European Food Research and Technology最新文献

This study presents a large-scale interlaboratory comparison (ILC) aimed at detecting and quantifying DNA from two European anglerfish (Lophius budegassa, Lophius piscatorius), pike (Esox lucius) and sea bream (Spondyliosoma cantharus) using real-time qPCR. To detect amplification of the parvalbumin genetic marker, single and multiplex qPCR assays using EvaGreen® dye or TaqMan™ probes were used. Genomic DNA isolated from target fish species and an advanced DNA calibrator, gBlocks® gene fragments, were used as standards. The DNA of anglerfish, pike and sea bream as well as their mixtures were analysed together with 14 other non-target fish species. All target fish samples were correctly identified by the participating laboratories. Qualitative assessment of anglerfish and seabream DNA showed an accuracy rate of 100%, while pike DNA achieved a match rate of 99%. Validation of quantitative protocols in four different laboratories consistently achieved z-scores below 2, indicating satisfactory performance and confirming the high degree of similarity of laboratory results. Furthermore, high accuracy and efficiency were demonstrated for the quantification of anglerfish and seabream DNA by triplex qPCR using TaqMan™ probes. Regarding the selected gene marker, the major fish allergenic protein parvalbumin enables indirect detection and quantification of the allergen in the sample. Therefore, the use of proposed protocols can significantly contribute to protecting the health of consumers and to controlling the food market.

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The scientific literature on microplastics in food has increased exponentially in the last years leading to a huge amount of published reviews on this topic. Following an approach inspired by the umbrella-review methodology, the present review aimed at systematically gathering information regarding the routes of exposure of microplastics through the food chain, starting from information collected by literature reviews. A literature-based search of published reviews was carried out in three scientific databases. Eligible reviews had to be written in English and had to deal with microplastics (MPs) or nanoplastics (NPs) in food or food chains. At the end of the screening process, 59 reviews were included of which four were systematic. Microplastics were found in a broad range of food originating from marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments. The size range of detected MPs/NPs varied greatly (0.02 – 16,400 μm). Among the analysed review, three food matrices (milk, beer and sugar) were considered for the cross-citation analysis. The choice was based on the fact that these matrices are unusually associated with MPs/NPs pollution and the high redundancy of information observed during data extraction. Results surprisingly showed that the number of published reviews was higher than the number of primary studies, suggesting the need for applying a systematic review methodology to comprehensively synthesize data on microplastics in food and to harmonize definitions. In addition, especially for European countries, future research on MPs/NPs distribution should be performed on food such as milk, wine and meat since they are poorly investigated in this area.

The present research sought to evaluate the detection capacity of the electronic nose for the hazelnut aroma in a filled chocolate wafer, measuring its release and physical–chemical, thermal, and microbiological properties during 60 days where the product was stored at 25 °C and 40 °C. It was found that moisture, Aw, pH, thermal resistivity, and diffusivity remained stable during storage at both temperatures, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). While there was variation in color (L*, a*, b*, and ΔE) and in thermal conductivity. The microbiological analyses of mesophilic bacteria, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and coagulase-positive staphylococci were maintained in accordance with the standards established by current legislation. The results obtained with the sensors array showed good sensitivity and a high limit of detection (> 0.001 mg/mL) for hazelnut aroma. The electronic nose was able to discriminate between the release of volatiles from chocolates stored at 25 and 40 °C, with a greater response observed at high temperature (40 °C) at the beginning of storage. Through the application of the Arrhenius model, we successfully determined the activation energy for key color components (L*, a*, b*) and thermal conductivity. Additionally, our findings revealed a good fit of volatile component release to the zero-order model, characterized by a high correlation coefficient (> 0.9). These findings underscore the importance of considering storage temperature when preserving the quality of products such as chocolates. Furthermore, the study validates the use of the electronic nose as a viable technique for analyzing volatiles in food, providing valuable insights for the food industry.

Graphical abstract

Consumers are increasingly interested in chestnuts for their health benefits and also for their organoleptic qualities. It is therefore very important to enhance the chestnut from a sensorial point of view. The sensorial characteristics of commercial chestnuts from three Italian Marrone cultivars (M1 ‘Marrone di Antrodoco’; M2 ‘Marrone dei Monti Cimini’; M3 ‘Marrone del Mugello’ PGI) were investigated with the aim of identifying their sensory profiles. The sensory evaluation was conducted according to (ISO 8589 in Sensory analysis. General guidance for the design of test rooms, 2007; UNI EN ISO 13299 in Sensory analysis. Methodology. General guidance for establishing a sensory profile, 2016). Each descriptor was scored on a range with intervals ranging from 0 (absence of the descriptor) to 10 (maximum intensity of the descriptor). The M1 cultivar is characterized by greater crunchiness (8.0, on a scale from 0 to 10), sweetness (7.5), aromatic intensity (7.9) and caramel aroma (3.3). The M2 cultivar is distinguished by its buttery (3.2) and floral aroma (3.0) with a wood/musk note (1.9) that is missing from the other two cultivars. The M3 cultivar has an almond aroma (5.2) and is distinguished by walnut (3.0) and citrus (2.8) aromas, which are absent in cultivars M1 and M2. The results of this study are important as they experimentally demonstrate that the identification of characteristic sensory profile makes the qualitative differences between cultivars evident. The results showed that linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids were the main components of the lipid fraction of chestnut nuts. In all samples the unsaturated fraction predominated over the saturated one. It is also important to note that there were significant quantitative differences between cultivars. The valorization of Marrone chestnut cultivars contributes to promoting consumer use of these products with their high nutritional value and therefore contributes to the promotion of public health.

Microbial pigments have extensive applications in the food, cosmetic, and biopharmaceutical industries. In this study, a pigment-rich actinomycete identified as Streptomyces tauricus was isolated from soil, and the solubility and stability of its were investigated. The pigment was separated and purified through thin-layer chromatography (TLC), column chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine its components. The chemical structure of the pigment was characterized through infrared (IR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS–MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Additionally, the antioxidant properties and safety profile of the pigment were assessed. The S. tauricus pigment was bright, vivid brownish-red, intracellular, and fat-soluble; it exhibited considerable photothermal stability and maintained its color below pH 7. The presence of Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺ ions markedly influenced the pigment’s characteristics. The pigment comprised primarily purple and orange components. The purple component, which is relatively rare in microbial sources, was subjected to detailed study. The core structure of the purple component was identified as methylbenzanthracene dione, which has high antioxidant activity and no toxicity in brine shrimp assays. Due to its resilience to high temperatures and acidic environments, coupled with its bioactivity and lack of toxicity, this pigment may serve as a promising candidate for various industrial and food applications.

Sourdough bread has gained interest with the increasing demand of consumers for more natural, delicious and healthy foods. Also, consumption of whole grain flour is increasing due to the bioactive compounds it contains. This study aimed to investigate the effects of wheat variety (Tosunbey, Kenanbey, İkizce-96, Bezostaja-1), sourdough treatment [Spontaneous fermentation (SP), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP), Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis (LS)] and sourdough level (0–10–20–30%) on the technological characteristics of whole wheat bread. The investigated factors had significant effects on pH, total titratable acidity, specific volume, color and textural parameters. The increasing levels of sourdough decreased the specific volume of whole wheat bread and increased the crumb hardness. The whole wheat sourdough breads produced with LP and LS had lower specific volumes due to the acidity, but were more favorable in terms of smell compared to SP. The hardness and chewiness of the bread samples significantly increased with the three days of storage, while the cohesiveness and springiness decreased. Wheat varieties with higher protein content and Zeleny sedimentation value had better performance for whole wheat sourdough bread production. The study showed that sourdough with selected lactic starters (LP and LS) could be used at 10–20% levels in whole wheat bread formulations to have acceptable technological and sensory characteristics.

The Arecaceae and Myrtaceae families are widespread across Brazil. They include many of Brazil's native fruit species. Local communities use these plants for many purposes. Their health impacts come from bioactive compounds, notably phytochemicals. These compounds are crucial for managing chronic diseases and can serve as antimicrobial agents. Therefore, this review aimed to present and discuss the importance of commercialization, consumption, and development of new products from some plant matrices native to Brazil, such as purple-araçá, bacaba, cherry of Rio Grande, grumixama, juçara, and pitanga with emphasis on the phenolic profile and functional potential as agents in biological activities. The information presented herein serves as a foundation for enhancing practices ranging from cultivation and consumption to the formulation of innovative ingredients and food products. This emphasis is particularly relevant for underexplored fruits, such as purple-araçá and bacaba, which possess untapped potential for further investigation and application.

Almond (Prunus dulcis) is a nutritious food with a rich content. In addition to consuming as food, it is also used for various purposes in sectors such as medicine, cosmetics and bioenergy. With all these usages, almond has become a globally demanded product. Accurately determining almond variety is crucial for quality assessment and market value. Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) has a great performance in image classification. In this study, a public dataset containing images of four different almond varieties was created. Five well-known and light-weight CNN models (DenseNet121, EfficientNetB0, MobileNet, MobileNet V2, NASNetMobile) were used to classify almond images. Additionally, a model called 'Genetic CNN', which has its hyperparameters determined by Genetic Algorithm, was proposed. Among the well-known and light-weight CNN models, NASNetMobile achieved the most successful result with an accuracy rate of 99.20%, precision of 99.21%, recall of 99.20% and f1-score of 99.19%. Genetic CNN outperformed well-known models with an accuracy rate of 99.55%, precision of 99.56%, recall of 99.55% and f1-score of 99.55%. Furthermore, the Genetic CNN model has a relatively small size and low test time in comparison to other models, with a parameter count of only 1.1 million. Genetic CNN is suitable for embedded and mobile systems and can be used in real-life solutions.

Due to the ban of certain single-use plastics in the European Union, food contact materials (FCM) from biobased and/or biodegradable polymers are increasingly being used. Some FCM are made from wheat or rye and therefore contain gluten, which is a food allergen and known to cause celiac disease. Legislation currently does not require allergen labelling on FCM and there is only some first information that gluten from FCM can migrate into gluten-free foods. Our aim was to analyze the extent of gluten migration from six different FCM into a variety of liquid and solid foods to assess the risk of exposure for wheat allergy and celiac disease patients. We show that the extent of gluten migration depended on the properties of the material, the liquid or solid food it comes into contact with and contact time. There was no clear effect of temperature or pH value. Of the six FCM studied, wheat bran-based plates had the highest potential to release gluten with concentrations of up to 203.0 mg/L of gluten in deionized water after 30 min. To protect patients, it is important to raise awareness of the risk of gluten migration from such FCM and help patients identify and avoid gluten-containing FCM. Further, legislation needs to be adapted urgently to include mandatory labelling of allergens on these biodegradable FCM.

The current study aimed at investigating the effect of certain operational parameters of UV-C radiator on the selected mechanical properties of semifinished potato tuber. Innovator potato variety was selected for the preparation of semifinished potato strips. The prepared potato strips were stored for 24 h following exposure at the desired storage condition. The irradiation experiment was carried out using a UV-C chamber at varied UV-C doses, Mode of exposure, and distance from the radiator. UV-C dose has a pronounced effect over the other tested parameters. Samples subjected at 60 mJ/cm² resulted in higher resistance to compression and bending force while the resistance to cutting force was enhanced at a lower UV-C dose (15 mJ/cm²). Mechanical properties were not significantly impacted by the mode of exposure and distance from the light. Furthermore, the Morphological and microstructural properties of the sample were examined using SEM and AFM resulting in alteration in granule size, spacing, and roughness of the irradiated samples.