Quality Characteristics Of Foods Research Articles

Determination of in vitro digestibility and some quality characteristics of fermented sucuk foods produced for dogs

The aim of current study was to determine in vitro digestibility, some microbiological properties and shelf life of fermented sucuk foods consisting mixture of animal and vegetable natural foods produced for dogs. Grain-inclusive and grain-free (GF) formulations were prepared. Grain-inclusive group was subgrouped as cooked (CG) and uncooked grain (UCG). In vitro digestibility, nutrient composition, pH and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values of 3 groups of sucuk foods were determined at 0, 1, 3, and 6 months after production. Microbiological characteristics (Aerobic colony number, E. coli, coagulase positive Staphylococcus, coliform bacteria, yeast mold, Salmonella spp.) and lactic acid levels of sucuks were determined at the end of 1, 3, and 6-months of storage (+4°C). There were differences in nutrient compositions of groups and storage times within groups (P<0.05). All sucuk foods were negative for E. coli and Salmonella spp. Count of aerobic colonies were 5.8x107, 3.0x107 and 3.1x109 CFU/g in CG, UCG and GF, respectively. Total yeast-mold counts were between 5.5x103-9.6x104 CFU/g. The highest pH drop (5.38 to 4.25) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (92.02%) were determined in CG sucuk (P<0.05). TBARS value of UCG group was the highest at the end of the 6-months storage (P<0.05). Lactic acid levels were not different between storage times and groups (P>0.05). As a result, healthy and highly digestible sucuk foods were obtained for dogs, which contain sufficient and balanced nutrients and have a long shelf life.

Effect of Stinging Nettle Leaf Flour Substitution on the Quality Characteristics of Fermented Corn Complementary Foods

Proper complementary feeding is required to provide essential nutrients to growing infants. However, most families in developing countries are severely food insecure, leading to constant child malnutrition. This study developed fermented corn complementary foods (pap) supplemented with abundantly available and affordable stinging nettles. Stinging nettle leaf flour was incorporated into pap at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% and evaluated in relation to nutritional, functional, and sensory properties. Soybeans were used to compare the nutritional and health benefits of nettles in infant nutrition. A gradual incorporation of nettle leaf flour increased (p<0.05) the ash, protein, and dietary fibre content of pap from 0.72%, 3.48% and 2.87% to 9.46%, 18.98% and 4.56% respectively. Likewise, nettle-enriched pap contained higher carotenoids (4.99mg/100g), vitamin C (48.76mg/100g), calcium (176.49mg/100g), phosphorus (35.21mg/100g), potassium (210.54mg/100g), and iron (284.55mg/100g) than soybean-enriched pap: 0.96, 4.40, 50.99, 29.29, 204.78 and 64.02mg/100g respectively. While total phenolic content and antioxidant activity index increased (p<0.05) with increasing addition of nettle leaf flour from 1.23mgGAE/g and 0.15 to 125.45mgGAE/g and 2.01 respectively, the metabolic glycaemic response decreased (p<0.05) from 68.53% to 35.60%. In addition, all functional qualities were within acceptable limits for complementary feeding. Nursing mothers rated the overall acceptability between 7.14 (5% nettle-enriched pap) and 6.23 (20% nettle-enriched pap), and 12 of these 20 mothers accepted to feed their babies with stinging nettle leaf flour. Our findings indicated that stinging nettle leaves are nutritionally important for improving low-cost complementary feeding and thus could contribute to the combat of infant malnutrition in rural communities.

Quality characteristics of functional snack foods prepared from hazelnut shell and teff flour

Quality characteristics of functional snack foods prepared from hazelnut shell and teff flour

Evaluation of Biodegradable Gelatin and Gelatin–Rice Starch Coatings to Fresh Cut Zucchini Slices

Biodegradable packaging minimizes negative environmental impacts of synthetic materials and maintains product quality. Fresh cut vegetables and fruits such as zucchini were sensitive to degradation, which could be delayed by edible coatings. Mixtures of gelatin and other biopolymers were commonly used in novel food packaging preserving quality characteristics of foods. In this study, for first time, gelatin and a gelatin mixture with rice starch were applied to zucchini slices during 7 days of storage at 5 °C in order to evaluate weight loss, firmness, breaking force and color. Gelatin coating as a treatment type demonstrated superior ability to preserve the quality of sliced zucchini fruit and contributed to the maintenance of their texture characteristics similar to values of the control group. The addition of rice starch to the gelatin coating also maintained firmness and breaking force, but accelerated the increase of weight loss and decreased lightness compared to control samples. In conclusion, this study on coatings of gelatin and a gelatin–rice starch mixture enriches the knowledge within the food industry on biodegradable coatings, and gives useful information for zucchini slice storage at a low temperature.

Physicochemical Parameters of Raw Pet Food and Dehydrated Pet Treats Developed from Beef Processing Co-Products.

Simple SummaryPet food and treat industries are rapidly growing and are important consumers of protein co-products from the human meat processing industry. Unfortunately, there are some co-products such as liver that can be difficult to handle due to the fact it liquifies when ground. This research attempts to address this issue through the use of protein structure forming food technology (hydrocolloids). These technologies may help produce pet foods and treats with higher acceptability, while allow for upcycling of highly nutritious protein co-products. Additions of one such technology (sodium alginate and encapsulated calcium lactate) demonstrated that inclusions of liver could be increased when used in raw pet foods and dehydrated pet treats without negatively impacting chemical attributes that may adversely impact consumer acceptance.Pet humanization and premiumization of pet foods have led to significant changes in the co-product market, as pet food companies are looking for more profitable protein sources for their products. Co-products such as beef liver (BL) and beef heart (BH) can be combined to generate restructured pet foods rich in vitamins and nutrients. Sodium alginate and encapsulated calcium lactate (ALGIN) can improve the acceptability of meat pieces by transforming them into a singular shape. The objective of this experiment was to assess the physiochemical parameters of co-products for utilization in raw pet foods and restructured pet treats generated from BL and BH by using ALGIN as a structure-forming agent. Results demonstrated increased cooking loss as ALGIN inclusion decreased, but cooking loss decreased as BL proportions increased (p = 0.0056). Expressible moisture of raw pet food decreased as ALGIN inclusion increased, but more moisture was released from treats when BL proportions increased (p < 0.0001). Increasing ALGIN and BH led to increased water activity of cooked treats (p < 0.0001). Thus, we suggest that BL and BH combinations with ALGIN inclusion produces a viable platform for higher inclusions of co-products in pet treats. Additionally, these ingredients improved the finished product quality characteristics of raw pet foods.

Examining the Prevalence, Nutritional Quality and Marketing of Foods with Voluntary Nutrient Additions in the Canadian Food Supply.

Foods with voluntary nutritional additions are a fast-growing sector of the global food industry. In Canada, while the addition of nutrients to foods has been regulated through fortification regulations, parallel policies which aim to encourage product innovation have also allowed for the voluntary addition of nutrients and other novel ingredients to ‘supplemented’ and ‘functional’ foods. Concerns have been raised that the consumption of these products may have negative repercussions on population health, such as high nutrient intakes inappropriate for certain population subgroups (e.g., children) and the shifting of dietary patterns to include more unhealthy foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, nutritional quality, and marketing characteristics of foods with added nutrients in the Canadian market. We found many nutritionally-enhanced foods contained high levels of nutrients beyond recommended intakes, despite these nutrients having no evidence of inadequacy in the Canadian population. Additionally, a large proportion of foods with added nutrients had poor nutrient profiles (were deemed ‘less healthy’ than their non-enhanced counterparts) and carried heavy marketing on their labels, regardless of their nutritional quality. Taken together these findings raise concerns about foods with voluntary nutrient additions and suggest the need to further investigate consumer attitudes and decision-making towards these foods.

Quality Characteristics of Domestic Commercial Senior-friendly Foods

Quality Characteristics of Domestic Commercial Senior-friendly Foods

The Quality Characteristics of Foods by Applying Liquid Immersion Freezing Technology

The Quality Characteristics of Foods by Applying Liquid Immersion Freezing Technology

Quality Characteristics of Inner Beauty Foods (Mook) Prepared with Mixture of Mulberry Leaf and Fruit Powder

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop an inner beauty food (Mook) using the synergistic effect between physiologically active substances contained in mulberry leaf and fruits. 2% (w/w) of each, the mulberry leaves and fruit powders were used. Methods: The color, mechanical properties, textural characteristics, mineral content, and the physiological activity of the Mook were measured. Results: The lightness (L*) was lowest in ML1MF1 group compared with the control group. The redness (a*) was highest in ML0MF2 and the yellowness (b*) was highest in ML2MF0 group, both compare with the control group. The textural characteristics of the Mook indicated that hardness, gumminess, and chewiness were highest in ML0MF2. The analysis of general composition of Mook showed that crude lipid was the most abundant in ML0.5MF1.5, third the most abundant in ML1MF1, the least abundant in ML2MF0. The crude protein was the most abundant in ML0MF2, second the most abundant in ML1MF1, and the least abundant in ML1.5MF0.5. Calcium, potassium, and magnesium concentrations were the highest in ML0.5MF1.5, the second highest in ML1MF1, and ML0MF2 had the lowest concentrations. As a result of analyzing the physiologically active substance in Mook, GABA, 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) content was the highest in ML2MF0, MLMF1 was third and ML0MF2 had the least. The content of anthocyanin and cyanidin-3- glucoside (C3G) was the highest in ML0MF2, third highest in ML1MF1, and the least in ML2MF0. Conclusion: ML1MF1 had the second most abundant concentrations of crude protein, calcium, potassium and magnesium and had the third most abundant concentrations of crude fat and the physiologically active substances GABA, 1-DNJ, anthocyanin, and C3G. Therefore, the synergistic effect of the physiologically active substance contained in the mulberry leaf and fruit was found to be optimal when the mulberry leaf and fruit were mixed in equal parts. This is expected to be favorable for use as various health functional foods and inner beauty foods in the future.

Process Optimization for Minimizing Residual Free Fatty Acid Levels in Fried Mustard Oil: Isotherm and Kinetics Studies

AbstractAdsorbents have been used as filtration aids for the effective regeneration of repeatedly used frying oils. In this study, mustard oil used in the continuous frying of potato chips was treated with bentonite at different concentration levels. Response surface methodologies with central composite rotatable design was employed to optimize the influence of process parameters (contact time, heating time and adsorbent concentration) on residual free fatty acid (FFA) levels. The optimized values of contact time, heating time and adsorbent concentration were found as 10 h, 10 h and 0.4 g/L, respectively, for keeping the residual FFA levels below the allowable limit. Kinetics studies revealed that adsorption of FFA follow pseudo second order with good agreement between calculated and experimental data. The Langmuir adsorption is appropriate for correlation of equilibrium data. Treatment of fried mustard oil with bentonite may improve the quality characteristics of fried foods and extend the frying life of oil.Practical ApplicationsDeep fat frying is a complex thermal process producing fried foods with distinct color, flavor and texture. The overuse of oil in deep fat frying results in the formation of several compounds which are harmful to human health. So the repeated use of oil should be prevented in order to overcome these issues. In the present work, we investigated the use of bentonite to reduce the FFA levels in the deep fat fried mustard oil. The effect of heating time, contact time and adsorbent concentration on the adsorption process has been optimized with the application of response surface methodology. By this treatment the health aspects of used frying oils may be improved and the disposal levels of fried mustard oil may be reduced.

Effects of Fertilizer and Organic Amendments on Metabolite Profiles in Radish, Komatsuna, and Mizuna

Mechanisms underlying the effects of organic amendments on the metabolites in vegetable crop plants remain unclear for the most part. Organic fertilizers are believed to help produce “high quality” vegetables; however, the relationships between organic amendment and vegetable quality are not understood. We took a metabolite profiling approach that comprehensively analyzed both the major and minor constituents of plants. Manure amendments consistently affected the metabolite composition of various vegetable organs in field experiments. Moreover, it was shown that both manure and organic fertilizer amendment caused clear metabolic changes in pot experiments using mizuna (Brassica rapa L. var. Nipponsinica). It is suggested that the amendment of organic matter does indeed influence metabolite composition in vegetables. Further research is needed on the mechanisms responsible for changes in metabolites and on the factors affecting the quality characteristics of foods.

Use of ultrasounds in the food industry–Methods and effects on quality, safety, and organoleptic characteristics of foods: A review

ABSTRACTThe use of ultrasounds has recently gained significant interest in the food industry mainly due to the new trends of consumers toward functional foods. Offering several advantages, this form of energy can be applied for the improvement of qualitative characteristics of high-quality foods as well as for assuring safety of a vast variety of foodstuffs, and at the same time minimizing any negative effects of the sensory characteristics of foods. Furthermore, the non-destructive nature of this technology offers several opportunities for the compositional analysis of foods. However, further research is required for the improvement of related techniques and the reduction of application costs in order to render this technology efficient for industrial use. This review paper covers the main applications of ultrasounds as well as several advantages of the use of the technology in combination with conventional techniques. The effects of ultrasounds on the characteristics, microbial safety, and quality of several foods are also detailed

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of high hydrostatic pressure and conventionally treated ginseng (Panax ginseng) products

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is an attractive method for food preservation due to resulting improvements in the quality characteristics of foods, in addition to microbial inactivation. This study aimed at improving the nutraceutical potential of red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). HHP treatment of 600 MPa for 1 min at room temperature in conjunction with conventional steaming and drying processes during red ginseng manufacture significantly (P<0.05) increased the total phenolic compounds (from 1.13 to 1.37 mg maltol equivalent/g of red ginseng), particularly maltol (4.38 to 12.61 mg/100 g of red ginseng). Comparison of HHP-red ginseng with conventional red ginseng and white ginseng showed that HHP-red ginseng had a stronger ability to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl, and nitric oxide radicals. The ferrous ion chelating and superoxide dismutase activities of HHP-red ginseng were also improved. HHP-red ginseng exhibited a stronger inhibition of rat liver microsomal lipid peroxidation than normal red ginseng. The application of HHP in red ginseng processing is a promising technique to enhance availability of phenolic compounds and nutraceutical characteristics.

Instrumental Methods (Spectroscopy, Electronic Nose, and Tongue) As Tools To Predict Taste and Aroma in Beverages: Advantages and Limitations

The human senses have always been used to assess food quality. Although the senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch are used daily in all aspects of our lives, their analytical applications to evaluate food properties are relatively recent. The sensory systems of Homo sapiens are the product of millions of years of evolution where natural selection has resulted in our capacity to detect a wide range of compounds present in the environment, advantageous to our survival, allowing hedonistic evaluation of the environment. Existing analytical methods used to measure wine and alcoholic beverages composition and quality are not adequate for the demands of production in a global market due to their high cost and slow turnaround time. In the last 20 years increasing interest on the use of rapid screening techniques or instrumental methods to determine quality characteristics of foods and beverages has been of great interest to the food industry.

MICROFLUIDIZATION OF FULL‐FAT ICE CREAM MIXES: EFFECTS OF GUM STABILIZER CHOICE ON PHYSICAL AND SENSORY CHANGES

ABSTRACTIn this study, we examined the changes in ice cream induced by microfluidization at 220–250 MPa of their respective mixes. Two full‐fat ice cream mixes were formulated with either xanthan or locust bean gum (LBG) and either frozen into ice cream using a batch freezer or microfluidized and then frozen. The resultant products were subjected to modified texture profile analysis, meltdown testing, and sensory testing for difference and preference. Increases in hardness and adhesiveness were observed between treatment groups in both formulations, as well as an increase in gumminess in the LBG formulation. No difference was observed in meltdown rate between any of the treatment/formulation combinations. Sensory difference tests showed that panelists could distinguish differences between ice creams prepared from low‐ or high‐pressure treated mix. Acceptability tests indicated that consumers preferred the firmness and creaminess of ice cream made from microfluidized mixes with LBG.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSDynamic high‐pressure processing technologies like microfluidization, can effect marked changes in the quality characteristics of liquid foods, but limited work has been done to fully understand its effects in complex systems. This study shows that ice cream made from microfluidized mixes also expresses changes, that the formulation of the ice cream affects the degree and type of those changes and that in certain cases, the changes effected are desirable to the consumer. This knowledge contributes to a better understanding of the technology, how it interacts differently with different ingredients and provides an insight into potential commercial uses.

Effect of freezing rate in textural and rheological characteristics of frozen cooked organic pasta

The ready-meals market has grown significantly in developed countries over the past decade. In particular, organic pasta entirely formulated with organic ingredients and marketed as ready-to-eat meals, is an excellent choice of processed organic food. Of the available preservation technologies, freezing has been recognized as an excellent method of preserving the quality characteristics of foods. The aim of this work was to study the influence of two freezing conditions (air blast and cryogenic) on the quality of cooked organic pasta, in particular organic tagliatelle. Textural characteristics (textural profile analysis) and rheological measurements (relaxation and dynamic oscillatory tests) were performed in fresh cooked and frozen cooked pasta. The experimental results confirm that freezing produces structural damage in both frozen cooked organic pasta, the elasticity, the firmness and the water holding capacity being the more affected parameters. Textural analysis demonstrated that freezing rate was directly correlated to their derived parameters. A sensory analysis confirmed that instrumental results are detected by consumers.

The measurement of food texture

According to the Oxford Dictionary, texture is defined as ‘the constitution, structure or substance of anything with regard to its constituents or formative elments’ in the extended use of the word, its primary use relating to the character of textile fabrics. This description has been used to describe the quality characteristics of foods for nearly a century but it is only in recent years that any serious attempt has been made to relate the subjective appraisal of texture with instrumental measurement