Bread Staling: Updating the View.

Staling of bread is cause of significant product waste in the world. We reviewed the literature of the last 10 y with the aim to give an up-to-date overview on processing/storage parameters, antistaling ingredients, sourdough technology, and measurement methods of the staling phenomenon. Many researchers have been focusing their interest on the selection of ingredients able to retard staling, mainly hydrocolloids, waxy wheat flours (WWF), and enzymes, but different efforts have been made to understand the molecular basis of bread staling with the help of various measurement methods. Results obtained confirm the central role of amylopectin retrogradation and water redistribution within the different polymers in determining bread staling, but highlighted also the importance of other flour constituents, such as proteins and nonstarch polysaccharides. Data obtained with thermal, spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, and colorimetry analysis have pointed out the need to encourage the use of one or more of these techniques in order to better understand the mechanisms of staling. Results so far obtained have provided new insight on bread staling, but the phenomenon has not been fully elucidated so far.

Changes during storage of quality parameters and in vitro antioxidant activity of extra virgin monovarietal oils obtained with two extraction technologies.

Extraction technology has a great effect on quality of olive oils. This paper studied 18 months of storage of two Sardinian extra virgin monovarietal oils obtained with a traditional and with a low oxidative stress technology. Oil samples were subjected to the following chemical analyses: acidity, peroxide value, ultraviolet light absorption K232 and K270, carotenoids, chlorophylls, tocopherols and total polyphenols. The antioxidant capacity of oils, polyphenol extract and oil extract (remaining after polyphenol extraction) was also determined as radical scavenging activity. The results show that both extraction technologies resulted in minor changes in legal and quality indices during storage, due surely to the high quality of the oils as well as to the very good storage conditions used. Oils obtained with the low oxidative stress technology showed lower peroxide value and acidity and resulted in up to 103% higher total polyphenol content as well as increased radical-scavenging activity, with respect to oils obtained with the traditional technology.

Quality changes of fresh filled pasta during storage: influence of modified atmosphere packaging on microbial growth and sensory properties.

This study evaluated the shelf life of fresh pasta filled with cheese subjected to modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) or air packaging (AP). After a pasteurization treatment, fresh pasta was packaged under a 50/50 N(2)/CO(2) ratio or in air (air batch). Changes in microbial growth, in-package gas composition, chemical-physical parameters and sensory attributes were monitored for 42 days at 4 (°)C. The pasteurization treatment resulted in suitable microbiological reduction. MAP allowed a mold-free shelf life of the fresh filled pasta of 42 days, whereas air-packaged samples got spoilt between 7 and 14 days. The hurdle approach used (MAP and low storage temperature) prevented the growth of pathogens and alterative microorganisms. MAP samples maintained a high microbiological standard throughout the storage period. The panel judged MAP fresh pasta above the acceptability threshold throughout the shelf life.

Postharvest decay reduction of fig fruit (Ficus carica) by hot water sodium carbonate solutions dip.

Treatments as hot water dips or high temperature conditioning have been proven to be effective to control postharvest decay on various horticultural crops. These treatments reduce chilling injury and rot losses without causing detrimental effects on fruit firmness, flavour, taste or peel appearance. These technologies, aimed to control postharvest pathogens, can be easily matched with the use of "Generally Recognized as Safe" (G.R.A.S.) compounds and employed alternatively to pesticides, known to be harmful to health and environment. In this respect we studied the combined effect of sodium carbonate (SC) and hot water on the storability of black fig fruit cultivar 'Niedda Longa' of Sardinian germplasm. Second crop fig fruit, harvested in the middle of September, was dipped for one minute in water solutions containing 0, 0.05, 0.5, and 1% (w/v) of SC at 25 or 60 degrees C and then stored at 5 degrees C and 90% relative humidity (RH) for two weeks. After one and two weeks of storage decay, weight loss were monitored and visual assessment was scored. Treatments with hot solutions were more effective in controlling decay compared to cold ones and the best results were achieved with 0.5% of SC at 60 degrees C. This combination reduced the decay rate from 26% (control) to 0% after 1 week and from 50% to 14% after two weeks of storage, respectively. Lower or higher SC concentrations applied at 60 degrees C were less effective and, after two weeks of storage, decay percentages were 38 and 43.6%, respectively. Water dip at 60 degrees C did not affect the weight loss as compared to dips at 25 degrees C either after one or two weeks of storage. At the same time, a significant reduction was found only with 1% of SC at 25 degrees C. The fruit treated with 0.5% of SC at 60 degrees C also had the best visual assessment up to two weeks of storage.

Characterization of the geographical origin of Pecorino Sardo cheese by casein stable isotope ((13)c/(12)c and (15)n/(14)n) ratios and free amino acid ratios.

The stable isotope ratios ((13)C/(12)C and (15)N/(14)N) of casein measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and some free amino acid ratios (His/Pro, Ile/Pro, Met/Pro, and Thr/Pro) determined by HPLC in samples of ewes' milk cheese from Sardinia, Sicily, and Apulia were found to be parameters independent of ripening time. Multivariate data treatments performed by applying both unsupervised (principal component analysis and cluster analysis) and supervised [linear discriminant analysis (LDA)] methods revealed good discrimination possibilities for the cheeses according to place of origin. In this respect, particularly significant were the variables Ile/Pro, Thr/Pro, (13)C/(12)C, and (15) N/(14)N ratios on which basis 100% discrimination and classification of the samples by LDA was obtained.