Future Foods最新文献

Despite a slight decline in average consumption in recent years, milk remains a significant component of diets in Western countries, including Germany. Concurrently, there has been growing awareness of the impact of food choices on climate, environment, and animal welfare. This study examines how various attributes of milk—such as packaging, husbandry practices, feeding methods, price, and price transparency—affect consumer decisions, using fresh milk as a case study.

We conducted a choice experiment with 250 participants, who selected from product alternatives varying in price, milk features, cow husbandry and feeding practices, packaging types, and labels. Contrary to previous studies, which identified price as a primary decision criterion, our findings indicate that price was secondary for most participants, except for a specific segment.

Label influence was minimal, while packaging had a significant impact on consumer choices. Interestingly, most respondents preferred glass packaging, despite its potential environmental drawbacks, suggesting a need to explore whether this preference is based on misconceptions about its environmental benefits.

The type of husbandry emerged as the most influential factor in consumer decisions. In terms of animal welfare, there was a strong preference for pasture milk, particularly for "Year-round grazing with mother-bonded calf rearing." This preference not only explains the marketing trend towards pasture milk but also presents an opportunity for sustainable farms to differentiate themselves and attract customers amidst a decline in pasture-based milk production.

This study investigates the potential of Egyptian broomrape (E.B.; Phelipanche aegyptiaca, Pers.), a parasitic plant, as a novel food source. This study aimed at (i) determining E.B.’s nutritional parameters, (ii) studying the effect of 10 different hosts on these values, and (iii) assessing its safety through a toxicological evaluation in mice. The results showed that the host plant affects the parasite's nutritional composition. When developed on several hosts, E.B. has similar levels of proteins and total lipids as compared to quinoa seeds, as well as similar essential amino acids profile. However, the parasite shows substantially higher levels of dietary fibers than in quinoa (19.2–30.6 % DW, vs 7.1 % DW), total phenolic compounds (32.92–66.86 mg GAE/gr DW, vs 0.53 mg GAE/gr DW), ascorbic acid (3.1–6.0 mg/gr DW, vs 2.7 mg/gr DW), total ash (7.2–11.5 % DW, vs 2.6 % DW) and several minerals, but lower levels of reducing sugars (263–441 mg/gr DW, vs 479 mg/gr DW), indicating a potential for low glycemic index ingredients. The safety assessment in mice showed no significant toxic effects. These findings suggest that E.B. could be a valuable food source, warranting further investigation into its nutritional benefits and safety for human and animal consumption.

Nowadays, consumer society is increasingly concerned about the environment and the foods production systems. Viable and efficient technologies that target a sustainable production are being developed in order to reduce the generation of agri-food residues, introducing them on the market on the basis of the so-called circular economy. In parallel, consumers are becoming more health conscious, demanding safe and natural products through the use of natural additives and ingredients. This study evaluated the stability of sliced ​​100% Iberian Spanish salchichón without added additives. It was wrapped in a biodegradable nanocellulose films incorporating olive leaf extract, then vacuum-packaged and stored at 5 and 25ᴼC for 90 days. The antimicrobial activity on lactic acid, aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae was studied, as well as the evolution of lipid oxidation through the TBARS method. Significant differences were found between control and test sample during the evaluation of antimicrobial (aerobic mesophilic bacteria) and antioxidant activity at 25 °C. However, no significant differences were found during the evaluation of either antimicrobial or antioxidant activity at 5 °C. Olive leaf extract has a recognized antimicrobial and antioxidant activity tested in vitro; however, when tested in vivo and incorporated into a film, further refinements are needed to optimize the composite film and to obtain the desired effects of the extract as food preservative.

The potential of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris as a carotenoid source was explored using a novel class of solvents known as Natural Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaHDESs). Seven low-viscosity NaHDESs, composed exclusively of fatty acids that act as hydrogen bond donors (HBDs) and hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs) simultaneously, were characterized and assessed for their ability to extract carotenoids from Chlorella vulgaris. Through screening, nonanoic/dodecanoic acid (3:1) was identified as the most effective NaHDES. Its HBA:HBD molar ratio was optimized using Box-Behnken Design. Additionally, the optimization process considered solvent:sample ratio and extraction time, evaluating their impact on carotenoid recovery, specifically focusing on lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene, and antioxidant activity, through ABTS, and DPPH assays.

Under the optimized extraction conditions, the recovered amounts of total carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene were 2.00 ± 0.31, 1.42 ± 0.01, 0.16 ± 0.01, 0.70 ± 0.01 mg/mL of extract, respectively. The extract also demonstrated significant antioxidant capability, with an inhibition level of 9.13 ± 0.18 % per mL of extract. These findings highlight the superior performance of nonanoic acid/dodecanoic acid (1:1) over acetone and underscore the potential of NaHDESs as a promising alternative to traditional solvents for extracting bioactive compounds from microalgae such as Chlorella vulgaris.

Combining plant-based proteins with valuable algae-based proteins offers a solution to various social, economic and environmental challenges, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable world. Plants play a crucial role in poverty reduction by generating income opportunities and addressing hunger. However, producing plant-based meat alternatives involves overcoming challenges such as allergen concerns, processing techniques, consumer acceptance and lower nutritional quality. Algae, while contributing significantly to economic and sustainability goals, face limitations in exclusively mimicking meat products on its own. Blending algae with plant-based proteins presents a promising way for improving alternative protein characteristics and mimicking meat more effectively. The combination of two green bioresources as alternative proteins offers a nutritionally superior and environmentally friendly alternative, poised to transform food production and consumption with positive impacts on the environment and human health. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of alternative protein sources, focusing on incorporating algae into plant-based products. It explores emerging technologies in alternative protein production, examining the potential of using algae as a platform for expressing phytochemicals, particularly from plants. The integration of these two alternative green protein sources aligns with the circular model, ensuring a sustainable food system with reduced environmental impact.

Mung beans are promising for protein ingredient production, but their benefits are hindered by potential antinutritional factors and coloring compounds in the hull, resulting in darker-colored products. To address this issue, this study aims to identify a germination period that enhances dehulling efficiency while minimizing mass losses and chemical alterations. Mung bean seeds were soaked overnight and germinated in the dark for 4, 8, 12, 24, 32, and 48 h, with the effects on dehulling efficiency, enzymatic activities, and chemical composition, including antinutritional factors, examined.

After 48 h of germination, a substantial increase in enzyme activities was observed: lipolytic activities increased by 644 %, amylolytic activities by 200 %, and polyphenol oxidase activity by 280 %. A decline in protein (21.02–25.77 %), starch (41.83–56.65 %), and fat (0.35–1.03 %) content was detectable after 48 h of germination. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a reduction in globulins and structural changes with prolonged germination. Total phenolic content was particularly reduced by 20 % due to dehulling. Short-term germination within 12 to 24 h was found to be an effective strategy to facilitate dehulling of mung bean seeds while reducing antinutritional factors and preserving their chemical composition, thus improving their potential as a high-quality raw material for plant-based foods.

Cultured meat (CM) is likely to reduce environmental footprints and health problems and improve animal welfare, but its success in the market will rely on consumer acceptance. A survey was used to investigate consumer acceptance of CM in Norway. The survey was conducted pre the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic with a total of 4,683 usable responses. A partial proportional odds model was estimated, and identical coefficients were not rejected for the two periods. Social trust, trust in food authorities, and support to green parties were positively associated with the willingness to try CM but there was no association with trust in food retailers. Respondents who emphasized natural components and food safety were less willing, and respondents who emphasized health, novelty, environment, and price were more willing. Young, male, highly educated, urban, non-religious, non-vegetarian supporters of green parties were also more willing to try CM, and marketing activities should target these groups.

The growing population and the associated increasing demand for high-protein meals are the main drivers of the protein transition. To meet demand, the food industry has turned to new technologies, such as food production through cell culture methods, also known as cellular agriculture. The interest in cellular agriculture is rising, and more products produced this way are seeking regulatory approval, including cell-based dairy products.

This review explores the potential toxicological challenges that may arise from cell-based dairy production, in regards to human consumption. The purpose is to identify knowledge gaps and elucidate an inscrutable field. The major production routes are described and analyzed regarding potential safety concerns and the current state of the industry. An in-depth look into the EU regulatory requirements concerning these foods is offered, along with a detailed overview of the potential risks and ways to assess them, focused on new approach methodologies (NAMs).

Cellular agriculture presents novel advantages and disadvantages in regard to food safety. To assess these novel risks, both regulatory and toxicological sciences need to adapt in order to keep up with innovations in food production. The advancement and integration of NAMs in food safety assessment is a crucial step to achieving this goal.

Precision fermentation (PF) is a process for producing dairy products without the need for cows. The technology is considered to have potential for addressing sustainability issues by producing high-nutritional proteins with lower resource consumption. As knowledge about the impact of information as well as of perceived benefits and risks on consumer acceptance is still low we conducted an experimental study with 2,035 German participants. We tested five information treatments regarding basic facts, technology, genetic modification, and similarity to other products using a between-subject design. Furthermore, we included potential benefits and risks concerning animal welfare/farmers’ livelihoods, food quality (consistency and naturalness), land use, nature, and market. Our analysis only shows a significantly negative, but low, impact of information about genetic modification on consumers’ willingness to try PF cheese. We were further able to reveal that consumers are positively influenced by benefits that emphasize the consistent quality and sustainability aspects of PF cheese. The negative arguments addressing farmers’ risk of losing their source of income and the potential market power of large companies appear to be the greatest acceptance-reducing influence. Overall, this study serves as a basis for the successful marketing and communication of PF cheese.

Meat-based foods have significant environmental impacts that are lower for plant-based meat alternatives. Fungi-based mycoprotein offers another alternative to meat, but its comparative environmental impacts have not been comprehensively reviewed. We identified life cycle assessments (LCAs) of mycoprotein-based meat alternatives using ProQuest, Scopus and Web of Science, and the grey literature. Studies were included if they were published in the English language from 1 January 2013 until 18 September 2023, reported process-based LCAs with functional units by product weight, and reported any environmental impact measure, system boundary, or region. Data for mycoprotein was compared against plant-based meat alternatives for base-protein, burgers, mince and sausages, and against meats. Five LCAs of mycoprotein-based products were identified. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) were lower for mycoprotein (0.73 kgCO2eq/kg) compared to soy (1.21 kgCO2eq/kg) or pea protein concentrate (1.91 kgCO2eq/kg). GHGe for mycoprotein-based product types were lower than or comparable to equivalent plant-based products, and lower compared to meat. GHGe from the ingredient production stage were generally lower for mycoprotein-based products compared to plant-based products. Further data are needed to compare land use and water scarcity impacts. Mycoprotein offers clear environmental advantages over meat, but distinctions between mycoprotein and plant-based alternatives require more comprehensive data.