Deterioration Of Product Quality Research Articles

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF THE DRYING PROCESS OF WALNUTS IN A CONVECTIVE BUNKER DRYER

Walnuts are a high-calorie source of micro- and macronutrients, which makes them a valuable bio-concentrate for nutrition. However, to preserve their quality during storage and transportation, it is important to consider the botanical variety and growing conditions, as they affect resistance to oxidation. To ensure long-term storage and high quality of walnuts, it is necessary to improve drying methods that allow to reduce humidity to a safe level, minimize energy consumption and reduce the risks of spoilage and oxidative deterioration of product quality. The purpose of the study is to establish the functional dependencies of the process of drying walnuts and justify the optimal design, operating and technological parameters of the convective bunker dryer. An experimental sample of the CGK-4 «Tiras» walnut dryer was made to check the theoretical dependencies and justify the design and technological parameters of the dryer. Experimental studies were conducted on freshly picked walnuts of the Chandler variety with an initial moisture content of 22–28%. The effect of such factors as screw rotation frequency, air supply and drying duration on drying quality, energy consumption and productivity was studied. Modern methods of measuring humidity and energy consumption were used for the research, which made it possible to determine the average moisture of nuts, homogeneity of moisture, productivity of the dryer and efficiency of energy consumption. On the basis of the conducted studies, the functional dependence of the process of drying walnuts was determined, namely changes in the average moisture content of nuts wμ (%), homogeneity of moisture content of nuts in the hopper Θw (%) and specific energy consumption for the drying process Eq (MJ/kg) on the screw rotation frequency n (rpm), air supply Q (m3/h) and drying time t (h). These dependencies make it possible to justify the optimal parameters of the convective hopper dryer to ensure efficient and uniform drying: n = 30.6 rpm, Q = 1690.5 m3/h, t = 10.7 h. With these values wμ = 8%, Θw = 95% and Eq = 0.558 MJ/kg.

Novel insight into the cross-linking of typical wheat starch-based food components during freeze-drying: Starch, lipids, proteins and their ternary mixtures

Starch-based foods have a large consumer base worldwide. It is known that the quality of freeze-dried starch-based products is subject to deterioration during the production process. The present study was unprecedented carried out to examine the effects of freeze-drying on the cross-linking between components of gelatinized starch-based system. The results showed that the retrogradation of starch in the process of dehydration, the weakening of the binding capacity between the substrate and water of the freeze-dried product and the weakening of the interaction strength between the components of the product were the key mechanisms leading to the quality deterioration of the wheat starch-based conditioned food during the freeze-drying. The addition of lipid and protein can inhibit starch retrogradation during freeze-drying, and the inhibition effect of oil is better. However, the intervention of oil and fat will cause dehydrated starch to re-adsorb the melted oil/water mixture during the freeze-drying process, resulting in the deterioration of product quality. The intervention of protein will improve the binding ability of freeze-dried wheat starch-based product matrix to water. In the ternary system, the intervention of protein will weaken the inhibition effect of lipid on retrogradation of starch in the freeze-drying process. In addition, the lower drying temperature will lead to the decrease of the interaction strength between the components of ternary mixed system. Avoiding the melting of frozen materials during drying is the key control point to improve the quality of freeze-dried wheat starch-based products.

Research on the quality deterioration of ultrahigh temperature milk products during shelf life: core microorganisms and related characteristics

Commercial sterility does not guarantee the sustained stability of ultrahigh temperature (UHT) milk over 6 months shelf life. We explore the microbiota presented in normal (SZ) and quality deteriorated UHT milk (QY and WY) products from the same brand. Based on high-throughput sequencing research results, 11 phyla and 54 genera were identified as dominant microbiota. Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, and Acinetobacter as core functional microbiota significantly influenced the UHT milk quality properties. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate analyses were used to examine the quality characteristics, including 11 physicochemical parameters, 10 fatty acids, and 2 enzyme activities, in normal and quality deteriorated UHT milk. We found that the abundance of Pseudomonas increased in quality deteriorated milk (WY) and showed a significant positive correlation with heat-resistant protease content. Acinetobacter in quality deteriorated milk (QY) also considerably contributed to the content of heat-resistant lipase, which resulted in spoilage deterioration of UHT milk.

LIPID OXIDATION AND MICROBIAL LOAD OF SUYA (TSIRE) AS AFFECTED BY MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAF POWDER

Lipid oxidation is the primary process responsible for quality deterioration of meat and meat products during storage This study was carried out to evaluate lipid oxidation and microbial load of Suya (tsire) as affected by Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP). Semi membranous muscle from a mature bull excised from the thigh cut was used. It was sliced into thin sheets of 0.15-0.30mm thickness. Fresh green Moringa leaves were harvested, washed with distilled water and oven dried at 50°C for 48 hours to maintain its greenish colour and nutritive value. The leaves were ground and sieved with 0.2mm fine mesh to obtain the Moringa leaf powder. The study comprised of five treatments with ten replicates in a completely randomized design. Treatment one was the control (no MOLP) while treatments two, three, four and five were formulated with suya ingredient at 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10% inclusion levels of MOLP respectively. Product was analyzed for lipid oxidation and microbial load at days 0, 3, and 6 kept under refrigeration. The results showed that there were significant differences (P< 0.05) in lipid oxidation among treatments. On day 0, treatment one had the highest value of 0.13mgMalonaldehyde/kg while the least value of 0.09mgMalonaldehyde/kg was recorded in treatment five. The same trend of significance (P<0.05) was observed on day 3 and day 6. On day 0, microbial load was lower in treatment five while treatment one had the highest microbial count, this trend of significance (P<0.05) also was observed product on day 3 and day 6. The result of this study shows that the use of MOLP up to 10% reduced the rate of lipid oxidation and microbial load of suya (Tsire).

Deep reinforcement learning for maintenance optimization of multi-component production systems considering quality and production plan

In this article, the maintenance optimization of multi-component production systems is investigated by considering quality and production plan. On the one hand, the downtime determined by the production plan provides opportunities for reducing maintenance costs; on the other hand, the deterioration of product quality induced by poor health state leads to extra loss. The coupled relations between production plan, quality, and maintenance, as well as the dependence between multiple components, pose challenges for maintenance optimization. To overcome these challenges, a novel decision model and a deep reinforcement learning-based solving method are proposed. Specifically, in addition to the degradation states of all components, the remaining time of the current batch related to the production plan is also treated as the system state, and the quality loss related to the degradation states is added to the reward function. The deep Q-network algorithm is employed, solving the maintenance optimization problem that considers quality and production plan. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by a numerical experiment.

Effectiveness of digital traceability in long-term storage of semi-smoked sausages

Semi-smoked sausages are one of the most popular meat products in the world. However, during long-term storage, semi-smoked sausages can be subjected to various unfavorable factors that can lead to deterioration of their quality and safety. This study evaluates the effectiveness of digital traceability in long-term storage of semi-smoked sausages. The main areas of research include conducting experimental studies to evaluate the effectiveness of digital traceability. The scientific significance of the study reveals the effectiveness of using digital traceability to ensure the quality and safety of semi-smoked sausages during long-term storage. The practical significance of the study is that its results can be used to implement digital traceability in the production of semi-smoked sausages. The study utilized blockchain technology to track the storage parameters of semi-smoked sausages. As an experimental object, semismoked sausages with the addition of vegetable components were developed. The storage parameters of the sausages were tracked for 3 months. The results of the study showed that digital traceability provides reliable and transparent control over the condition of semi-smoked sausages at all storage stages. Digital traceability allows monitoring of the following sausage storage parameters: temperature, humidity, light, oxygen, carbon dioxide. These parameters are critical to ensure the quality and safety of semi-smoked sausages. Digital traceability enables real-time monitoring of these parameters, facilitating timely interventions to prevent the deterioration of product quality. In addition, digital traceability ensures transparency of the sausage storage process. Any interested person can get access to information about product storage parameters. This helps to increase consumer confidence in the safety of semi-smoked sausages. The results of the study can be used to implement digital traceability in the production of semi-smoked sausages. The introduction of digital traceability will improve the quality and safety of semi-smoked sausages, as well as increase consumer confidence in this product.

Root nutrition of plants: relevance, needs, problem solving

The article theoretically analyzes the nutrient needs of plants and the balanced supply of macro- and microelements for their proper growth and development. The basis of the research methodology is the systematic approach of assessing the periodicity of foliar feeding of plants with complex preparations of various compositions. It has been established that with foliar fertilization there is a part of nutrients after they enter the plant leaf. Smaller molecules or molecules with less positive charge are more easily transported in the vascular system, from where they move to other parts of the plant, including ammonium, potassium, and urea. On the other hand, larger molecules and ions with a large positive charge tend to stay fairly close to their point of entry because they stick to the negatively charged cell walls. They hold immobile nutrients quite tightly, including calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper. The importance of the combination of biotechnological and ecological aspects in the development and application of complex compounds for foliar fertilization is indicated. The use of compounds based on EDTA is potentially dangerous for agricultural products and the environment. In the long term, this leads to increased pollution of agricultural land, soil degradation, reduced yield, and deterioration of product quality. When applying complex foliar fertilizers, elements with a strong positive charge, such as calcium, do not move very actively in the plant. Accordingly, negatively charged elements, such as phosphorus, slowly enter the leaves of plants. Both elements are relatively stationary after entry. Additional studies have shown that different plant species differ significantly in their ability to absorb nutrients through their leaves. Differences in cuticle thickness, number of pores, and resistance, as well as genetic and environmental factors, all affect a species’ ability to assimilate nutrients applied to leaves.

Green and Sustainable Forward Osmosis Process for the Concentration of Apple Juice Using Sodium Lactate as Draw Solution.

China is the world's largest producer and exporter of concentrated apple juice (CAJ). However, traditional concentration methods such as vacuum evaporation (VE) and freeze concentration cause the loss of essential nutrients and heat-sensitive components with high energy consumption. A green and effective technique is thus desired for juice concentration to improve product quality and sustainability. In this study, a hybrid forward osmosis-membrane distillation (FO-MD) process was explored for the concentration of apple juice using sodium lactate (L-NaLa) as a renewable draw solute. As a result, commercial apple juice could be concentrated up to 65 °Brix by the FO process with an average flux of 2.5 L·m-2·h-1. Most of the nutritional and volatile compounds were well retained in this process, while a significant deterioration in product quality was observed in products obtained by VE concentration. It was also found that membrane fouling in the FO concentration process was reversible, and a periodical UP water flush could remove most of the contaminants on the membrane surface to achieve a flux restoration of more than 95%. In addition, the L-NaLa draw solution could be regenerated by a vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) process with an average flux of around 7.87 L∙m-2∙h-1 for multiple reuse, which further enhanced the long-term sustainability of the hybrid process.

Antifungal activity and mechanisms of ε-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) against Colletotrichum lagenarium in marrow squash

Fungal diseases are major adverse factors leading to quality deterioration and spoilage of post-harvest horticultural products. ε-PL is widely recognized as a natural antibacterial agent because of its broad spectrum antimicrobial property. This study was to investigate the antifungal activity of ε-PL against C. lagenarium, and elucidate the underlying mechanism involved. In vivo were also confirmed that ε-PL treatment showed an obvious inhibitory effect for control of anthracnose caused by C.lagenarium in marrow squash. Moreover, in vitro assay showed that ε-PL exerted strongly antifungal activity against mycelial growth on colony diameter, spore germination and mycelium dry weight of C.lagenarium, with the increase of the concentration of ε-PL. Furthermore, compared with the control, damage the cell membrane of C.lagenarium and increase MDA content, significant leakages of intercellular electrolytes, nucleic acid, protein and sugar, suggested that ε-PL treatment increased the membrane permeability of C. lagenarium. Simultaneously, ε-PL significantly inhibited the activity of enzyme related to energy metabolism in C.lagenarium. The results were observed by SEM and TEM that ε-PL treatment damaged the morphology of C.lagenarium. In conclusion, ε-PL concentration higher than 400 mg L−1 might be used as an antifungal agents to control anthracnose caused by C.lagenarium in marrow squash.

Perishable food supply chain contract with asymmetric freshness information

Food suppliers and retailers are grappling with challenging pricing and operational policies due to the deterioration of product quality over time. This problem is exacerbated by the food supplier’s intentions to provide false information about the freshness of the food. A principal-agent model optimisation for food retailer pricing is constructed to anticipate asymmetric freshness information from the food supplier. This study introduces novel modelling by incorporating a quality deterioration function with information asymmetry in case the food supplier attempts to conceal information about the freshness of the food. Retailers should charge non-discriminatory and low wholesale prices to encourage food suppliers to report their less fresh food. Overall, the supplier’s benefits are decreased when they decide not to share information regarding food freshness. However, the supplier remains profitable when the retailer believes in the less fresh food condition based on the contract design.

A dynamic condition-based maintenance policy for heterogeneous-wearing tools with considering product quality deterioration

The wear of a cutting tool can lead to tool failure and product quality deterioration, and thus timely maintenance of tools is crucial. Meanwhile, the wear of tools from a same population usually exhibits heterogeneous patterns. Therefore, this paper proposes a dynamic condition-based maintenance (CBM) policy for heterogeneous-wearing tools with considering the product quality deterioration caused by tool wear. The tool wear is modelled by an Inverse Gaussian (IG) process, and the wear rate is assumed to be a random variable to characterise the heterogeneity among tool wear processes. The posterior distribution of reciprocal of tool wear rate is dynamically estimated using the online wear data based on a Bayesian approach. Moreover, the impact of tool wear on product quality deterioration is modelled. The IG process is discretized into a discrete time Markov chain (DTMC). Under the frame of the DTMC, a cost function, containing product quality loss, preventive maintenance (PM) cost and corrective maintenance cost, is developed to determine the optimal PM threshold. The cost function updates dynamically with the dynamic estimation of tool wear rate and thus enables the optimal PM threshold to be dynamically revised. The effectiveness of the proposed CBM policy is demonstrated through a case study.

A comparison of different technologies to improve temperature control in refrigerated containers: A table grape export case

PurposeTable grapes are exported in refrigerated (reefer) containers owing to their temperature sensitivity. Previous studies have found that insufficient airflow around pallets of fruit cause hotspots in reefer containers, which could negatively affect fruit quality. This study compared the efficacy of two technologies fitted inside reefer containers to improve airflow for table grape shipments. MethodAmbient and pulp temperature sensors were inserted in two shipments of three containers each; each shipment had one container fitted with airflow Technology 1, one fitted with airflow Technology 2, and a control container. Sensors were placed in cartons in the top, middle and bottom layers of six pallets per container to obtain the ambient and pulp temperature profiles of table grapes along the export cold chain from the cold store in South Africa until the destination distribution centre in the Netherlands. Descriptive statistics and two-way ANOVA tests were used to analyse the datasets. FindingsThe largest number of temperature breaks and the longest temperature breaks were recorded in the control containers. Overall, the containers fitted with airflow technologies fared better than the control containers. The containers fitted with Technology 2 performed marginally better than those fitted with Technology 1. However, the sample size of this study was too small to draw definitive conclusions. Further research with larger sample sizes is required for more definitive results. OriginalityThis article identifies areas along the table grape export cold chain where temperature deviations occur more frequently and links the temperature deviations to product quality. It also ascertains which airflow technologies can help to limit the deterioration of product quality and cut financial losses.

Infrared radiation drying application in agriculture

World agricultural products, in general, are very diverse, and Vietnam is no exception. In the current trend, high quality agricultural products are increasingly receiving attention and modern methods are applied to improve their quality. Among many methods for improve quality, the infrared radiation drying method is evaluated to minimize drying time, reduce deterioration of agricultural product quality and limit environmental impact. Therefore, this article focuses on applying infrared radiation drying method to agricultural products composed of seafood. The article describes and compares the technical conditions when drying plants and animals using the infrared radiation drying method in combination with other drying methods.

Analysis of losses in the storage of pure oil products stored in agrocluster oil warehouses and devices for their disposal

In the article, a comprehensive analysis of the losses that occur during the storage of clear oil products is conducted, highlighting the significant economic implications associated with these losses. Various factors contributing to the deterioration of product quality and quantity are examined, including evaporation, oxidation, and leakage. The article offers detailed insights into innovative devices designed to mitigate these losses, presenting a thorough analysis of their effectiveness. Each device is evaluated, revealing its advantages, such as enhanced efficiency and improved safety features, while also considering potential drawbacks, including cost and maintenance requirements. Furthermore, the article introduces a new generation device specifically engineered to address the challenges associated with storing clear oil products. It delves into the structure and operational principles of this device, showcasing its potential to revolutionize storage practices within the industry and reduce overall losses, thereby optimizing resource utilization and enhancing profitability for stakeholders involved in oil product management.

Evaluation of the quality and stability of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables pre-treated by pulsed electric fields (PEF)

This study investigates the application of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology to improve the freeze-drying process, the final product quality and the stability of kiwi fruits, red bell peppers, and red beetroots. Freeze-drying is a fundamental drying technology that aims to maintain the natural attributes of food, but it often leads to challenges such as prolonged drying times and quality degradation. To further understand the implications of applying PEF before freeze-drying, the storage stability of the freeze-dried samples was investigated under both illuminated and dark conditions. PEF treatment was carried out at constant electric field strength of E = 1.0 kV/cm, and specific energy input was varied between 0.2 and 20.8 kJ/kg. This study revealed that PEF treatment significantly decreased the freeze-drying time (2-fold) exclusively for bell peppers. PEF treatment substantially improved volume retention and rehydration capacity for both kiwi fruits and bell peppers, indicating enhanced structural integrity. However, applying PEF had an overall adverse impact on the colour stability of the freeze-dried samples (ΔE > 3). The quality decline was mitigated storing the samples in dark conditions. The results of this study suggest that applying PEF before freeze-drying can represent a promising strategy to enhance the quality of freeze-dried products with improved drying kinetics, volume retention, and rehydration capacity. Careful consideration of storage conditions is essential to prevent the deterioration of product quality over time.

Filament extrusion state monitoring in fused filament fabrication using Bhattacharyya distance and K-nearest neighbor

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the most popular techniques of additive manufacturing. However, product quality issues still limit the further application of FFF technology. Filament extrusion state has a great influence on the quality of FFF fabricated products, since both under-extrusion and over-extrusion can lead to the deterioration of product quality. Therefore, monitoring the filament extrusion states is vital and essential. This paper aims to monitor the filament extrusion state by acoustic emission (AE). To achieve this goal, experiments are conducted on a desktop FFF machine, where the states of under-extrusion and over-extrusion are induced by different extrusion speeds. Original AE signals are collected during the experiments. Confronted with the challenge posed by the susceptibility of AE signals to noise during the complex extrusion process and different conditions, one calculates the statistical distribution of the features defined on the raw AE signals, without the need for noise reduction steps. The k-nearest neighbor algorithm is then adopted to identify the different extrusion states, where the Bhattacharyya distance is employed to measure the distances or similarities of the calculated distributions. The findings demonstrate the successful identification of various extrusion states induced by different extrusion speeds through the presented method. The outcomes of this study pave the way for the development of an affordable in-situ FFF monitoring system with comprehensive capabilities.

Effect of coating with combined chitosan and gallic acid on shelf-life stability of Jeju black cattle beef.

Beef of Jeju black cattle (JBC) is considered as a healthy meat type due to its significantly higher unsaturated fatty acids (UFA). Lipid (e.g., UFA) is highly susceptible to oxidizing agents, which results in the quality deterioration and economic value loss of meat products. Therefore, development and application of novel preservative techniques is necessary to improve the shelf-life stability of high-UFA beef. The objective of this study was to assess the applicability of chitosan-based coatings in preservation of JBC beef. Different coating solutions: 2% chitosan alone, and 2% chitosan containing 0.1% or 0.3% gallic acid were prepared to investigate their applicability in preservation of fresh beef during storage. Jeju black cattle beef (2-cm thick steaks) were non-coated (control) or coated with the above coating solutions, placed on trays, over-wrapped with plastic film and stored at 4°C. The microbiological indices, color, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and lipid oxidation of the beef were investigated after 1, 10, and 21 days of storage. Coating with 2% chitosan alone reduced the spoilage bacteria count, TVBN and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels in the beef compared with control during storage (p<0.05). Noticeably, coating with 2% chitosan containing 0.1% or 0.3% gallic acid was more effective on retardation of spoilage bacteria growth, lipid oxidation and discoloration in the beef compared to the chitosan coating alone over the storage period (21 days) (p<0.05). Taken together, the combined chitosan and gallic acid coating could be used as a bio-preservative technique in the meat industry.

Evaluation of Platelet Storage Lesion (PSL) Markers in SSP+ Platelet Additive Solution Added Canine Platelet Concentrates (CPC)

Background: To evaluate the Platelet Storage Lesion (PSL) markers and extended storage time for SSP+ added Canine Platelet Concentrates (CPC) beyond five days at 22°C.Fresh Canine CPCundergo certain metabolic and morphologic changes during storage. Estimation of PSL markers helps us better understand quality of the canine PC and to estimate the efficacy of SSP+ in increasing the life span of stored CPC. Method:CPC was prepared from 350 ml of whole blood, collected from 6 apparently healthy donor dogs by buffy coat methodin a quadruple bag closed system. CPC was divided into four aliquots of 15 ml each with one control and three test groups with SSP+ additive solution in different concentrations (65%, 75%, 85%). TheIn vitro PSL markers including swirling, pH, glucose, lactate, bicarbonate, pO2, pCO2, platelet concentration, MPV and PDWwere evaluated on day 1, 5, 9 and 13 of storage. Result:The results were analysed by Two-way ANOVA wherein swirling, pH, glucose, lactate, bicarbonate, pO2, pCO2, platelet concentration, MPV showed significant difference (p less than 0.01) between the groups. Interaction between the additive concentrations and the days of storage revealed a pH on day 9 for 65% SSP+ to be similar to day 5 for Plasma stored CPC while swirling, lactate and bicarbonate were also better maintained for 65% SSP+ PAS added CPC till day 9.Addition of 65% SSP+ PAS to CPC evidenced increased shelf life up to 9 days at 22°C under agitation without significant deterioration in product quality.

Recent advances in the effects of protein oxidation on aquatic products quality: mechanism and regulation

SummaryAquatic products are delicious and rich in high‐quality proteins, and thus have high‐food value and are popular among consumers; however, deterioration of their quality can easily occur when being stored and processed. Proteins, the main components of the muscle tissue of aquatic products, are closely related to the quality of aquatic products, and protein oxidation has become a research hotspot for studying the regulatory mechanisms of aquatic product quality changes. Protein oxidation is one of the main causes of quality deterioration of aquatic products, mainly because of protein cross‐linking and protein degradation caused by oxidation. Related studies have also shown that the changes in the electrostatic charge of proteins owing to oxidation are associated with the muscle water‐holding capacity (WHC). This article introduces the induction mechanism of protein oxidation in aquatic products, focusing on its effects on the quality, such as colour, texture, WHC and summarises the current research progress of aquatic products quality control on this basis to provide theoretical reference for future research.

Modification of low-salt myofibrillar protein using combined ultrasound pre-treatment and konjac glucomannan for improving gelling properties: Intermolecular interaction and filling effect

The quality deterioration of low-salt meat products has been gained ongoing focus of researchers. In this study, konjac glucomannan (KGM) was used to alleviate the finiteness of ultrasound treatment on the quality improvement of low-salt myofibrillar protein (MP), and the modification sequence was also investigated. The results revealed that the single and double sequential modification by utilizing KGM and ultrasound significantly influenced the gelation behavior of low-salt MPs. The uniform MP-KGM mixture formed by a single ultrasound treatment had limited protein unfolding, resulting in relatively weak intermolecular forces in the composite gel. Importantly, ultrasound pre-treatment combined with KGM modification promoted the unfolding and moderate thermal aggregation of proteins and remarkably improved the rheological behaviors and gel strength of the composite gel. This result could also be corroborated by the highest percentage of trans-gauche-trans conformation of SS bridges and maximum β-sheet proportion. Furthermore, molecular dynamic simulation and molecular docking elucidated that the hydrogen bond length between protein and KGM was shortened after ultrasound pre-treatment, which was the molecular basis for the enhanced intermolecular interactions. Therefore, ultrasound pre-treatment combined with KGM can effectively improve the gelling properties of low-salt MPs, providing a practical method for the processing of low-salt meat products.