Advances in Food and Nutrition Research最新文献

Food waste poses a significant threat by disrupting the global economy and negatively affecting the environment by contributing to higher emissions, water wastage, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity. Worldwide, a significant amount of food waste is generated throughout the entire process chain, from raw material to final product, with a substantial portion originating from the meat industry. Recently, the notable rise in meat production has inevitably resulted in a higher volume of waste generation. Meat-derived residues should be effectively utilized due to their diversity, organic content, and contribution to increasing the carbon footprint. Meat waste can be transformed into numerous high-value alternative products for further utilization in various industrial sectors. The application of green technologies has become a critical approach in recent years to ensure sustainable production by converting such waste into valuable components. As a part of this approach, various technologies, such as enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrasound-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, instant catapult steam explosion, and ohmic heating come to the forefront. In the current chapter, the potential applications of green technologies in converting by-products and co-products obtained during meat processing into value-added products are compiled and analyzed from the perspective of sustainability.

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically target bacteria, offering a promising biocontrol strategy for food safety. Their high specificity enables precise pathogen elimination without disturbing beneficial microbiota. Historically overshadowed by antibiotics, phage biocontrol is now regaining interest due to the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria and increasing food safety concerns. Phages effectively reduce foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes in fresh produce, meat, and dairy products. Phage-based interventions can be applied pre- and post-harvest, acting as direct antimicrobial agents or as enhancers of existing preservation methods. Furthermore, phages offer advantages in combating biofilms, a major concern in food processing facilities. Despite their potential, challenges such as bacterial resistance, regulatory constraints, and large-scale production hurdles remain. This chapter discusses the evolution of phage biocontrol, its applications in food safety, and the challenges that must be addressed for its widespread adoption. Phages represent an innovative, eco-friendly alternative to conventional antimicrobials, aligning with the global demand for safer and more sustainable food production practices.

This chapter provides a historical perspective on predictive microbiology: from its inception till its current state, and including potential future developments. A look back to its origins in the 1920s underlies that scientists at the time had great ideas that could not be developed due to the lack of proper technologies. Indeed, predictive microbiology advancements mostly halted till the 1980s, when computing machines became broadly available, evidencing how these technologies were an enabler of predictive microbiology. Nowadays, predictive microbiology is a mature scientific field. There is a general consensus on experimental and computational methodologies, with software tools implementing these principles in a user-friendly manner. As a result, predictive microbiology is currently a useful tool for researchers, food industries and food safety legislators. On the other hand, this methodology has some important limitations that would be hard to solve without a reconsideration of some of its basic principles. In this sense, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science present great promise to advance predictive microbiology even further. Nevertheless, this would require the development of a novel conceptual framework that accommodates these novel technologies into predictive microbiology.

Fermentation is a cornerstone of the food system, offering several benefits in nutrition, food safety, sustainability, and sensory quality. Historically rooted in food preservation and cultural practices, fermentation has evolved into a dynamic biotechnological tool, spanning diverse applications from dairy, meat, vegetable, and plant-based foods to by-product valorization. The process leverages microbial metabolisms (primarily lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and molds) to enhance shelf life and sensory properties, improve digestibility, and generate bioactive compounds. Advances in precision fermentation and strain engineering have further extended fermentation potential to address emerging food challenges. Traditional fermentation monitoring relies on manual, off-line techniques that lack real-time responsiveness. The integration of advanced sensor technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and process analytical technology (PAT) enables real-time, non-invasive process control. Among these tools, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy stands out due to its speed, low cost, minimal sample preparation, and compatibility with multivariate data analysis. NIR spectroscopy, combined with machine learning models, has demonstrated robust performance in predicting fermentation parameters across multiple food matrices, including alcoholic beverages, dairy, plant and meat fermented products, bread, kombucha, and vinegar. However, challenges such as spectral complexity, calibration transferability, and model interpretability persist. Future perspectives emphasize the convergence of NIR spectroscopy with digital twins, hybrid modeling, and explainable AI, enabling self-optimizing, adaptive fermentation systems. Emerging NIR devices offer portability and scalability, democratizing access to smart fermentation control for both industrial and artisanal producers. This paradigm shift lays the groundwork for intelligent, sustainable, and precision-driven food fermentation.

The involvement of C-reactive proteins in triggering antibiotic release is important in figuring out the underlaying mechanisms of cellular biomarkers involving the immune reaction and inflammation. Thus, the existence of microbial C-reactive proteins or peptides are getting logical acceptance due to the presence of some homologue peptides into microbes capable in triggering same inflammatory response levels like to that happening into mammalian cells. The objective of this chapter is to study in depth the mechanization of microbial C-reactive proteins/peptides for allowing the release of de novo antibiotics capable in competing the penicillin mechanism of action. Therefore, series of plasmo-dynamic markers are beared in mind and studied including the role of anti-inflammatory peptides, peptide transporters, opioid peptides, cell penetrating peptides and other static membrane markers including Toll-like receptor, and G-protein coupled receptors. These cellular biomarkers are studied in light of their mechanizations toward the release of commonly known classes of antibiotics including antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial ones. The chapter is also covering the availability of antibiotics in foods, microbes, biological matrices and in animal cells and tissues as well as the methods of detection and quantification of antibiotics and also the commonly methods used in mitigating those antibiotics when they are present in excessive doses in food materials. In this regard, some engineered models have been developed in order to remove residual traces of antibiotics as mode for food safety purposes. The domain applications of antibiotics as putative cores and therapies used for preventing the burden diseases like Covid-19 pandemia and other complicated transient diseases are also covered. The chapter is shedding light on the mechanization of peptides like antibiotics, microbial resistance against antibiotics, mechanism of antibiotic sensing, peptides-antibiotic interaction, and antibiotic resistance, by projecting lights on some developed biosensors used in detecting these type of substances.

Yeast extract (YE), a nutritious and sustainable food ingredient, primarily functions as a food flavor enhancer and bioactive ingredient in the food industry. Currently, there is a dearth of systematic reviews on the taste-active and bioactive activities of YE. This review provides a comprehensive review of preparation methods, taste-active and bioactive activities of YE as well as their applications in the food sector. Furthermore, the challenges and future perspectives of YE are discussed. YE can be obtained through the degradation and removal of yeast cell walls. Its extraction can be achieved through various methods, including physical, autolytic, enzymatic, and cell wall disruption techniques. YE comprises a range of components, including glucan, mannan, proteins, phospholipids, minerals, vitamins, and various functional factors. These components collectively contribute to its diverse bioactivities, such as antioxidant, ACE-inhibitory, antibacterial, immunomodulatory, diuretic and sedative effects. Furthermore, YE contains taste-active substances and aroma-active compounds, making it promising as a flavor enhancer. It is potent bioactivity also makes it applicable in the food and nutraceutical industries.

Fungal spoilage poses significant challenges in the global food industry, affecting various types of food products. Certain foods are inherently more susceptible to fungal contamination due to their intrinsic characteristics, as well as both raw materials and the processing environment, particularly the air, serve as major sources of fungal spores. Once a product is contaminated, the ability of fungal species to overcome technological barriers imposed by the industry (such as preservatives, reduced water activity, low pH, storage temperature, and oxygen restriction) will determine the extent of spoilage. Implementing stringent hygiene procedures, focusing on selecting sanitizers with antifungal properties, can help reduce the fungal spore load in the production environment. This, in turn, can limit the number of spores that reach the food, thereby delaying spoilage. This contribution covers the fungi responsible for spoilage of a variety of food types as well as the dynamics involved in the product contamination, physiological adaptations to spoil specific food niches and main control measures, with focus in sanitizers.

Cereals play a crucial role in global food security and economic development, serving as primary sources of energy, dietary fiber, and bioactive compounds. In addition to their macronutrient content, cereals are rich in phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, which contribute to their nutritional and functional properties. However, the composition of these bioactive compounds is influenced by genetic factors, environmental conditions, and processing methods. Metabolomics, an advanced analytical approach, has emerged as a powerful tool for exploring the metabolic variability of cereals. Techniques such as Gas Chromatography-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS) enable the identification and quantification of diverse phenolic compounds, providing insights into their complexity and dynamics. Moreover, metabolomics has facilitated the identification of phenolic biomarkers in humans, linking dietary phenolics to potential health benefits, including reduced risks of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and cancer. The present chapter discuss the role of metabolomics in understanding phenolic compound variability in cereals, highlighting changes in metabolic profiles during crop development and processing. Additionally, it explores the implications of cereal-derived phenolics in promoting human health, emphasizing their significance in the development of functional foods. The advancements in metabolomics continue to drive innovation in cereal-based products, offering new opportunities for enhancing their nutritional and health-promoting properties.

Lipid oxidation remains one of the most critical pathways compromising the quality and shelf life of meat and meat products. Over the past three decades, significant advances have been made in elucidating the mechanisms of lipid oxidation and in developing both experimental and computational approaches to study and control these processes. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of these approaches, detailing their relative strengths and limitations. The complex interplay between substrates (e.g., unsaturated fatty acids) and pro-oxidant factors (e.g., heme pigments, lipoxygenase, iron) is thoroughly examined to offer an updated perspective on oxidation pathways in real-world muscle food systems. In addition, current knowledge gaps and challenges are highlighted to inspire further research. A major focus is placed on antioxidant strategies, from established synthetic additives to novel natural compounds, and the mechanistic basis for their protective effects. Selected industrial case studies illustrate successful implementations of these antioxidants, emphasizing sustainability. The chapter concludes by highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, incorporating insights from chemistry, biology, engineering, and related fields. Such cross-disciplinary efforts, supported by emerging research concepts and technologies, will be critical for developing innovative solutions that advance our understanding of lipid oxidation mechanisms and enhance oxidation control in meat and meat products.