Hard Texture Research Articles

Fish Fillet Analogue Using Formulation Based on Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) and Enzymatic Treatment: Texture, Sensory, Aromatic Profile and Physicochemical Characterization.

The growing demand for alternative sources of non-animal proteins has stimulated research in this area. Mushrooms show potential in the innovation of plant-based food products. In this study, the aim was to develop prototype fish fillets analogues from Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms applying enzymatic treatment (β-glucanase and transglutaminase-TG). A Plackett-Burman 20 experimental design was used to optimize forty variables. Oat flour (OF) exerted a positive effect on the hardness and gumminess texture parameters but a negative effect on cohesiveness and resilience. Soy protein isolate (SPI) exhibited a positive effect on elasticity, gumminess and chewiness, while acacia gum had a negative effect on elasticity, cohesiveness and resilience. After sensory analysis the assay with 1% cassava starch, 5% OF, 5% SPI, 0.1% transglutaminase (240 min/5 °C), 1% coconut oil, 1% soybean oil, 0.2% sodium tripolyphosphate, 0.6% β-glucanase (80 °C/10 min) and without β-glucanase inactivation was found to exhibit greater similarity to fish fillet. The classes hydrocarbons, alcohols and aldehydes are the predominant ones in aromatic profile analysis by chromatography and electronic nose. It is concluded that a mushroom-based analogue of fish fillet can be prepared using enzymatic treatment with TG.

Investigation of physical, thermal and morphological properties of CuCl2 modified polyurethane sponges

There are many types of polyurethane sponge (PUS), depending on properties such as hardness, flexibility and surface texture. The fact that it can be produced in any shape and size has given it very wide range of applications. Surface modification is one of the most commonly used methods to improve the performance of PUS. Here, inspired by metal coordination polymers, a simpler and faster method for surface modification of PUS with metal ions compared to bulk modification was proposed. In the case of copper, which is often used for PUS modification, the change in the basic properties sought in different applications as a function of the concentration of the modifier was investigated. Samples prepared by immersing sponges in solutions of copper chloride salt were subjected to physical, thermal and morphological analyses. Due to the modification, the coordination bonds between CuCl2 and polyurethane were revealed by XPS and FTIR. SEM and EDS studies of the PUS revealed both closed and open cells. DSC and TGA analysis showed that the obtained product had better thermal stability than the unmodified product. When the PUS was modified with 0.5 Cu, the water contact angle increased from 101.32° to 135.01° and hydrophobic properties were imparted to all pore surfaces, and the desired properties such as porosity, density could be adjusted. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the surface, mechanical and thermal properties will make it suitable for use in a range of practical applications such as medical and environmental.

Influence of changing dentition on food texture preferences and perception of eating difficulty in Australian children.

The transition from primary to permanent dentition is an important phase in children's oral development, yet its impact on texture perception and food acceptance are less explored. This study aimed to investigate how changing dentition and tooth loss influence texture preferences and perception of eating difficulty among children aged 5 to 12 years. Children (n = 475) completed a forced-choice questionnaire featuring drawings of six food pairs, each available in hard or soft texture, and reported whether they had started losing primary teeth and the number of tooth gaps present. They also tasted four samples: chocolate snacks (cake and biscuits) and cheddar cheese (grated and cubes), evaluating their perceived eating difficulty and liking for each sample. Analysis of questionnaire responses showed a general preference for softer food textures among children, with a 36% probability of choosing hard foods. Preferences were not related to child's dental state, including primary teeth loss (p = .13) or number of tooth gaps (p = .45). In the taste test, chocolate biscuits and cheese cubes were perceived as significantly more difficult to eat than chocolate cake and grated cheese, respectively (both p < .0001). Children with more than two tooth gaps reported greater eating difficulty for chocolate biscuits and cheese cubes compared to children with fewer or no tooth gaps. This study demonstrated that children's texture preferences for hardness of foods remained consistent during dentition change, while their perception of eating difficulty could vary based on their dental state at specific points in time.

From Waste to Consumption: Tomato Peel Flour in Hamburger Patty Production.

Tomato is a widely cultivated crop and its processing produces large quantities of wastes, such as pulp, seed, and peel. In recent years, the valorization of these wastes in the production of high-value-added food products has gained popularity in achieving environmental sustainability and zero waste. From this viewpoint, dried tomato peel (DTP-1%, 2%, 3%, 4%) flour was included in hamburger formulations. In patty samples, ash, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber amounts were increased due to the high fiber content of DTP flour, while moisture and fat percentages decreased with increasing amounts of DTP flour (p < 0.05). The inclusion of DTP flour retarded lipid oxidation during cooking (p < 0.05). The significantly highest cooking yield was calculated in samples including 4% DTP flour. In parallel, water-holding capacity, moisture, and fat retention values increased with increasing levels of DTP flour (p < 0.05). The enrichment of patties with DTP flour resulted in hard texture, less gumminess, and a darker, more reddish and yellowish color (p < 0.05). Hamburger samples containing 1% or 2% DTP flour were graded with closer scores in the sensory panel as compared to the control (0% DTP). Overall, our findings demonstrated that DTP flour up to 2% could be used to improve the nutritional and technological properties of patty samples.

Vitamin E Regulates the Collagen Contents in the Body Wall of Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) via Its Antioxidant Effects and the TGF-β/Smads Pathway.

A 70-day feeding experiment was performed to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin E at different addition levels (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) on the growth, collagen content, antioxidant capacity, and expressions of genes related to the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)/Sma- and Mad-related protein (SMAD) signaling pathway in sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus). The results showed that the A. japonicus in the group with 200 mg/kg vitamin E exhibited significantly higher growth rates, hydroxyproline (Hyp) and type III collagen contents, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, as well as the upregulation of genes related to Tenascin, SMAD1, and TGF-β. Additionally, the A. japonicus in the group with 100 mg/kg vitamin E exhibited significantly higher body-wall indexes, denser collagen arrangements, improved texture quality, higher activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and peroxidase (POD), as well as the upregulation of genes related to collagen type I alpha 2 chain (COL1A2), collagen type III alpha 1 chain (COL3A1), and Sp-Smad2/3 (SMAD2/3). In contrast, the A. japonicus in the group with 400 mg/kg vitamin E showed a decrease in the growth rates, reduced Hyp contents, increased type I collagen contents, collagen fiber aggregation and a harder texture, along with the downregulation of genes related to the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway. Furthermore, the A. japonicus in the group with 400 mg/kg exhibited oxidative stress, reflected by the lower activities of SOD, GSH-Px, and POD. These results indicated that A. japonicus fed diets with the addition of 100-200 mg/kg vitamin E had improved collagen retention and texture quality by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the expressions of genes in the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway. However, the excessive addition of vitamin E (400 mg/kg) induced oxidative stress, which could increase the collagen degradation and fibrosis and pose a threat to the growth and texture quality of A. japonicus.

Penataan Penjadwalan Preventive Maintenance Semua Mesin Milling Wheat Menggunakan Metode TPM (Total Productive Maintenance)

PT X is a factory that processes wheat into flour with roll mill as the main equipment. The wheat used is a blend of Indian wheat and Australian wheat. Indian wheat has a hard texture that can cause the roll grinding to become damaged or dull, increased working amperes,bearing jams, broken belts and motor overload which causes downtime. When a machine or component breaks down, the production process in the company will be disrupted and may come to a halt, so the target is not achieved and endangers to the company. To keep production machines and equipment working, maintenance processes are carried out properly and regularly. Additionally, the company can implement preventive maintenance steps to prevent and reduce machine downtime. Preventive maintenance is a planned maintenance strategy to prevent potential breakdowns. To reduce the high machine downtime, preventive maintenance is solution . The method chosen in this research is Total productive Maintenance. Based on research results, the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) values were 85.8% in January, 87.18% in May, 86.69% in June, 85.25% in November, and 85.51% in December. The OEE values that did not meet the standard occurred in February (81.92%), March (81.34%), April (84.73%), July (83.77%), August (79.03%), September (77.05%), and October (81.72%). The biggest factor that causing losses of overall equipment effectiveness is caused by the high value of the six big losses, particularly the reduced speed losses, which stand at 9%.

Physicochemical and organoleptic changes in goat’s milk cheddar cheese with the addition of Lactobacillus casei as a starter during ripening

Abstract The fermentation process using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in cheese manufacturing plays important roles to enhance the nutritional content of cheese. This study aims to observe the effect of the addition of Lactobacillus casei in goat’s milk cheese manufacturing. Changes in physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics were observed during cheese ripening. Cheese was made using 8% of L. casei as starter and its changes were observed for 8 weeks of ripening. The results showed that the acidification process in cheese by L. casei resulted in a yield value of 10.85%. The ripening period affects significant changes in physical and chemical indicators, except for pH. Observations during cheese ripening from the 4th to the 8th week indicate that pH tends to stabilize at pH 5, protein increases by approximately 16%, and the decrease in moisture and fat content was by 18% and 15%, respectively. The best quality of cheese was obtained by 8 weeks of ripening. After 8 weeks of ripening, the cheese was yellow in color, has a hard texture with cheesy aroma, sour taste, and contains approximately 1.8 × 106 CFU/ml of LAB. The study of LAB application in goat’s milk cheddar cheese will provide an innovation in cheese production.

What Are the Sensory Attributes Associated with Consumer Acceptance of Yellow Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus citrinopileatus)?

The oyster mushroom is cultivated globally, renowned for its unique texture and umami flavor, as well as its rich content of nutrients and functional ingredients. This study aims to identify the descriptive sensory characteristics, assess the consumer acceptability of new superior lines and cultivars of yellow oyster mushrooms, in addition to exploring the relationship between these descriptive characteristics and consumer acceptability. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares regression (PLSR). Twenty attributes were delineated, including three related to appearance/color (gray, yellow, and white), four associated with the smell/odor of fresh mushroom (oyster mushroom, woody, fishy, and seafood smells), three pertaining to the smell/odor of cooked mushrooms (mushroom, umami, and savory smells), four describing flavor/taste (sweet, salty, umami, and savory tastes), and five for texture/mouthfeel (chewy, smooth, hard, squishy, and slippery textures). Consumer acceptability tests involved 100 consumers who evaluated overall liking, appearance, overall taste, sweetness, texture, savory taste, MSG taste, smell, color, purchase intention, and recommendation. The general oyster mushroom (548 samples) scored highest in acceptability. Seven attributes, namely fresh mushroom smell, seafood smell (fresh), fishy smell (fresh), umami smell (cooked), nutty smell (cooked), salty taste, and MSG taste with the exception of appearance showed significant differences among samples (p < 0.001). The three yellow oyster mushroom samples were strongly associated with attributes like hardness, softness (texture), sweet taste (745 samples), MSG taste, salty taste, squishy texture, and fishy smell (483 and 629 samples). The development of sensory lexicons and increasing consumer acceptance of new superior lines and cultivars of yellow oyster mushroom will likely enhance sensory quality and expand the consumer market, aligning with consumer needs and preferences.

Profiling culinary properties of East African highland cooking bananas to enhance hybrid selection efficiency

In many tropical households, the East African Highland Cooking Bananas (EAHCB) referred to as “Matooke” in Uganda are a staple food. Despite its importance, the crop is faced with numerous challenges such as drought, soil fertility, pests, and diseases that threaten its production and productivity. To curb this, banana breeding was developed as one of the strategies to avert the depletion of these bananas through the development of not only pests and disease resistant cultivars but also drought tolerant and high yielding cultivars. The pressure to satisfy the growing global population is also mounting, hence the need to increase production for food security. Breeding has proven to be an approach by which food production is boosted through the development of high yielding and fast-growing varieties. Unfortunately, not so many cooking banana hybrids that have been developed and released are cultivated by farmers as most are rejected as a result of consumer perception of them. The hybrids sometimes possess culinary properties considered inferior. Consumer demands are pertinent in any product development. This review aimed to determine the key factors that influenced consumer perception and acceptability of improved cooking banana hybrids. The data sources used for this study were Google Scholar, PubMed, AgEcon, Sciencedirect.com, CABI Abstracts, and organizational websites (FAO, RTBFoods, and CGIAR). The keywords and search terms used were “East African Highland cooking bananas”, “consumer acceptability”, “sensory attributes”, “culinary properties,” “hybrid selection”, and “banana breeding”. This article presents a summary of banana production and its challenges, banana breeding and its successes, consumer perception, and acceptability of banana hybrids, and profiles the consumer traits responsible for the acceptance or rejection of new hybrids. Overall, the most important culinary properties for both preference and acceptance of new hybrids were the perceived deep yellow color of the cooked matooke, soft texture, smooth mouthfeel, “matooke” aroma, and non-astringent taste, all summed up as “tookeness”. Attributes for rejection included possession of mixed colors of the cooked matooke, absence of deep yellow color, lack of “matooke” aroma, hard placentas, and hard texture. Knowledge of product attributes that lead to the acceptance of new products is vital for breeders and this information could guide them during the development and selection of hybrids for release. Key words: Consumer acceptability, improved traits, new varieties, perception, quality, sensory attributes

Excision of prolapsed vaginal fibroma in a Golden Retriever dog

Vaginal fibromas are a type of neoplasm that is commonly found in dogs. This report describes a case involving a 13-year-old female Golden Retriever (intact) that presented with pain during urination and a visible mass protruding from the vagina. On physical examination, the dog was found to be in shock with vaginal pain. An oval-shaped, hard texture, white mass measuring 9.3 cm x 5.5 cm, covered with blood, was observed. Hematological analysis revealed leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, granulopenia, hyperchromic microcytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. The tumor mass was excised, and the vaginal wall was repositioned and sutured. Premedication included atropine sulfate and xylazine, and anesthesia was administered using ketamine and isoflurane. Postoperative care consisted of tolfenamic acid, vitamin K1, amoxicillin, meloxicam, and Sangobion® supplements. Histopathological examination using hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed fusiform fibroma cells. Seven days post-excision, the sutures were removed, and the vaginal condition returned to normal.

Effects of Konjac (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) Flour Addition and Drying Time on the Crude Fiber and Texture Level of Instant Yellow Rice

Instant yellow rice is a traditional breakfast dish prepared using special technology for quick and practical cooking and a longer shelf life. Since rice has low crude fiber content as the main ingredient, substitution with local sources, such as konjac flour, can be made. Konjac flour is the powdered root of konjac plant, and it contains high crude fiber. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the texture and crude fiber properties of instant yellow rice with the addition of konjac flour. Furthermore, a completely randomized design (CRD) was used with two factors, namely variations in konjac flour concentration (2%, 3%, and 4%) and variations in drying time (5 hours, 6 hours, and 7 hours). Each sample was analyzed for the physical (hardness, stickiness and chewiness texture) and chemical characteristics (crude fiber content). The results showed that the konjac flour concentration had a significant (p&lt;0.05) effect, while the drying time had no significant (p&lt;0.05) effect on the physical and chemical characteristics of instant yellow rice. Therefore, 5 hours of drying might be enough for the rice processing. The addition of 2% konjac flour on instant yellow rice dried for 5 hours showed 2.48±0.50 a N of hardness texture, 5.53±0.07 c N stickiness texture, 4.59±0.02 a N chewiness texture, and 5.20% of crude fiber. Addition of 3% konjac flour on instant yellow rice dried for 5 hours showed 5.74±0.08 b N of hardness texture, 4.73±0.17 b N stickiness texture, 4.37±0.05 a N chewiness texture, and 5.20% of crude fiber. The addition of 4% konjac flour on instant yellow rice dried for 5 hours showed 6.41±0,02 c N of hardness texture, 4.06±0.70 b N stickiness texture, 3.33±1.52 a N chewiness texture, and 5.35% crude fiber. This showed the best treatment was the use of instant yellow rice with 4% konjac flour addition at 5 hours drying time.

Design of easily swallowable xerogel pill with enough physical strength through hardening-process under heating and humidification

The xerogel pill has been developed as a novel dosage form with dose-adjusting and swallow-assisting functions by using drop freeze-drying (DFD) technique. It was double-structured small sphere composed of an inner drug core and an outer dried-gel layer, however, had problem of insufficient physical strength. In this study, it was attempted to use dextrin (DEX), one of oligosaccharides, to strengthen the xerogel pill. DEX was co-dissolved in the dropping fluid in the DFD process and co-loaded in the conventional pill, which was mainly composed of mannitol (MNT) as a filler, to prepare the rigid body. DEX-loaded pill could be successfully prepared with high recovery (>90 %) by optimizing the ratio of DEX and MNT. Further, the representative pills with and without DEX (P-DEX and P-MNT, respectively) were hardening-processed under humidification. The physical strength of P-DEX pill was significantly increased when humidified under severe condition, resulting in enough hardness (>5N) and friability (<1.0 %). Processed P-DEX was found to have dense structure covered with a thick outer shell, which would be formed by interparticle bridge of DEX. It was also found that processed P-DEX pill suppressed initial drug dissolution significantly and exhibited sustained dissolution behavior, suggesting the potential function of bitter taste masking. Processed P-DEX pill had excellent sliding behavior with low friction forces as a result of lubricant effect of xanthan gum (XG) surrounding the pills. Furthermore, the sliding test also suggested that processed P-DEX pill had hard candy-like texture, in contrast unprocessed P-DEX pill had orally disintegrating (OD) tablet-like texture. Various xerogel pills with such different swallowing texture would have a potential to accommodate the children’s preferences when taking medication.

Methylcellulose replacement with different enzymatically treated plant fibres as a binder in the production of plant-based meat patties

Texturised vegetable protein (TVP) is a sustainable and economical base for plant-based meat patties but requires binders to create an emulsified gel and hold the patty structure together. This study evaluated the physicochemical and sensory attributes of TVP patties incorporated with three different enzymatically-treated plant fibres i.e., pea (EPF), citrus (ECF) or apple (EAF) as a binder compared to positive control (methylcellulose, MC) and negative control (no binder, NC). All the patties with plant fibres had similar water-holding capacity compared to the MC. EAF exhibited the least fluid release and uniform surface, while ECF demonstrated the least cooking loss and shrinkage, uniform surface, hard texture, better cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness compared to other samples. All the plant fibre-incorporated patties scored similarly for taste, texture, juiciness and overall acceptability compared to the positive control. The agglomerative hierarchical clustering revealed that the EPF had similar characteristics to the MC but the principal component analysis indicated that citrus fibre was a superior binder to pea fibre, therefore it could be used to replace methylcellulose for plant-based meat patties. Future research should explore more variations in plant-based binders to optimise the performance and sensory attributes of different types of texturised vegetable protein-based meat analogues.

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Droppings as Sensitive Markers of Chicken Health Status.

The aim of this study was to analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of chicken droppings (n = 73), which were collected during different age periods and classified by visual inspection into normal (N) and abnormal (A). Significant differences were found in the texture, pH, dry matter (DM), fatty acids (FAs), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and volatile compounds (VCs) between the tested dropping groups (p ≤ 0.05). The age period of the chicken had a significant influence on the color coordinates, texture, pH, DM, and SCFA contents in N and A as well as on all FAs content in N (p ≤ 0.05). Droppings from the N group had a harder texture, lower values of a* and b* color coordinates, higher DM content, higher level of linoleic FA, and lower level of α-linolenic FA than the droppings from the A group in each age period (p ≤ 0.05). The predominant SCFA was acetic acid, the content of which was significantly lower in the N group compared to that of the A group. The alcohol and organic acid contents were the highest in most of the A group at different age periods, while ketones dominated in the N and A groups. In conclusion, the majority of the tested dropping characteristics were influenced by the age period. While certain characteristics demonstrate differences between N and A, a likely broader range of droppings is required to provide more distinct trends regarding the distribution of characteristics across different droppings.

A Novel Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Specifically Improving the Solubility and Antioxidant Activities of Edible Bird's Nest.

Edible bird's nest (EBN), a most highly priced and valuable foodstuff, contains high percentage of proteins and carbohydrates. However, proteins adhering to these carbohydrates make the EBN hard and tough, which need to be boiled as the bird's nest soup to make the Chinese cuisine. To overcome the hard and tough texture of EBN and improve the digestion degrees, the present study screened and identified a probiotic strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens YZW02 from 5-year stored EBN sample completely solubilizing EBN for the first time. The 24-h B. amyloliquefaciens fermented EBN contained 20.30-21.48mg/mL of the soluble protein contents with a recovery rate of 98-100%, DPPH radical scavenging rate of 84.76% and ABTS radical scavenging capacity of 41.05%. The mixed fermentation of B. amyloliquefaciens YZW02 and Bacillus natto BN1 were further applied to improve the low-MW peptide percentages and antioxidant activities. The mixed-fermentation of B. natto BN1 with 4-h cultured B. amyloliquefaciens YZW02 had the lowest percentage (82.23%) of >12-kDa proteins/peptides and highest percentages of 3-12kDa, 1-3kDa and 0.1-1kDa peptides of 8.6% ± 0.08, 7.57% ± 0.09, 1.77% ± 0.05 and 0.73% ± 0.05, with the highest DPPH, ABTS and •OH scavenging capacity of 90.23%, 46.45% and 49.12%, respectively. These findings would provide an efficient strategy for improving the solubility and antioxidant activities of EBNs.

Identification of Ultraviolet (UV) Levels in the Caramelization Process of Sale Pisang

Sale pisang is a typical Indonesian food made from dried bananas. Usually, this drying is done by drying directly in the sun. Drying bananas in the sun is not very effective because it takes a long time and is very dependent on weather conditions. After innovation was made by making a dryer, sale pisang was produced which had a hard texture and low moisture content that affected the caramelization process. Therefore, a dryer is needed that can replace the drying process under the sun. One of the contents of sunlight is ultraviolet light. Irradiation of ultraviolet light, especially UVC light, can help shrink the cell wall of bananas so that the evaporation of water during drying is small. This study aims to identify good UV levels for the caramelization process to produce the same sale pisang as drying under the sun using 5 different treatments, namely, without UV lighting, 15 minutes irradiation, 30 minutes irradiation, 1-hour irradiation, and 2 hours irradiation. Irradiation for 15 minutes produces a water content of 11%, irradiation for 30 minutes produces a water content of 12%, irradiation for 1 hour produces a water content of 18%, and Sale pisang with irradiation for 2 hours produces a water content of 20%. Based on the texture analysis produced by irradiation for 1 hour produces a texture that is almost the same as drying directly under the sun.

Effects of cellulose diameter on the formation and rheological properties of edible walnut oleogels structured by cellulose nanofiber

Oleogel of edible vegetable oils structured by cellulose nanofiber (CNF) via emulsion-templated method has attracted many interests due to its potential substitute of saturated or trans-fats in food industry. The gelation mechanism of liquid oil is dominated by different intermolecular non-covalent interactions, while the type and strength of these interactions are greatly influenced by the structure and properties of the gelator factors. Here, the effect of different CNF diameter ranges (5–10 nm, 10–20 nm and 20–60 nm) was investigated for CNF-based walnut oil oleogels, under the same fiber length and surface carboxyl content of CNFs. The results showed that CNFs with diameters of <20 nm exhibited better emulsification properties, and effectively restrained droplet size increasing and aggregation, compared to CNF with diameter of 20–60 nm. The resultant oleogels with smaller CNF diameter exhibited higher oil-binding capacity (OBC, ∼85%) and better thermal stability of the resultant oleogels. More compact structure and stronger mechanical strength of oleogels were achieved with CNF diameters of <20 nm, which was verified by stronger textural hardness of the oleogels (0.46 N), as well as higher storage modulus (up to 1.1 × 105 Pa) and apparent viscosity in rheological measurement. The enhanced OBC and structure strength of oleogels with smaller CNF diameter could be attributed to the enhanced hydrogen bonding interactions between CNF molecules and CNFs with oil molecules during oleogelation, as the rigorously fibrillation exposed more surface hydroxyl groups as accessible hydrogen bonding sites during CNF preparation. This study improved the understanding about gelling properties of CNFs with different fiber diameters and provided an empirical basis for the construction of CNF-based oleogels with tunable hydrogen bonding interactions.

Formulation and characterisation of low‐fat mozzarella cheese using basil seed mucilage: insights on microstructure and functional attributes

SummaryLow‐fat mozzarella cheese (LFMC) consumption is growing as consumers seek healthy substitutes. However, the rubbery texture and poor meltability of LFMC makes it less appealing to consumers. This study evaluated the effect of basil seed mucilage (BSM) as a fat replacer in LFMC (2% fat). A comprehensive analysis of physicochemical, texture, microstructure, and sensory attributes was conducted to evaluate LFMC. BSM was added in concentrations (1%, 2.5%, and 5% (v/v)) during the formulation of LFMC. LFMC samples showed a considerable reduction in fat content, while the LFMC sample with 2.5% BSM (BT2) exhibited improved stretchability and meltability. According to the microstructure analysis, the LFMC three‐dimensional network can be filled with 2.5% (v/v) BSM. The shear and puncture force test reported that adding 5% (v/v) BSM mucilage increased the texture hardness over time. From the results, it can be concluded that 2.5% (v/v) BSM was considered best for improving meltability and stretchability, while 1% BSM (v/v) in LFMC was acceptable for sensory panellists.

UTILIZATION OF HAZELNUT SKIN AND HAZELNUT FLOUR IN GLUTEN-FREE CAKES: CORRELATION OF BATTER RHEOLOGY WITH CAKE QUALITY

The effects of rice flour substitution with hazelnut skin (HS), hazelnut flour (HF), and HS-HF blend (1:1, w/w) at percentages of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% (w/w) on gluten-free cake batters were studied from a rheological standpoint. Replacement with 5% HS increased Power-Law consistency index (K), reduced specific gravity and resulted in the highest cake volume. Increasing levels of HS gradually increased specific gravity, water activity, and reduced tan, leading to cakes with lower volume, darker (lower L*) color, harder texture. HF addition increased tan (at &amp;gt;5%) and specific gravity, producing cakes with lower volume, but similar color and texture to those of control. HS-HF blend improved cake color and hardness compared to HS added alone. Strong correlations were found between G() slope and cake volume (r=0.9939 for added HS, r=-0.9408 for added HF), the exponent a and cake volume (r=0.9447 for added HS, r=-0.8668 for added HF).

Automated geological logging from FTIR reflectance spectra utilising geochemical and historical logging constraints

In iron ore exploration, mineral samples are obtained from a drill hole and their compositions logged as proportions of material types, which encapsulate mineralogical and textural attributes. This logging is used to inform the properties, i.e. mineralogical, grade, and handling, of the orebody during mining and processing. Logging has historically been recorded manually, and as such is subjective and time consuming.We have developed a system that uses objective datasets, namely Fourier Transform Infrared reflectance spectra, geochemical assays, and a priori geological constraints, within a machine learning system to objectively log these mineral samples. The system is trained on samples logged by expert geologists in a laboratory environment. The resultant objective logging optimally satisfies constraints including matching the theoretical chemistry (calculated from the logging) to the laboratory assays, and satisfying the sample’s known geological context.We present comparisons of the logged material type proportions recorded by expert geologists in a laboratory environment with the proportions produced by the objective logging system, and also against geologists’ field logging proportions of the same samples. These comparisons demonstrated that the objective logging system’s proportions closely matched the geochemically validated expert-logged proportions for important individual material types, and over larger mineralogical groupings, and groups of material types of different textural hardness. Additionally, the system outperformed field logging, relative to laboratory-based logging, according to r2 and RMSE metrics. These results demonstrate an improvement over geologists’ field logging, while removing the subjectivity inherent in the human logging process.