Medicinal plants have always arised an interest because they usually have pharmacological effects, low toxicity and high safety. Herbal preparations can be used both for the prevention of certain diseases and for the treatment of chronic and slowly developing ones. At the same time, practically healthy people can also use them to improve their quality of life. The experience of using medicinal plants in traditional medicine in the North-West Caucasus (in particular, in the Republic of Adygea) contributed to their active study with the aim of introducing official scientific medicine into clinical practice.For the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of many diseases, the medications are widely used that have a sedative effect in various neurotic conditions and have a regulatory effect on the central nervous system, reducing excitatory processes, enhancing inhibitory processes or eliminating the consequences of stressful situations. In this regard, there is a need to expand the local raw material base of medicinal plants, which accumulate biologically active substances in high concentrations.The article provides data on the study of wild North Caucasian populations of medicinal plants (valerian officinalis, common hop, motherwort and peppermint), which are promising producers of biologically active compounds. The results obtained indicate the safety of the raw material, allow us to evaluate its quality and prove the promise of ongoing scientific research, which has not only theoretical but also practical significance for the purpose of creating drugs that have a sedative effect, as well as for processing without restrictions.

Sunflower meal is a promising source of protein, which can be used as a food ingredient in the formulations of meat, flour and confectionery products. Alkaline extraction technology is traditionally used to obtain sunflower protein, but its efficiency can be increased using physical methods: ultrasound, microwave radiation, extraction at high pressure and others. Thу article deals with an application of the ultrasonic treatment for increase of the efficiency of protein extraction from defatted plant material: from the protein fraction of sunflower meal and from sunflower meal. The trial samples for protein extraction were prepared by the preliminary treatment of the samples in the ultrasonic bath for 15 minutes at a frequency of 40 hertz at temperature 24-28° C. The control sample was not subjected to such pretreatment. Then protein was isolated from the raw material by alkaline extraction followed by isoelectric precipitation. The possibility of the protein preparation isolation with a higher crude protein content (93,66% m.f.b) compared to the control sample has been shown. The mass yield of protein was 64% of its content in the raw material. The influence of ultrasonic treatment on the efficiency of protein extraction from raw material with different crude protein content is demonstrated. The results of the study show the feasibility of usage of ultrasound treatment in isolation of sunflower protein. In particular, the crude protein content in the trial protein sample after ultrasonic treatment was increased by 8,23% compared to the control sample. The obtained results demonstrated their consistency when compared to the results of other studies. However, there are only a limited number of studies on the use of ultrasound in the extraction of sunflower derived products.A comparison of the results obtained showed their consistency with the results of other studies. However, there are only a small number of studies on the use of ultrasound in the extraction of sunflower processing products.

Licorice root extracts are one of the most common and widely used plant extracts. Due to the high content of biologically active substances and pronounced properties, they are used in various industries – in medicine, pharmacology, cosmetics and food industries. The underground part of Licorice contains more than 100 different chemical substances, the most biologically active of which are flavonoids and triterpene saponins. The most significant saponin is glycyrrhizic acid. Science knows many ways to obtain licorice extract, and the research is still being actively carried out to find even more effective, inexpensive and accessible methods.The purpose of the research was to investigate the feasibility and potential of glycerol as a solvent for the extraction of glycyrrhizic acid from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra.The methods. Isolation of glycyrrhizic acid from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra was carried out using the maceration method. Glycerrin and the classic extractant ethanol were tested as an extractant for comparative analysis. Determination of glycyrrhizic acid content in licorice glabra roots was carried out using differential spectrophotometry.The Results. Optimal conditions for the extraction of glycyrrhizic acid from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra were selected. The maximum content of glycyrrhizic acid was observed in the sample prepared at a water-glycerol ratio of 3:2.The scientific novelty of the work lies in the study of the possibility of using glycerol as a solvent for extraction and the selection of optimal conditions for the extraction of glycyrrhizic acid from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra in order to increase the level of extraction of the target substance.

Drying is one of the most popular ways to preserve plant materials by reducing humidity and preventing microbiological contamination and it is a promising direction in the food industry. The article presents the results of the research in the development of effective technologies for preparing zucchini for drying, ensuring acceleration of the drying process, as well as maintaining or improving organoleptic characteristics (for example, to prevent excessive darkening). The article describes the results of the influence of pre-treatment of zucchini before drying on quality indicators – organoleptic indicators (appearance, consistency, taste, smell, color, shape, size) and physicochemical indicators (weight of fresh raw materials and dried product, moisture content of the finished product) and microbiological safety (MAFAnM, coliform bacteria, mold, yeast). The types of pre-treatment of zucchini before drying were microwave treatment, C6 H8 O7 solution (citric acid), NaCl solution (saline solution), microwave treatment + C6 H8 O7 solution, microwave treatment + NaCl solution. During the organoleptic assessment, it was found that the best organoleptic indicators are provided by treatment with 5% NaCl solution (4.8 points) and 1% C6 H8 O7 solution (4.7 points). Microwave pre-treatment in various parameters led to the appearance of characteristic bitterness and an unpleasant aftertaste. Treatment with a solution of citric acid in various dosages imparts a sour taste and prevented darkening during drying. It was found that various types of pre-treatment do not affect the duration of drying of zucchini, which was, on average, 7 hours. Microwave treatment reduced humidity to 3.4%, citric acid – to 3.6%, saline solution – to 4.6%, while complex treatment did not affect the reduction in moisture content of the dry product and, in general, the duration of drying. As a result of the microbiological assessment, it was noted that the amount of MaFAnM and mold fungi were within acceptable imits, and the growth of coliform bacteria was absent, which corresponded to the indicators of regulatory documents.

At present food industry must meet the global challenges that we face. The first one is hunger; the population continues to grow, it is necessary to meet nutritional needs by increasing funding for the development of agricultural areas and introducing sustainable development methods in agriculture and fishery segments. The second challenge is the environment. The foodtech industry cannot but influence all processes occurring on our planet. The third one is the health of the population. In order to feed all citizens of a state, food producers often neglect the health of society, reducing the quality of the products they produce. Another challenge arising from the previous one is obesity. At the end of 2022, more than 2 million people were diagnosed with obesity in Russia, 109 thousand of whom were diagnosed with this disease in children under 14 years of age [1,2].The goal of the research was to develop a recipe and technology for snacking products with a high protein content and a reduced amount of fat. In the course of the research the ingredient composition of the product being developed was substantiated, technological parameters were selected, a technological diagram was drawn up, and the nutritional value was calculated. The protein content in the finished product was 29.7 g per 100 g of a finished product.The product will allow us to solve two global challenges in a targeted manner. The introduction of aquatic organisms and vegetable protein – soy isolate – into the recipe helps to improve the balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (PFC) of the finished product. At the same time, the combination of plant and fish raw materials will provide an opportunity to launch a new subcategory of snacking products and expand the range of healthy snacks.

The article presents the research on the development of bread technology from gluten-free composite mixtures: No. 1 from a mixture of rice and flax flour (70: 30), No. 2 from flax and corn flour (50: 50) and No. 3 from pumpkin and corn flour (50: 50). A sociological survey conducted has shown that potential consumers are interested in expanding the line of gluten-free food products in the Saratov region. The following technological parameters for the production of gluten-free bread were determined: proofing time – 100 minutes, chamber temperature 35°С and relative air humidity 40%. The bread was baked for 9 minutes at 200°С and 35 minutes at 180°С with a relative humidity in the working chamber of 40%. Physicochemical studies showed that the moisture content in three samples of gluten-free bread was 1.17 times higher than the norm (46.0) compared to the control. In turn, the acidity of the sample crumb was in the range of 5.5–7.2 degrees, respectively, which exceeded the norm. The crumb porosity of the developed samples was 65.22–68.03%, respectively, while less than 68% was explained by the use of gluten-free mixtures, which were unable to form an elastic elastic frame in the products. The developed gluten-free bread contained QMAFAnM, coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria of the genus Proteus, mold fungi and pathogenic microorganisms, including Salmonella, and complies with TR CU 021/2011.As a result of the research, sample No. 3 was selected from pumpkin and corn flour (50: 50), which had high performance in terms of overall physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics. The selected sample had dimensional stability, pleasant taste, aroma and baked crumb.

Currently, the quality of school meals plays important role for the parents of schoolchildren. Expanding the range of food with hypoallergenic products is an urgent problem. In our research sorbet was used as a research object. Fruit and vegetable crops were used as the basis for the sorbet prototype. Zucchini, green apple and white currant were selected as the main ingredients of sorbets, taking into account the recommendations of a non-specific hypoallergenic diet. The goal of the research was to develop a recipe and conduct an organoleptic evaluation of a dessert based on zucchini, apples and currants. The task was to conduct an organoleptic evaluation of the prototype sorbet. The study of organoleptic indicators was carried out in accordance with GOST 31986-2012 «Catering services. Method of organoleptic assessment of the quality of public catering products». Test batches of the dessert were carried out at the Volgograd State Agrarian University at the Department of Processing and Food Production Technologies. In terms of organoleptic indicators, the new product met all technical requirements. The appearance of sorbet, a single-layer dessert in the form of a ball without glaze, decorated with mint greens. The consistency was dense. The taste was clean, characteristic of apple and currant, without any foreign tastes or odors. The color was light green, uniform throughout the mass. The product sample met the requirements of GOST R 55624-2013 «Whipped frozen fruit, vegetable and fruit-vegetable desserts. Technical conditions». A tasting evaluation of the sorbet was carried out. Employing the arithmetic mean value, the overall rating of the prototype was the highest. The use of zucchini, green apple and white currant in combination in the production of sorbet has not reduced the quality criteria of this dessert.

In the technology for extracting the required components from plant raw materials, in most cases, the grinding process is used as a preparatory operation before the main process, followed by the separation of the extracted material into target components.In most cases, as a result of such a process, we can talk about the effective extraction of only a single target component, while others inevitably lose their qualitative and quantitative indicators, which is due to the morphology of the plant raw material.One of the promising directions in the processes of destruction of plant material for further operations is selective disintegration. For this purpose optimal process conditions have been selected, such as heating, freezing and others. Raw materials obtained as a result of selective destruction can be effectively fractionated according to morphological and physicochemical characteristics, and only after that can be sent to subsequent operations with the greatest efficiency.Under modern conditions, the loss of essential oil in coriander associated with splitting the fruit reaches 23.4% of the oil weight in whole fruits. At the same time, the essential oil from split fruits is enriched with valuable components – linalool, geraniol, geranyl acetate and, in addition, contains less hydrocarbons and camphor. As shown in [1], oil from split fruits can be used to adjust the composition of batches of coriander essential oil in order to increase the content of linalool while simultaneously reducing the content of undesirable components – hydrocarbons and camphor, and can also be used primarily to isolate valuable components – linalool, geraniol. To reduce losses associated with splitting coriander fruits, it has been proposed to carry out mathematical modeling of the process of cryogenic freezing with subsequent grinding of the frozen mass, which will significantly reduce losses of essential oil. Considering that essential oils extracted from coriander show high antibacterial, antioxidant and antifungal activity [2], increasing the yield of high-quality coriander essential oil will allow its wider use in flavoring and food preservation, as well as for medicinal purposes, which is important and actual task.

In order to improve public health, it is necessary to adhere to the basic principles of a healthy lifestyle, which include maintaining physical activity, a balanced diet, giving up tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as a number of other measures aimed at improving the quality and extending life expectancy. In particular, a regular imbalance of consumed vital nutrients contributes to the development of diseases such as vitamin deficiency and microelementosis. The most common causes of microelementosis include the quality of drinking water, the impact of anthropogenic factors on the environment and population, soil characteristics in the food production region, and others. One of the mechanisms for regulating violations of the elemental status of the population in regions with a recorded imbalance of essential elements is diet correction, which also includes the use of fortified food products. In order to optimize the technology for the production of functional products within small food enterprises and ensure the development of the market for functional bakery products, it is advisable to search for new methods for enriching basic food products with vital microelements. The purpose of the research was to assess the general toxicity of the formed enriching composition based on chitosan and zinc. To achieve this, an express method to determine the general toxicity on ciliates of the Stylonychia mytilus genus was used. The research allows us to conclude that it is safe to use a composition of chitosan and zinc in the recipes of bread made from premium wheat flour and whole grain wheat flour. The results are aimed at optimizing the technology of bread fortification by immobilizing the necessary essential microelement on the surface of a biopolymer carrier.

The article provides a rationale for the need to study the development of new lactose-free dairy products, due to an increase in the volume of consumption and the need to master whey processing technologies, using various lactose removal technologies, including enzymatic ones. Whey is rich in amino acids, has high biological value and high degree of digestibility in the human body, due to which whey processed products become attractive to a consumer.The purpose of the research is to develop a method for producing lactose-free albumin from fresh whey obtained after the production of cheese or cottage cheese, using enzymatic hydrolysis technology. The market for lactose-free dairy products in the Russian Federation and the assortment that is presented in the city of Yekaterinburg, the Sverdlovsk region, have been analyzed. The parameters of temperature, duration, and amount of β-galactosidase enzyme added to obtain a lactose-free dairy product with the highest weight yield and the best organoleptic characteristics based on actual technological developments have been investigated. Organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological indicators of the quality and safety of the resulting lactose-free albumin have been studied. The resulting product has organoleptic characteristics and structure similar to classic cottage cheese, so that it can be used as a cottage cheese substitute for the development of lactose-free products and dishes for baby food.