples. Phase separation and oxidative stability of sesame paste were significantly improved by the addition of modified protein. Overall, the results indicated that sesame protein modified with HPH technology has a significant potential to improve the quality of sesame paste and prevent phase separation.

By integrating contemporary plasma-based technology into classical food-monitoring procedures, those procedures offer additional food-safety treatments that are advantageous under certain conditions. Plasma based techniques are feasible for surface modification, chemical degradation, and antimicrobial treatments of surfaces. For the deactivation of spoilage bacteria, they appear suitable to treat consumer goods like foodstuff or the cleaning of the production environments like conveyor belts. However, plasma techniques offer an overwhelming width on applicability and working principles. This review summarizes the contemporary state of plasma science with a focus on microwave plasma and focuses on the divisive working principles of plasma sources and the resulting differences in their production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). It aims to introduce into the source dependent plasma chemistry and offers an insight into the production of RONS. It explains how RONS are the educt of plasma processed air and water, which are both feasible for a direct or an indirect treatment of vulnerable treatment targets. In other words, RONS form the foundation of all cold atmospheric plasma processes that contain either plasma processed air or plasma treated water. It also summarizes possible future processes that uses microwave techniques in the field of the decontamination of foods and offers treatment schemes that can be easily incorporated into existing food-production lines. Industrial relevance: The described plasma processes in this manuscript are often about to enter industrial manufacturing processes in the field of food processing. Especially, PTW has been used in pilot-scaled experiments, which also includes an integration of a plasma source into an existing production line of leafy greens. Against that background, plasma-based decontamination techniques offer the possibility for tailor-made processes for food processing.

The physicochemical properties of plasma-activated water (PAW) and the mechanism of PAW on the inactivation of Pseudomonas fluorescens were investigated. The results demonstrated that as activation time and output voltage increased, the electrical conductivity (EC) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of PAW increased, while its pH decreased. When the activation condition was 20 kV for 30 min (PAW30), the content of active substances of the PAW was the highest (P < 0.05). The concentrations of NO₂⁻, NO₃⁻, and H₂O₂ were high as 0.43 μg/mL, 2.46 μg/mL, and 0.837 μg/mL, respectively. After the PAW30 treatment for 30 min, the population of P. fluorescens was decreased by 2.27 log₁₀ CFU/mL when the initial inoculation volume was 4.38 log₁₀ CFU/mL. PAW oxidative stress disrupted the balance of the intracellular redox, ion concentration, and pH, leading to the breakdown of cell wall and membrane integrity, ultimately causing bacterial inactivation. These are important mechanisms by which PAW exerts its bactericidal effect.

Industrial relevance

The aim of this study was to clarify the optimal preparation conditions for PAW, and its mechanism of killing P. fluorescens. These results contribute to our understanding of the control of spoilage organisms in aquatic products by PAW. In the raw material treatment stage of aquatic product processing, PAW can be used to clean and soak raw materials to kill microorganisms on their surfaces of raw materials. Therefore, PAW can be applied as a green cleaning technology to improve the hygienic quality of aquatic products.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower is a potential sources of anthocyanin as natural colorant. The impact of various extraction conditions (e.g., extraction medium, pH, liquid-solid ratio, and extraction time) on the total anthocyanin content, followed by the concentration of the anthocyanin extract using forward osmosis (FO) membrane process and subsequent assessment of physico-chemical properties and storage stability were studied. The citrate-phosphate buffer at pH 4.6, a liquid-solid ratio of 20:1, and extraction time of 4 h yielded the highest total anthocyanin content (461.39 mg/kg) in the extract, which was further concentrated to 3967.9 mg/kg (∼8.6 folds) using FO concentration process. The FO concentration process showed minimal impact on the physico-chemical properties such as total anthocyanin content and phenolic content, antioxidant activities and color parameters, demonstrating its potential as a gentle concentration method. Storage studies under different conditions revealed that FO concentrated samples exhibited higher stability than the aqueous extracts with lower temperature and dark storage conditions leading to the best preservation of color and anthocyanin content.

Industrial relevance

The present study will be useful for the optimised extraction of anthocyanin from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower and its concentration without the use of thermal concentration process keeping the anthocyanin intact with the help of forward osmosis without the thermal exposure.

Pickled bamboo shoots represent a type of fermented bamboo shoot product. In China, pickled bamboo shoots are regarded as the soul of Luosifen, which is a local specialty food in Liuzhou (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China). To exemplify the uniqueness of the pickled bamboo shoots, we analyzed the pickled bamboo shoots within 10 pre-packaged Chinese Luosifen to determine the composition of volatiles and bacteria, and subsequently examined the correlation between them. The volatiles were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). Meanwhile, high-throughput sequencing technology was employed to investigate the bacterial composition. The results indicated that the pH values of the samples exhibited minimal variance (ranging from 3.71 to 4.53), while the total acid (measured as g lactic acid /L) varied (from 4.65 to 10.3 g lactic acid /L). Lactic acid, acetic acid, and succinic acid were the predominant organic acids. 50 volatiles were detected by HS-GC-MIS, and 108 volatiles were identified by HS-SPME-GC–MS. p-Cresol (76,541.67 < OAV < 248,166.67), acetic acid (482.31 < OAV < 1164.62), and hexanoic acid (108.33 < OAV < 1333.33) were the common distinctive volatiles among the 10 samples. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, as the dominant phyla, were positively and negatively related to 1-butanol (R = 0.66, − 0.66), respectively.

Industrial relevance

In China, Luosifen, as a local delicacy, enjoys popularity among the public for its sour, smelly, spicy, fresh, and oily features. Among them, pickled bamboo shoots are highly sought after for their distinctive sour and refreshing flavor. Nevertheless, some individuals cannot tolerate the sour smell of pickled bamboo shoots yet still have a desire to consume Luosifen. To address this issue, it is crucial to determine what constitutes the pungent odor in pickled bamboo shoots and subsequently regulate it to meet the requirements of diverse consumers and enhance the economic benefits of the Luosifen industry. This study disclosed the stimulant flavor substances of pickled bamboo shoots in 10 pre-packaged Luosifen detected by GC–MS and GC-IMS, offering a theoretical foundation for subsequent regulation.

Crop processing generates considerable by-products that can be a concern for environment, but their valuable components (e.g., pectin) can be extracted for waste valorization. Conventional extraction has limited yield and high energy consumption, thereby could not meet sustainability standards. Besides, extracted pectin is commonly modified through non-sustainable hazardous chemicals-based methods as it lacks the properties needed for designated applications. Industrial demand for sustainable and efficient processing necessitates alternative pectin extraction and modification technologies. This paper aims to overview the application of electrical-based technologies to improve pectin extraction and modification. It also aims to elaborate on the mechanisms involved, analyze the research trends, and enlighten prospects, focusing on industrial applications and their role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Ohmic heating, pulsed electric field (PEF), cold plasma, moderate electric field, high voltage electrical discharge, induced electric field, and electromagnetic induction are electrical-based technologies to improve pectin extraction and modification. The most studied technologies for pectin extraction and modification are cold plasma and ohmic heating, while PEF is the most promising technology to enhance pectin extraction yields (+18.8%), followed by ohmic (+16.6%). Electrical-based technologies could enhance viscosity, rheological properties, and galacturonic acid content while reducing pectin's molecular weight. These technologies can contribute to SDGs 2, 7, 9, 12. The industry still demands upscaling studies and protocols for their commercial applications and more sustainable food production.

Non-thermal plasma treatment can preserve food, but a meta-analysis assessing its efficacy has not been performed. This study retrieved the inactivation kinetics parameter log₁₀D (n = 519), which varied largely among different plasma setups. Atmospheric pressure plasma jet, corona discharge, surface barrier discharge, dielectric barrier discharge, and inductively-coupled plasma had the highest efficacy with median D-values under 2 min. Dielectric barrier discharge, the most frequent setup (n = 160), was analyzed using dissipated power per plasma volume (W/cm³) as an integrated predictor of decontamination efficacy. Using conventional and machine learning approaches the most correlated parameters to the log₁₀D were: dissipated power per plasma volume and matrix category, followed by microbial genus and pH. This study uses active learning to improve literature screening for data collection and various data analysis techniques for data treatment and ranking of the factors affecting non-thermal plasma decontamination.

Industrial relevance

Non-thermal plasma decontamination shows potential but is also highly affected by the setup, and technical, biological, and food parameters. This study gives an overview of the decontamination performance that is to be expected for different matrix categories and setups, which could guide possible industrial applications. The ranking of the most important parameters to affect decontamination efficacy could be used for the optimization of these applications.

This study investigated the effects of cold plasma treatment on the aroma compounds and flavor of aromatic coconut water. Cold plasma treatment led to an increase in the aroma attributes of coconut water butter and popcorn flavors. Moreover, cold plasma showed good retention of key aroma actives such as 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and nonanal in aromatic coconut water, which inhibited the loss of key aroma characteristics and odor production of aromatic coconut water. In addition, 11 differential metabolites were screened before and after cold plasma treatment, among which nonanal was the key differential aroma active substance before and after cold plasma treatment. This study shows that cold plasma treatment is an effective strategy for preserving the flavor of aromatic coconut water and is a promising new technology for aromatic processed coconut water beverages.

CO₂ gas hydrates occur in aqueous systems at elevated pressure and low temperature. They offer prospect to energy efficiency and gentle concentration of liquid foods. In current research, the formation of CO₂ gas hydrates in a batch autoclave system for pure water and pure coffee (13–40 wt%) was investigated. Hydrate formation was highly reproducible. When reducing the temperature from 4 to 1 °C, induction times in 13 wt% coffee solutions approached zero, regardless of the applied target pressure (36 vs. 41 bar). Over the used range of temperature, pressure and concentration, different gas hydrate morphologies could be observed, ranging from dispersed gas hydrate crystals in coffee slurry to ordered, large-scale structures. The formation of large continuous hydrate structures bears application potential for efficient removal of gas hydrates from the concentrated liquid.