Modern Food Processing Research Articles

Manufacturing processes, additional nutritional value and versatile food applications of fresh microalgae Spirulina.

Spirulina is capable of using light energy and fixing carbon dioxide to synthesize a spectrum of organic substances, including proteins, polysaccharides, and unsaturated fatty acids, making it one of the most coveted food resources for humanity. Conventionally, Spirulina products are formulated into algal powder tablets or capsules. However, the processing and preparation of these products, involving screw pump feeding, extrusion, high-speed automation, and high-temperature dewatering, often result in the rupture of cell filaments, cell fragmentation, and the unfortunate loss of vital nutrients. In contrast, fresh Spirulina, cultivated within a closed photobioreactor and transformed into an edible delight through harvesting, washing, filtering, and sterilizing, presents a refreshing taste and odor. It is gradually earning acceptance as a novel health food among the general public. This review delves into the manufacturing processes of fresh Spirulina, analyzes its nutritional advantages over conventional algal powder, and ultimately prospects the avenues for fresh Spirulina's application in modern food processing. The aim is to provide valuable references for the research and development of new microalgal products and to propel the food applications of microalgae forward.

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on textural properties and sensory attributes of cooked faba beans

Drying process extends the shelf-life of fresh faba beans and makes them available all year round. Dried and cooked faba beans are used to make a variety of traditional food products. Ultrasonic pretreatment, as a modern food processing technology, can shorten the drying time of fresh legumes and improve the quality and sensory properties of products. So, the present study aimed to analyze the impact of the ultrasonic treatment process (0, 5, 10, and 15 min, 40 kHz, and 150 W) on the mass transfer rate, drying time, and effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) of fresh faba beans. Also, the effect of ultrasonic treatment on textural properties and sensory attributes of cooked faba beans was studied. By using the ultrasonic process, the rate of water extraction from fresh faba beans, and thus their dehydration rate, can be increased. With increasing the duration of ultrasonic pretreatment from 0 to 15 min, the drying time of fresh faba beans decreased from 250 min to 150 min (p < 0.05). The Deff was calculated by Fick’s second law, and it significantly increased from 0.70 × 10−9 m2 s−1 to 1.05 × 10−9 m2 s−1 when the sonication duration was extended from 0 to 15 min (p < 0.05). The Page model best fitted the drying kinetic of fresh faba beans with a coefficient of determination (r) > 0.9968, and the sum of squared error (SSE) and root mean squared error (RMSE) were also closer to zero compared to other models. The rehydration ratio of dried faba beans (after cooking) significantly increased from 308.4 % to 327.1 % with the extension of processing time from 0 to 15 min (p < 0.05). The maximum and minimum crust hardness and texture firmness values were for the untreated and sonicated samples for 15 min, respectively. The sonication increased the sensory acceptance of the cooked faba beans and the highest appearance, odor, texture, flavor, and overall acceptance were for the 10 min sonicated faba beans.

Chronic Toxic Effects of Chocolate Brown HT Dye on Hepatorenal Functions In Vivo

Background: Synthetic colors are prevalent in modern food processing, with Chocolate Brown HT (E155) being widely used to meet the demand for chocolate colors. This study examined the long-term health effects of E155 on both male and female subjects. Methods: Six treatment groups received E155 in low to high dosages (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight) for 40 weeks, while control groups consumed a normal diet. After the feeding period, biochemical and histological evaluations were conducted alongside regular physical observations. Results: The female high-dose (FHD) group exhibited the most significant decrease in body weight. Body Mass Index (BMI) dropped notably in females at moderate (FMD) and high doses (FHD). Serum levels of cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides increased dose-dependently, with males being more susceptible. Elevated SGPT and SGOT levels indicated liver function impairment due to E155. Both genders showed centrilobular necrosis and fibrosis at high doses, with immune cell invasion even at low doses. Serum creatinine levels, especially in males, were significantly elevated. Females experienced severe injuries, including arteriolar hyalinosis at low doses and IgA nephropathy in the FHD group. Conclusion: The findings underscore serious public health concerns regarding the long-term intake of E155, which can cause significant hepatic and renal damage, particularly in females. This highlights the need for regulatory review and potential restrictions on the use of E155 in food products.

Editorial: Underutilized Ingredients in Innovative Food Formulations

ABSTRACT The rapid change in eating habits and consumer demands for healthy food are the driving motives for food industries to formulate new food products. Innovative food formulations are either very expensive or based on targeted customers. Low glycemic foods, fiber enriched products, plant-based meat formulations, and functional foods are predominating the in-food innovations. However, to attain sustainability and promote zero food waste, it is extremely important to explore food byproducts and underutilized food sources. Among food byproducts, peels, seeds, pomace have great potential and can be used for the extraction of bioactive and functional components for subsequent incorporation in innovative food formulations. Similarly, millets are excellent sources of quality proteins and sweet potatoes are rich sources of bioactive carbohydrates, proteins, carotenoids, and minerals. Innovative formulations are not only based on innovative ingredients but also innovative or modern food processing can contribute toward better food products in terms of functional, nutritional, and quality attributes.

Progress in Multisensory Synergistic Salt Reduction.

Excessive salt intake, primarily from sodium chloride prevalent in modern food processing, poses a significant public health risk associated with hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Researchers worldwide are exploring approaches to reduce salt consumption without compromising food flavor. One promising method is to enhance salty taste perception using multisensory synergies, leveraging gustatory, olfactory, auditory, visual, tactile and trigeminal senses to decrease salt intake while preserving food taste. This review provides a comprehensive overview of salt usage in foods, mechanisms of salty taste perception and evaluation methods for saltiness. Various strategies for reducing salt consumption while maintaining food flavor are examined, with existing salt reduction methods' advantages and limitations being critically analyzed. A particular emphasis is placed on exploring the mechanisms and potential of multisensory synergy in salt reduction. Taste interactions, olfactory cues, auditory stimulation, visual appearance and tactile sensations in enhancing saltiness perception are discussed, offering insights into developing nutritious, appealing low-sodium foods. Furthermore, challenges in current research are highlighted, and future directions for effective salt reduction strategies to promote public health are proposed. This review aims to establish a scientific foundation for creating healthier, flavorful low-sodium food options that meet consumer preferences and wellness needs.

Revolutionizing Food Processing: A Comprehensive Review of Microwave Applications

The review explores the extensive applications of microwaves, covering the non-ionizing radiation spectrum from 300 MHz to 300 GHz. It emphasizes the growing role of microwaves in modern food technology, delving into their evolution, principles, advantages, and drawbacks, the analysis delves into the unique dynamics of microwave heating, considering factors like frequency, permittivity, and thermal properties. Microwaves offer benefits such as fast and even cooking, nutrient preservation, and improved thermodynamic output, the use of radiation in sterilization, drying, pasteurization, and blanching, showcasing their efficiency in achieving product sterility while minimizing nutrient damage. Microwaves are important for modern food processing to meet dietary needs.

Study of active food processing technology using computer vision and AI in coffee roasting.

In the modern food processing industry, which is more complex than in the past, it is important to utilize real-time computer vision for active food processing technology using artificial intelligence. An integrated solution of computer vision and Deep Learning (DL) technology provides quality control and optimization of food processing in complex environments with obstacles. In this study, Coffee Bean Classification Model (CBCM) made by Machine Learning (ML) showed excellent performance, accurately distinguishing coffee beans through the avoidance of obstacles and empty spaces inside a rotating roasting machine. CBCM achieved a maximum validation accuracy of 98.44% and a minimum validation loss of 5.40% after the fifth epoch. Using a test dataset of 137 samples, CBCM achieved an accuracy of 99.27% and a loss of 2.82%. The developed solution using the CBCM was able to quantify the color change of the coffee beans during roasting.

The Study of an Adaptive Bread Maker Using Machine Learning.

Bread is one of the most consumed foods in the world, and modern food processing technologies using artificial intelligence are crucial in providing quality control and optimization of food products. An integrated solution of sensor data and machine learning technology was determined to be appropriate for identifying real-time changing environmental variables and various influences in the baking process. In this study, the Baking Process Prediction Model (BPPM) created by data-based machine learning showed excellent performance in monitoring and analyzing real-time sensor and vision data in the baking process to predict the baking stages by itself. It also has the advantage of improving the quality of bread. The volumes of bread made using BPPM were 127.54 ± 2.54, 413.49 ± 2.59, 679.96 ± 1.90, 875.79 ± 2.46, and 1260.70 ± 3.13, respectively, which were relatively larger than those made with fixed baking time (p < 0.05). The developed system is evaluated to have great potential to improve precision and efficiency in the food production and processing industry. This study is expected to lay the foundation for the future development of artificial intelligence and the food industry.

Willingness to Pay for Centralized Modern Locust Bean Processing Equipment in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study investigated the propensity to pay for modern apparatus processing locust beans in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Utilizing primary data and a multistage sampling strategy, 240 processors were chosen for the study. The collected data were analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics and an inferential statistical instrument, such as Logit and ordinary least square regression analysis. About 72 percent of processors were married and had an average of eight years of experience processing locust legumes. The majority of respondents belonged to a cooperative group (66.7%) and had no access to credit (100%). The average monthly income from processing was N18,000. The majority of respondents (65%) were unwilling to pay for the service of centralized, advanced or contemporary processing equipment. According to the results of the Logit regression analysis, the variables that significantly influence willingness to pay for the service of centralized modern locust bean processing equipment were household income and processing experience (1%), level of education and age (5%), and household size (10%). The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) analysis reveals that household size and education level were significant at the 1% level, while age and marital status were significant at the 5% level and processing experience was significant at the 1% level. The study suggests that processors ready to pay should form a formidable cooperative to secure grants or loans to establish a centralized, contemporary locust processing cottage. The government should educate processors on modern food processing and safety at all levels.

Effects of various emulsifiers on physicochemical and sensory attributes of cake during storage

Emulsifiers are important functional additives in modern food processing, which can emulsify and stabilize emulsions and perform many diverse functions in food product development. Typically numerous emulsifiers are used in baking industries to improve the quality of baked products. The objective of this study was to prepare a cake with three types of emulsifiers such as an ester of monoglyceride, glycerol monostearate and disodium phosphate and investigate the effects of emulsifiers on physicochemical properties, colour and sensory attributes of cake during the storage period. Cakes prepared with emulsifiers had lower specific gravity and higher dough yield than those prepared without emulsifiers. The protein, fat and ash contents of the cakes were dependent on emulsifier types throughout the storage period. L* values were decreased whereas a*, b* and firmness were increased for all samples after 30 days of storage. Control samples were not acceptable after 15 days of storage. There was no statistically significant difference in overall acceptability among all cakes prepared with emulsifiers. Therefore, the results showed that good quality cake could be made with the ester of monoglyceride, glycerol monostearate and disodium phosphate and quality could be maintained for up to 30 days without any nutritional changes.

Digital twins in food processing: A conceptual approach to developing multi-layer digital models

The modern food processing industry faces complex and multi-faceted decisions from the day a new food product/process is formulated to its commercial-scale production. Key challenges that must be considered during the lifecycle include shifting consumer behaviour, circular production goals, food safety and sensory quality demands. Reviewing the state-of-art in digitalization of food processing shows that modelling, sensors and big data analytic methods are available to address these needs individually. In this work, we propose a multi-scale digital model concept to support complex decisions that must be made through the product lifecycle, unlocking the full benefit of the digitalization drive. The proposed multi-scale concept consists of 5 separate modelling layers that captures both consumer behaviour (at sensory scale and consumer sales scale) and production plant behaviour (at phenomena, unit operation, and plant level) which is then connected to make a single multi-scale model. Two conceptual case studies of cream cheese fermentation and meat freezing are used to describe the information flow between the layers. Technical challenges related to acquisition and curation of data at multiple scales and the models economic value proposition are also discussed.

Towards reconciling population nutrition goals and investment policy in Thailand: understanding how investment policy actors defined, framed and prioritised nutrition

BackgroundGovernment’s investment policy is an important driver of food system activities, which in turn influence consumers practices, dietary consumption patterns and nutrition-related health of populations. While governments globally have committed to developing coherent public policies to advance population nutrition, the objectives of investment policies are seen as being divorced from nutrition and health goals. This study aimed to examine investment policy in Thailand and explore how key actors variously define and frame their objectives in food investment policy, how nutrition issues are represented by the actors, and what discursive effects of the nutrition results were represented within the field of investment in Thailand.MethodsThis study conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 actors (from 23 recruited actors) from government, civil society, academia and industry. A coding framework was developed based on Bacchi’s analytical framework encapsulated in the question “What’s the problem represented to be?” which examines the problem and assumptions underlying a policy. Data coding was first undertaken by a lead researcher and then double-coded and cross-checked by research team. Disagreements were resolved with discussion until consensus was achieved. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe principal “problem” represented in food investment policy in Thailand was the perceived irrelevance of nutrition to governmental commitments towards increasing productivity and economic growth. Technological innovation in food production and processing such as ultra-processed foods was perceived as a key driver of economic growth. The key assumption underlying this representation was the primacy of a “productivist” policy paradigm, via which the government focuses on industrially driven food and agriculture and expansion to increase productivity and economic growth. This entails that the nutrition needs of Thai people are silenced and remain unacknowledged in investment policy contexts, and also does not take cognisance of the term “nutrition” and its importance to economic growth.ConclusionThe findings show that nutrition was not perceived as a political priority for the government and other investment actors. Promoting productivity and economic growth were clearly positioned as the primary purposes of investment within the dominant discourse. Nutrition regulation, particularly of UPF, may conflict with current investment policy directions which prioritise development of modern food production and processing. The study suggests that comprehensive policy communication about nutrition and food classification is needed.

A novel method of shrimp blanching by CO2 heat pump: Quality, energy, and economy analysis

To reduce the energy consumption of the shrimp blanching process and improve the economic value of the blanched product, a transcritical CO2 heat pump blanching system (THPB system) was designed in this paper. The trends of astaxanthin were investigated at atmospheric pressure near boiling temperature, combined with the color and structural properties of shrimp samples, and the optimal blanching times of 270 s and 240 s were obtained at 90°C and 95°C, respectively. In contrast to the fuel blanching system (FB system) at 100°C, the annual standard coal consumption of the THPB system with 90°C blanching is decreased by 79%, and the annual operating cost can be saved by CNY 63,800, with a payback period of about 3.13 years. Industrial relevanceBlanching is one of the effective ways to prolong the shelf life of shrimp. However, the research on the blanching time and temperature of shrimp is not comprehensive. In addition, the traditional fuel blanching process has high energy consumption and pollution, and can no longer meet the quality requirements of the modern food processing industry. Heat pump has been shown to have better performance in food drying, but it is less used in blanching. The information presented in this study may provide other insights into food processing.

Beneficial features of pediococcus: from starter cultures and inhibitory activities to probiotic benefits.

Pediococci are lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which have been used for centuries in the production of traditional fermented foods. There fermentative abilities were explored by the modern food processing industry in use of pediococci as starter cultures, enabling the production of fermented foods with distinct characteristics. Furthermore, some pediococci strains can produce bacteriocins and other antimicrobial metabolites (AMM), such as pediocins, which are increasingly being explored as bio-preservatives in various food matrices. Due to their versatility and inhibitory spectrum, pediococci bacteriocins and AMM are being extensively researched not only in the food industry, but also in veterinary and human medicine. Some of the pediococci were evaluated as potential probiotics with different beneficial areas of application associated with human and other animals' health. The main taxonomic characteristics of pediococci species are presented here, as well as and their potential roles and applications as starter cultures, as bio-preservatives and as probiotic candidates.

Sodium in processed meats produced by local butcheries in Tshwane, South Africa

The common use of sodium in different compositions, is as a preservative, for colouring, curing, flavouring and as a binding agent in processed meats, it is also used for improved shelf life and distinct palatability. Even with modern food processing methods, sodium is still essential in manufacturing of meat derivatives. Continuous consumption of high sodium diets is associated with adverse chronic health effects, such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, stroke, cancers, among others, which have been on the rise. As a result, there has been a global drive by organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) to advise member states to reduce dietary sodium levels in various foods, including processed meats. Consequently, South Africa promulgated the first sodium reduction regulations in Africa by 2013, intended to reduce sodium in certain foodstuffs, including processed meat products. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the level of sodium in processed meats produced by local butcheries in the City of Tshwane (CoT), Gauteng, South Africa and (2) to compare the amount of sodium in processed meats, determined using the two South African legislated methods, namely Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). A cross-sectional approach with qualitative and experimental dimensions approach was followed. Processed meat production records obtained from randomly selected butcheries in CoT (122) revealed that the top six commonly produced processed meats were boerewors (90.2 %), braaiwors (87.7 %), biltong (86.9 %), drywors (62.3 %), viennas (45.9 %) and burger patties (43.5 %). Subsequently, sampling (n=396) of the top six products from 66 randomly selected butcheries was done. The findings of the study revealed that processed meats analysed using ICP-AES and FAAS contained mean sodium levels of 1449 mg/100 g and 649 mg/100 g, respectively (p&lt;0.0001), which were higher than the South African legal sodium limits. The concentration of sodium of products determined using ICP-AES (64.7 - 9201 mg/100 g) was significantly (p&lt;0.0001) higher than in the same products analysed using FAAS (35.4 - 2351 mg/100 g). From the findings of this study, sodium reduction requires a concerted effort in enforcing the South African mandatory sodium limits in local butcheries in processed meats. The results of legislated sodium test methods must be comparable to ensure equal level of compliance. Key words: meat products, sodium reduction, processed food, processed meat, sodium limits

Effect Of NESEM™/s2013 In Indian Population Undergoing Conventional Treatment For The Malignancies Of The Head &amp; Neck, Git, Ovary, Breast And Lung As An Adjunct

Effect Of NESEM™/s2013 In Indian Population Undergoing Conventional Treatment For The Malignancies Of The Head &amp; Neck, Git, Ovary, Breast And Lung As An Adjunct

The Effect of Processing Methods on Food Quality and Human Health: Latest Advances and Prospects

This Special Issue is focused on the use of modern food processing technologies to retain the highest possible content of health-promoting compounds in raw foods [...]

Sustainable eating behavior

With the growing impact of agriculture and modern food processing on the natural environment and growing concerns about all aspects of their sustainability, urgent solutions are required to promote healthy, low-impact diets. Sustainable diets are those with low environmental impact and high availability that ensure food and nutritional security. A comprehensive overview of different approaches to the analysis of sustainable eating behavior is provided. It is argued that preserving the environment is critical, including in designing programs to improve health, address inequalities in affordability, food access and availability in food system models. However, dietary advice and food policy should not be based solely on the environmental aspect of sustainability and should be carefully formulated. Economy, culture and other sociological factors should be taken into account in appropriate policies when planning ways to provide adequate nutrition to the population. It is emphasized that building sustainable food systems that support healthy communities requires a multidimensional, interdisciplinary approach. A sustainable healthy diet is based on improving the energy balance and changing the diet towards a predominantly plant-based diet, which is in line with the data on healthy eating. Updating national guidelines to reflect the latest data on healthy diets may in itself be important for improving health and reducing environmental impact, and may not only clearly define but expand the criteria for sustainability. Key principles of environmental sustainability and well-being are applied in shaping a national sustainable food strategy and are directly related to food production and consumption. To implement an integrated health and environment modeling framework, it is necessary to take different approaches to sustainable nutrition, motivating environmental, food security and public health goals. To develop a methodology for assessing indicators of sustainable nutrition, it is important to simultaneously take into account all aspects: nutritional value of products, indicators of environmental impact, availability of products, climatic, geographic and national characteristics. This methodology will allow to make competent decisions in the field of food production and consumption, will help to minimize the negative impact on the natural environment through sustainable eating behavior.

Effects of ultrasound and blanching pretreatments on mass transfer and qualities of hot‐air drying of perilla ( Perilla frutescens L.) leaves

The work investigated the influences of blanching (B) and ultrasonic-assisted blanching (UB) as pretreatment on mass transfer, drying kinetics, color, contents of nutrient, and aroma compounds of hot-air-dried perilla leaves. The samples were pretreated at two temperatures (70℃ and 80℃) and two durations of pretreatment (1 min and 3 min). Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to distinguish sample characteristics of different pretreatments. The results showed that the condition of UB pretreatment had a higher drying rate compared to B pretreatment. The effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) of pretreatment for UB is higher than B. The UB pretreatment method yielded the lower ΔE value and higher preserved content of chlorophyll, flavonoid, and rosemary acid at the pretreatment temperature of 70℃. Moreover, GC-MS results showed a lower perilla ketone relative content under the same conditions. According to the results, the quality of the dried perilla leaves after performing low-temperature UB pretreatment (70℃) was improved relatively. Practical applications Perilla leaves are rich in antioxidant substances and have extensive culinary usage given their characteristic aroma and flavor. Convective drying is known to have some adverse effects on agricultural products. However, Ultrasonic pretreatment, as a modern food processing technology, can shorten the drying time and preserve the color, aroma, and nutrient content of food. The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of dried perilla leaves with B and UB pretreatments, and to compare the differences in drying characteristics, color, nutrient content, and aroma compounds by different pretreatments. The pretreatment and dehydration parameters should be considered with respect to further utilization of dried perilla leaves. Nonetheless, sonication is worth to be taken into account due to the significant effects of energy expenditures, inhibiting browning of perilla leaves without damaging the quality of final product.

Advances in insects for food and feed

This Special Issue presents the outcomes from the 23rd African Association of Insect Scientists' Conference held in Cote D’Ivoire, in connection with similar initiatives within and outside Africa. Over 65 scientific papers from several countries, worldwide, were submitted, of which about 40 were accepted and published. The issue focused on new advances in the value chain of edible insects in Africa and beyond. An innovative light-emitting diode technology for mass harvesting of edible grasshopper has been developed. The nutrient composition of insects such as the desert locust has been evaluated. Organic waste streams have been found to affect insect productivity and nutritional value. Insect-based feed increases the nutritional quality of poultry meat. Conventional processing methods reduce microbiological hazards in edible insects. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals, excessive microbial loads and pesticides residues threaten safety of some edible insects, if quality control measures are not developed. Climate change will impede availability of edible insects; hence, necessitating upscaling of mass production technologies and sound conservation practices. Safety and hygiene, on the other hand, hamper the acceptability of insects as food and/or feed, particularly in developed countries. Food fortification with insects and isolation of bioactive compounds from them are new highlights in the Special Issue, which were previously under-explored in Africa. The application of modern food processing technology in the development of new products and the medicinal or commercial value derivable from edible insects and their therapeutic functions are excellent opportunities for expanding the sector. Since disgust factors exist, mass sensitisation on the benefits of consuming insects and insect-based products is a must. We believe that the new frontiers on insects for food, feed and other uses that have been presented in this special issue will undoubtedly stimulate more debates and collaborations in the sector within Africa and beyond.