Food Processing Technologies Research Articles

Study on Active Particles in Air Plasma and Their Effect on α-Amylase.

As a new technology for food processing, plasma has good prospects for protein modification. This study investigated the effect of plasma on the activity of the α-amylase. The composition of the active particles in air plasma generated by spark discharge was analyzed and determined. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis of the active particles such as H2O2, O3, and -OH was made by the chemical detection method. Powdered α-amylase was treated with plasma in various conditions, in which α-amylase and the variation of α-amylase activity under the action of air plasma were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that the concentration of active particles in the system was positively correlated with the action time for air plasma. After 5 min of plasma action, the concentration of O3 and H2O2 was large enough for food disinfection, but the concentration of -OH was smaller and its lifetime was extremely short. Moreover, it was determined that the optimum action time for the activation of solid powdered α-amylase by air plasma was 120 s. With higher energy, the air plasma acts directly on solid powdered α-amylase to destroy its spatial structure, resulting in enzyme inactivation, sterilization, and disinfection.

Progress in the Application of Food-Grade Emulsions.

The detailed investigation of food-grade emulsions, which possess considerable structural and functional advantages, remains ongoing to enhance our understanding of these dispersion systems and to expand their application scope. This work reviews the applications of food-grade emulsions on the dispersed phase, interface structure, and macroscopic scales; further, it discusses the corresponding factors of influence, the selection and design of food dispersion systems, and the expansion of their application scope. Specifically, applications on the dispersed-phase scale mainly include delivery by soft matter carriers and auxiliary extraction/separation, while applications on the scale of the interface structure involve biphasic systems for enzymatic catalysis and systems that can influence substance digestion/absorption, washing, and disinfection. Future research on these scales should therefore focus on surface-active substances, real interface structure compositions, and the design of interface layers with antioxidant properties. By contrast, applications on the macroscopic scale mainly include the design of soft materials for structured food, in addition to various material applications and other emerging uses. In this case, future research should focus on the interactions between emulsion systems and food ingredients, the effects of food process engineering, safety, nutrition, and metabolism. Considering the ongoing research in this field, we believe that this review will be useful for researchers aiming to explore the applications of food-grade emulsions.

Improving the adsorption characteristics and antioxidant activity of oat bran by superfine grinding.

Oat bran (OB) is a by-product of oat, which is rich in β-glucan. As a new food processing technology, ultrafine powder can improve the surface properties of samples. OB with different grinding times was prepared, and its functional components, physical properties, adsorption properties, and antioxidant properties were evaluated. Results showed that with increased grinding times, the average particle size of OB decreased significantly (p < .05). And the water-holding capacity, swelling capacity, and water solubility index of OB increased significantly (p < .05), whereas the animal and vegetable oil-holding capacities decreased. Oat bran could adsorb cholic acid and glucose, which was related to the time of superfine grinding. In addition, the antioxidant capacity of OB was improved after superfine grinding. Related analysis shows that there was significant positive relationship between β-glucan, polyphenols and soluble dietary fibers and antioxidant indicators (p < .05). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results showed that the FTIR spectra of OB powder with different crushing times were similar. On the basis of the above analyses, it is suggested that OB prepared by superfine grinding for 5min had good physical and chemical properties and antioxidant properties and is widely used in food.

Employment of cold atmospheric plasma in chilled chicken breasts and the analysis of microbial diversity after the shelf-life storage

Cold atmospheric plasma, featured as a non-thermal food processing technology has gained prominent attention for its practical application. The demand for chilled chicken has increased rapidly due to its nutritious value. However, chilled chicken often suffers from a short shelf life due to its susceptibility to spoilage. In this study, air- and nitrogen plasma were applied to investigate microbial inactivation effects and shelf-life extension of chilled chicken. Meanwhile, the microbial diversity of chicken breasts after air and nitrogen-CAP treatment and at the end of shelf-life was analyzed. Results illustrated that the inactivation effects of air plasma were more potent than that of nitrogen plasma, while nitrogen plasma could better maintain the sensory properties. Also, further investigation illustrated that air- and nitrogen-CAP could change the microbial community significantly. Both treatment time and working gases were essential experimental parameters that affected the microbial community composition.

Sterilizing Ready-to-Eat Poached Spicy Pork Slices Using a New Device: Combined Radio Frequency Energy and Superheated Water.

In this study, a new device was used to inactivate G. stearothermophilus spores in ready-to-eat (RTE) poached spicy pork slices (PSPS) applying radio frequency (RF) energy (27.12 MHz, 6 kW) and superheated water (SW) simultaneously. The cold spot in the PSPS sample was determined. The effects of electrode gap and SW temperature on heating rate, spore inactivation, physiochemical properties (water loss, texture, and oxidation), sensory properties, and SEM of samples were investigated. The cold spot lies in the geometric center of the soup. The heating rate increased with increasing electrode gap and hit a peak under 190 mm. Radio frequency combined superheated water (RFSW) sterilization greatly decreased the come-up time (CUT) compared with SW sterilization, and a 5 log reduction in G. stearothermophilus spores was achieved. RFSW sterilization under 170 mm electrode gap reduced the water loss, thermal damage of texture, oxidation, and tissues and cells of the sample, and kept a better sensory evaluation. RFSW sterilization has great potential in solid or semisolid food processing engineering.

Impacts of Cold Plasma Technology on Sensory, Nutritional and Safety Quality of Food: A Review.

As an emerging non-thermal food processing technology, cold plasma (CP) technology has been widely applied in food preservation due to its high efficiency, greenness and lack of chemical residues. Recent studies have indicated that CP technology also has an impressing effect on improving food quality. This review summarized the impact of CP on the functional composition and quality characteristics of various food products. CP technology can prevent the growth of spoilage microorganisms while maintaining the physical and chemical properties of the food. It can maintain the color, flavor and texture of food. CP can cause changes in protein structure and function, lipid oxidation, vitamin and monosaccharide degradation, starch modification and the retention of phenolic substances. Additionally, it also degrades allergens and toxins in food. In this review, the effects of CP on organoleptic properties, nutrient content, safety performance for food and the factors that cause these changes were concluded. This review also highlights the current application limitations and future development directions of CP technology in the food industry. This review enables us to more comprehensively understand the impacts of CP technology on food quality and promotes the healthy application of CP technology in the food industry.

Investigation on the Effects of a Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Continuous System Implemented in an Industrial Olive Oil Plant.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the treatment of olive paste of the Picholine variety with pulsed electric fields (PEF) under real operating conditions in a large-scale olive oil extraction plant affects the extractability, chemical composition and sensory profile of the oils. The application of pulsed electric fields (PEF) as a non-thermal food processing technology is interesting for many food extraction processes. The results of this study show that pulsed electric fields can be used as a pretreatment before oil separation to increase the extractability of the process and improve the content of functional components. The application of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment (2.4 kV/cm, 4 kJ/kg, 6 µs pulse width) to olive paste through a continuous system significantly increased the extractability and total concentration of phenols (especially oleuropein derivatives) compared to the control. In addition, the volatile compounds, α-tocopherol, the fatty acid profile and the main legal quality parameters of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), including free acidity, peroxide values, extinction indices and sensory analysis, were evaluated. The pulsed electric fields (PEF) treatment did not modify these EVOO quality parameters, neither the α-tocopherol content nor the volatile profile. The sensory properties of EVOO were not affected as well as the PEF treatment showed a similar intensity of fruity and pungent attributes without any off-flavor according to the European Union legal standards. An increase in the bitter taste attribute was observed in the PEF oils. Consequently, this study demonstrates that pulsed electric fields (PEF) processing could be implemented in olive oil processing as pretreatment for improving the efficiency of the process.

Innovation characteristics and technology adoption on Probio_FM in the implementation of an integrated farming system in Bangka Tengah

The strategy to disseminate innovative technology is vital. It expects the technology to be effective and can be adopted. The assessment of the perception of farmers towards the characteristics of innovative technology is needed to identify the potential implementation of sustainability. The study aims to understand the characteristics of technology innovation of Probio_FM in the food processing of palm oil and to examine the impact of innovation characteristics on the adoption of innovation. The survey was employed as the research method. Structural equation modeling with smart partial least squares was used to analyze the data. The study discovered that the innovation characteristics and adoption of Probio_FM technology were relative advantages, compatibility, complexity, liability, and observability. The innovation characteristics had a significant impact on the adoption process. Technology innovation was accepted by society. The variable of relative advantage, trialability, and compatibility was the most important innovation characteristic of livestock farmers in the process of adoption of Probio_FM technology in food processing of palm oil.

Sustainable development strategy of the dairy agro-industrial complex through the use of waste-free technologies

Currently, waste-free technologies in the food industry play an important role in the sustainable development of dairy enterprises, as well as in solving food, economic, environmental and energy problems. One of the ways to strengthen the food industry is the introduction of new food processing technologies. This, in turn, requires more carefulness processing of agricultural raw materials and more rational use of useful ingredients. In this regard, the goal is to develop a technology for the production of cottage cheese with certain qualitative and physico-chemical properties. The research results show that albumin cottage cheese (or albumin) obtained with the help of whey protein meets quality standards, and the economic efficiency of this production product is very high which increases the production development and sustainability of agricultural enterprises.

Quantification of Vitamins, Minerals, and Amino Acids in Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

This paper aims to quantify the micronutrients in black walnut and address its human health benefits. The metabolic profiling of 11 black walnut cultivars was accomplished using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometer. Results revealed that the highest concentration of vitamin B9 was present in cultivar “Daniel” (avg. relative signal intensity 229.53 × 104 mAU). “Surprise” and “Daniel” cultivars had the highest amount of vitamin B5. However, vitamin A, D3, E, and K showed no significant difference among the cultivars. The vitamin content levels among the cultivars were compared by applying one way ANOVA method with (P < 0.05) significance level. Mineral analysis for the black walnut kernel, Persian walnut, and black walnut protein powder was done using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission spectroscopy. The experimental data for black walnut kernel is 0.04 mg/g for Fe and 0.03 mg/g for Zn, and for black walnut, protein powder is 0.07 mg/g for Fe and 0.07 mg/g for Zn. The amino acid analysis and comparison with black walnut kernel show that black walnut flour and protein powder have a higher amount of essential and non-essential amino acids. Therefore, researchers, food process engineers, and food product developers should consider the health benefits of black walnuts and explore the commercial potential of this native agroforestry crop.

Measuring consumers’ demand for nutrition attributes: an application to ready-to-heat meals

AbstractThis study analyzes consumers’ preferences for nutrition and convenience attributes in ready-to-heat meals, using grocery scanner data applied to a Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes model. Households’ preferences for convenience meals stem on saving time. Also, households prefer convenience meals with higher contents of sugar, fat, sodium, cholesterol, and fiber, and lower in calorie content. Results prove that consumption of convenience foods implies a high intake of ingredients with negative consequences on dietary quality and health. Findings showcase the importance of the advancement and adoption of alternative food processing technologies that would circumvent the production of convenient foods high in non-healthy ingredients.

Development of Food Processing Technology Using LacticAcid bacteria Isolated from Local Foods in Niigata

Development of Food Processing Technology Using LacticAcid bacteria Isolated from Local Foods in Niigata

Edamame protein hydrolysis using Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Lactobacillus paracasei produce short peptides with higher antioxidant potential

Abstract. Anggraeni SL, Jayus J, Ratnadewi AAI, Nurhayati N. 2022. Edamame protein hydrolysis using Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Lactobacillus paracasei produce short peptides with higher antioxidant potential. Biodiversitas 23: 3604-3613. The high demand for protein sources for functional vegetable foods, especially proteins that have ACE (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) inhibitory activity has encouraged efforts to meet this need through exploration of potential protein sources and the development of food processing technology to modify the protein into derivative compounds in the form of short peptides to promote higher bioactivity than the native protein. This research focused on the hydrolysis of edamame proteins into shorter peptides through a fermentation process using a group of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LABs), that is Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and L. paracasei, to gain a higher functional activity of its protein hydrolysate. Edamame milk was fermented with that LABs as starter culture until 24 hours at 37ºC. The activity of the protease released by the LABs was confirmed using the agar diffusion method based on the emergence of a clear zone surrounding the culture, while the antioxidant activity was confirmed with the ABTS and hydroxyl radical scavenging methods. The results exhibited that the population density of starter culture in edamame milk reached 108 CFU/mL, and the pH decreased from 6.75 to 4.15. All LABs used in fermentation were able to hydrolyze protein as indicated by the increasing degree of hydrolysis and changes in protein profile of SDS-PAGE analysis. In addition, when compared to the unfermented edamame milk, the protein hydrolysate from LABs fermentation showed an increase of ABTS and hydroxyl radical inhibitory activity, in which the highest IC50 values ??of 8.96 and 13.33 g/mL of each were found in edamame milk fermented by Lc. lactis InaCC B187. An increase in ACE inhibitory activity was also observed in edamame milk fermented using this microbe (9.80 g/µL). These findings indicate that Lc. lactis InaCC B187, L. delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus FNCC41, and L. paracasei InaCC B145 have the potency as an effective starter culture to increase bioactive peptides in edamame soybeans potential for functional food sources.

Proximate composition, amino acid composition and food product application of anchovy: a review

Anchovies are the small pelagic fish that belongs to the family of Engraulidae dominant all over the Indo-Pacific region, which account for human consumption and as feed for other larger fish. Anchovies are rich in macronutrients and micronutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, fat and amino acids. In addition, anchovy is composed of well-balanced amino acid compositions containing eight essential amino acids and eight non-essential amino acids. The nutritive value of anchovies has become the reason for numerous food applications. Proximate analysis is vital in the food industry for the development and quality controls of food products. Knowledge and information regarding the proximate composition of fish are essential in the food processing technology of fish products at commercial and industrial scales. Additionally, this review highlights both conventional and innovative anchovy-based food items. The review demonstrated that anchovies have several possible breakthroughs in the food industry, as shown by their proximate composition and the amino acid profiles used in various food items.

Emerging technologies in combination with probiotics for aflatoxins removal: an updated review

SummaryAflatoxins are known for their high toxicity, and their presence in food is associated with a high health risk. The levels were set for aflatoxin in different foodstuffs to protect public health. Various chemical, physical, and biological methods have been reported for decontamination and detoxifying aflatoxins. Among biological methods, probiotics have an important role in the decontamination of aflatoxins. At the same time, some emerging food processing technologies showed promising results in aflatoxin degradation. This article reviewed significant studies of the last four years that investigated the effects of probiotics on the degradation rate of aflatoxins. Discussions on the possible contribution of emerging technologies along with probiotics are also provided. The results showed that the bioavailability of aflatoxins was reduced by adsorption or binding to probiotics’ cell walls, which increased their excretion rate. Besides, the amount of aflatoxin absorbed by probiotics depends on several parameters, including the complexity of the food matrix. Therefore, probiotics can be used as an effective method to reduce the absorption of aflatoxins in combination with other methods.

Food Processing Technologies Aspects on Plant-Based Milk Manufacturing: Review

The emergence of immune and non-immune related diseases such as lactose intolerance and milk allergy has contributed to the milk consumption pattern changes over the last decades. Moreover, the problem with calorie concern, a saturated fatty acid in dairy milk, and the emergence of vegan diets have further shifted consumer choices to dairy milk alternatives. Plant-based milk is the liquid part extracted from plants such as legumes, nuts, cereals, seeds, and pseudo cereals. It is regarded as a replacement for dairy milk and perceived as a healthier product due to the presence of bioactive compounds. However, the nutritional content, sensory properties, and stability of the products are the main drawbacks of plant-based milk, as these properties are very different compared to dairy milk. Application of food processing technologies in plant-based milk production have been applied to ensure the quality of the final product. New technologies such as non-thermal processing have been applied to address issues related to the quality of plant-based milk. This article reviewed the technological aspects of plant-based milk production, including advanced processing technologies.

Study on Designing and Manufacturing the Freeze Drying System with the Process of Freezing Moist Materials inside the Freeze Drying Chamber to Preserve Valuable Products

Freeze drying is one of the most advanced drying technologies for food processing and preserving using temperature under 0oC or under the freezing point, and pressure of drying chamber environment under 4.58mmHg to process foods. This method helps to maintain the initial quality of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, bioactive substances and sensory activities… In this study, the calculation and design were carried out to find suitable technology parameters to make the freeze drying system in which the freezing process occurred inside the freeze drying chamber. Heat was transferred by short wavelength thermal radiation, l = 50´10-3 m. As a result, time of freeze drying had been shortened to 13.33h/batch. The system was successfully manufactured, showed the steadily working, producing the high quality products, and reduced products price. In the conditions of Vietnam, the freeze drying system replacing that of other countries is the indispensable factor to apply for processing and preserving foods.

Setting life cycle assessment (LCA) in a future-oriented context: the combination of qualitative scenarios and LCA in the agri-food sector

By combining qualitative scenarios and life cycle assessment (LCA), we place the latter in a larger context. This study outlines the importance of the integration of future perspectives into LCA, and also the significance of taking changes in the environment of technology into account, rather than just technological development itself. Accordingly, we focused on adapting the background system of an attributional LCA in the agri-food sector. The proposed technology was assumed not have evolved in the considered time horizon. In this context, the objectives of this paper were twofold: (i) to methodologically prove the applicability of integrating qualitative scenarios into LCA and (ii) to focus on changes in the background system, which is sometimes overlooked in the context of future-oriented LCA. This allowed to evaluate the future potential of different technologies, assessing their environmental impact under uncertain future developments. Methodologically, the qualitative information from scenarios was transformed into quantitative data, which was successively fed into the life cycle inventory (LCI) of the LCA approach. This point of integration into the second phase of LCA translates into future changes in the entire environment in which a technology is used. This means that qualitatively described scenario narratives need to be converted into value estimates in order to be incorporated into the LCA model. A key conclusion is that changes in the background of an LCA—the changing framework expressed through the inventory database—can be very important for the environmental impact of emerging technologies. This approach was applied to a food processing technology to produce apple juice. The proposed methodology enables technology developers to make their products future-proof and robust against socioeconomic development. In addition, the market perspective, if spelled out in the scenarios, can be integrated, leading to a more holistic picture of LCA with its environmental focus, while simultaneously empowering actors to make the right strategic decisions today, especially when considering the long investment cycles in the agri-food sector.

Cold plasma in food processing and preservation: A review

AbstractThe need for safe and healthy foods has increased since the turn of the century. Novel non‐thermal food processing technologies are being adopted by the food sector. Cold plasma (CP) is a proposed, non‐thermal food processing method that inactivates contaminating bacteria on foods and packing materials by using charged, highly reactive gaseous molecules and species. It was originally established to improve the printing and adhesive capabilities of polymers, as well as several electronic applications. The uses of cold plasma have expanded up to food industries in recent decades as a powerful tool for non‐thermal food processing, with a variety of applications. The impact of CP on food quality is crucial to its acceptability as an alternative food processing technology. As the cold plasma possesses non‐thermal characteristics, these can be a great combination of high reactivity and moderate temperatures, which can be used for heat‐sensitive products. CP treatments have had no or little effects on the chemical, physical, sensory, and nutritional properties of different items because of the non‐thermal nature. This review paper discusses the cold plasma, generation method, effect on food and limitations, and future prospects.Practical applicationsNon‐thermal food processing is a relatively new application that is gaining attraction. As a non‐thermal technology, cold plasma is environmentally safe and produces minimal modifications in treated products. Cold plasma has a wide range of uses in the food and biomedical industries. The application of cold plasma for surface sterilization of both food products and food packaging materials is progressing due to significant advances in plasma science and its advantages over the conventional sterilization technologies. This paper highlights recent cold plasma breakthroughs on several plant and animal‐based food matrices with the goal of emphasizing prospective applications, current research, and industry trends. This analysis will help students, researchers, consumers, and food processors to understand the safety of cold plasma and its wide‐scale commercial application in food by assessing the safety of gases utilized in the plasma treatment.

Enhancing the Biological Activities of Food Protein-Derived Peptides Using Non-Thermal Technologies: A Review.

Bioactive peptides (BPs) derived from animal and plant proteins are important food functional ingredients with many promising health-promoting properties. In the food industry, enzymatic hydrolysis is the most common technique employed for the liberation of BPs from proteins in which conventional heat treatment is used as pre-treatment to enhance hydrolytic action. In recent years, application of non-thermal food processing technologies such as ultrasound (US), high-pressure processing (HPP), and pulsed electric field (PEF) as pre-treatment methods has gained considerable research attention owing to the enhancement in yield and bioactivity of resulting peptides. This review provides an overview of bioactivities of peptides obtained from animal and plant proteins and an insight into the impact of US, HPP, and PEF as non-thermal treatment prior to enzymolysis on the generation of food-derived BPs and resulting bioactivities. US, HPP, and PEF were reported to improve antioxidant, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties of the food-derived BPs. The primary modes of action are due to conformational changes of food proteins caused by US, HPP, and PEF, improving the susceptibility of proteins to protease cleavage and subsequent proteolysis. However, the use of other non-thermal techniques such as cold plasma, radiofrequency electric field, dense phase carbon dioxide, and oscillating magnetic fields has not been examined in the generation of BPs from food proteins.