Quality Chemistry, Physiological Functions, and Health Benefits of Organic Acids from Tea (Camellia sinensis).

Organic acids account for around 3% of the dry matter in tea leaves, and their composition and contents vary in different types of tea. They participate in the metabolism of tea plants, regulate nutrient absorption and growth, and contribute to the aroma and taste quality of tea. Compared with other secondary metabolites in tea, the researches on organic acids are still limited. This article reviewed the research progresses of organic acids in tea, including analysis methods, the root secretion and physiological function, the composition of organic acids in tea leaves and related influencing factors, the contribution of organic acids to sensory quality, and the health benefits, such as antioxidation, promotion of digestion and absorption, acceleration of gastrointestinal transit, and regulation of intestinal flora. It is hoped to provide references for related research on organic acids from tea.

Untargeted Metabolomics Combined with Sensory Analysis to Evaluate the Chemical Changes in Coppa Piacentina PDO during Different Ripening Times.

Ripening time is known to drive the chemical and sensory profiles of dry meat products, thus potentially affecting the final quality of the product. Starting from these background conditions, the aim of this work was to shed light, for the first time, on the chemical modifications of a typical Italian PDO meat product-namely, Coppa Piacentina-during ripening, to find correlations between its sensory quality and the biomarker compounds related to the progress of ripening. The ripening time (from 60 to 240 days) was found to deeply modify the chemical composition of this typical meat product, providing potential biomarkers of both oxidative reactions and sensory attributes. The chemical analyses revealed that there is typically a significant decrease in the moisture content during ripening, likely due to increased dehydration. In addition, the fatty acid profile showed that the distribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids significantly (p < 0.05) decreased during ripening, because of their high susceptibility to oxidation and conversion to intermediate and secondary molecules. An untargeted metabolomics approach, coupled with unsupervised and supervised multivariate statistics, highlighted a significant impact (prediction scores > 1) of lipid oxidation during ripening time, with some metabolites (such as γ -glutamyl-peptides, hydroperoxy-fatty acids, and glutathione) being particularly discriminant in predicting the changes observed. The discriminant metabolites were coherent with the progressive increase of peroxide values determined during the entire ripening period. Finally, the sensory analysis outlined that the highest degree of ripening provided greater color intensity of the lean part, slice firmness, and chewing consistency, with glutathione and γ-glutamyl-glutamic acid establishing the highest number of significant correlations with the sensory attributes evaluated. Taken together, this work highlights the importance and validity of untargeted metabolomics coupled with sensory analysis to investigate the comprehensive chemical and sensory changes to dry meat during ripening.

An Analysis of Changes in the Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties during the Storage of Smoked and Mould Salamis Made in Poland.

The aim of the study was to analyse changes in the physicochemical, rheological, and textural properties occurring during the storage of industrially produced smoked salami and mould salami. Tests on these cold cuts were conducted on the 2nd, 15th, 30th, and 45th days of storage. There was a significant increase in the pH value of the mould salami from 5.16 on the 2nd day to 5.42 on the 45th day (p < 0.05). There was a downward trend in the Aw of the smoked salami sample from 0.892 on the 2nd day to 0.873 on the 45th day. The Aw in the mould salami sample decreased from 0.889 on the 2nd day to 0.847 on the 15th day and then increased to 0.871 on the 45th day (p < 0.05). In the first two test periods, the smoked salami was characterised by a higher modulus of elasticity value than the non-smoked salami but lower loss tangent and dynamic viscosity values. The hardness of the whole bars, as well as the hardness of the salami pieces, was affected by their storage time and the related water content. The texture test results showed that the smoked salami was more resistant to compressive force than the mould salami, which affected the sensory evaluation and ease of slicing of this type of salami.

Grape-Derived Polysaccharide Extracts Rich in Rhamnogalacturonans-II as Potential Modulators of White Wine Flavor Compounds.

Many authors have investigated the role of mannoproteins on wine quality, but very few have analyzed the use of grape-derived polysaccharides as they are not commercially available. In this study, purified grape-derived polysaccharides from red wine (WPP) and winemaking by-products (DWRP: Distilled Washing Residues Polysaccharides) were used as potential fining agents to modulate white wine flavor. Phenolics and volatile compounds were analyzed in the control and wines treated with WPP, DWRP, and commercial mannoproteins (CMs) after one and twelve months of bottling, and a sensory analysis was conducted. WPP and DWRP, rich in rhamnogalacturonans-II, showed themselves to be good modulators of wine aroma and astringency. Improvement in wine aroma was related to an increase in all volatile families expect higher alcohols and volatile acids. The modulation of astringency and bitterness was related to a reduction in the proanthocyanidin content and its mean degree of polymerization. Extracts with polysaccharides with higher protein contents presented a higher retention of volatile compounds, and DWRP extract had more positive effects on the overall aroma. Our novel results present the possibility of obtaining valuable polysaccharides from distilled washing residues of wine pomaces, which could promote its valorization as a by-product. This is the first time the potential use of this by-product has been described.

A systemic review on Liubao tea: A time-honored dark tea with distinctive raw materials, process techniques, chemical profiles, and biological activities.

Liubao tea (LBT) is a unique microbial-fermented tea that boasts a long consumption history spanning 1500 years. Through a specific post-fermentation process, LBT crafted from local tea cultivars in Liubao town Guangxi acquires four distinct traits, namely, vibrant redness, thickness, aging aroma, and purity. The intricate transformations that occur during post-fermentation involve oxidation, degradation, methylation, glycosylation, and so forth, laying the substance foundation for the distinctive sensory traits. Additionally, LBT contains multitudinous bioactive compounds, such as ellagic acid, catechins, polysaccharides, and theabrownins, which contributes to the diverse modulation abilities on oxidative stress, metabolic syndromes, organic damage, and microbiota flora. However, research on LBT is currently scattered, and there is an urgent need for a systematical recapitulation of the manufacturing process, the dominant microorganisms during fermentation, the dynamic chemical alterations, the sensory traits, and the underlying health benefits. In this review, current research progresses on the peculiar tea varieties, the traditional and modern process technologies, the substance basis of sensory traits, and the latent bioactivities of LBT were comprehensively summarized. Furthermore, the present challenges and deficiencies that hinder the development of LBT, and the possible orientations and future perspectives were thoroughly discussed. By far, the productivity and quality of LBT remain restricted due to the reliance on labor and experience, as well as the incomplete understanding of the intricate interactions and underlying mechanisms involved in processing, organoleptic quality, and bioactivities. Consequently, further research is urgently warranted to address these gaps.

Utilization of plant extracts to control the safety and quality of fried foods-A review.

Frying is one of the most common methods of preparing foods. However, it may lead to the formation of potentially hazardous substances, such as acrylamide, heterocyclic amines, trans fatty acids, advanced glycation end products, hydroxymethyl furfural and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and adversely alter the desirable sensory attributes of foods, thereby reducing the safety and quality of fried foods. Currently, the formation of toxic substances is usually reduced by pretreatment of the raw materials, optimization of process parameters, and the use of coatings. However, many of these strategies are not highly effective at inhibiting the formation of these undesirable reaction products. Plant extracts can be used for this purpose because of their abundance, safety, and beneficial functional attributes. In this article, we focus on the potential of using plant extracts to inhibit the formation of hazardous substances, so as to improve the safety of fried food. In addition, we also summarized the effects of plant extracts, which inhibit the production of hazardous substances, on food sensory aspects (flavor, color, texture, and taste). Finally, we highlight areas where further research is required.

Foodservice: Serafico Institute Experience.

BACKGROUND: Foodservice has an important role in health care: it is an indispensable tool for the prevention and treatment of diseases related to an impaired state of nutrition. The foodservice must reach an optimal level for nutritional and sensory quality, fundamental aspects for preparations aimed at users with physical and intellectual disabilities. The Serafico Institute in Assisi (SA) is a health care facility that houses disabled users and is concerned with their rehabilitation and with guaranteeing them an optimal quality of life. Our food model of reference is the Mediterranean Diet: widely studied and validated for the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases. Dietary proposals change throughout the year following the alternation of seasons, holidays and religious festivities. SUBJECTS: The SA currently houses 82 resident and 27 semi-resident users. Residents range in age from 11 to 52 and are housed in 5 different dwellings, eating all meals internally: breakfast, lunch, dinner and one or two snacks according to personal needs. Semi-residents attend SA only during daytime hours are divided into two groups according to their age: infancy and adult. They do not all attend for the whole week. They only consume lunch internally. RESULTS: The goal of our foodservice experience is to protect the sensory and nutritional quality of our users to ensure their adequate living and health conditions.Meals provided must first and foremost guarantee the requirements of food safety and food security, adapting the definitions themselves to the context, considering them an irreplaceable complement to the pathways of prevention and treatment. They represent an indispensable tool in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Malnutrition by default or excess has a high impact on health management of individual users, representing often the "disease within a disease." The repercussion on their quality of life and care costs is known and therefore it is to be managed carefully and by promoting as much as possible the culture of prevention. CONCLUSIONS: Food is nourishment for the soul and the body. Celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, celebrating every single day becomes an opportunity to give dignity to each of our youngsters, recognizing their physiological and emotional needs, the need to share the experience with others. Mealtime is an important time for every real or acquired family; it is a privileged relationship occasion in which we have the opportunity to develop numerous aspects central to the growth of each of us. We strongly believe that the dignity of each and every one of our yongsters also comes from the care we take in their nutrition and the way it is administered.

Health promoting properties and sensory characteristics of phytochemicals in berries and leaves of sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides).

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L., SB), as a multi-functional plant, is widely grown in Asia, Europe and Canada. The berries and leaves of SB contain a diverse array of health-supporting phytochemicals, which are also related to the sensory qualities of berry and berry products. This review summarizes the biologically active key-compounds of the berries and leaves of SB, their health-promoting effects, as well as the contributions to the sensory quality of the berries. The target compounds consist of sugars, sugar derivatives, organic acids, phenolic compounds and lipophilic compounds (mainly carotenoids and tocopherols), which play an important role in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions, as well as in metabolic health. In addition, these compounds contribute to the orosensory qualities of SB berries, which are closely related to consumer acceptance and preference of the products. Studies regarding the bioavailability of the compounds and the influence of the processing conditions are also part of this review. Finally, the role of the sensory properties is emphasized in the development of SB products to increase utilization of the berry as a common meal component and to obtain value-added products to support human health.

Changes of Sensory Quality, Flavor-Related Metabolites and Gene Expression in Peach Fruit Treated by Controlled Atmosphere (CA) under Cold Storage.

Controlled atmosphere (CA) has been used to alleviate chilling injury (CI) of horticultural crops caused by cold storage. However, the effects of CA treatment on peach fruit sensory quality and flavor-related chemicals suffering from CI remain largely unknown. Here, we stored peach fruit under CA with 5% O2 and 10% CO2 at 0 °C up to 28 d followed by a subsequent 3 d shelf-life at 20 °C (28S3). CA significantly reduced flesh browning and improved sensory quality at 28S3. Though total volatiles declined during extended cold storage, CA accumulated higher content of volatile esters and lactones than control at 28S3. A total of 14 volatiles were positively correlated with consumer acceptability, mainly including three C6 compounds, three esters and four lactones derived from the fatty acid lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway. Correspondingly, the expression levels of genes including PpLOX1, hyperoxide lyase PpHPL1 and alcohol acyltransferase PpAAT1 were positively correlated with the change of esters and lactones. CA elevated the sucrose content and the degree of fatty acids unsaturation under cold storage, which gave us clues to clarify the mechanism of resistance to cold stress. The results suggested that CA treatment improved sensory quality by alleviating CI of peach fruits under cold storage.

The suitable biomass carbon source for improving nitrogen removal in surface flow constructed wetland system: Fresh vs. withered.

Plant biomass can be used as a carbon source to enhance the nitrogen removal effect. Related researches mainly focused on withered biomass, while little on fresh biomass. In this study, batch experiments revealed that the carbon release rate (60.5 mg TOC g-1) of fresh biomass was significantly higher than that of withered biomass (44.9 mg TOC g-1), while the nitrogen release rate showed the opposite trend. Compared with withered biomass, fresh biomass could release more sugar and less refractory humic acid, which means higher bioavailability. After adding fresh biomass, TN removal rate increased from 18.65% to 51.59%. The TN removal in the wetland adding withered biomass increased from 13.59% to 42.25%. The biomass addition had a slight impact on the effluent sensory quality in the first two days. After adding fresh biomass and withered biomass, the relative abundance of denitrifying bacteria like Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas in the system significantly increased. In general, fresh biomass was more suitable as a denitrification carbon source for surface flow constructed wetlands.

The Impact of Different Pretreatment Processes (Freezing, Ultrasound and High Pressure) on the Sensory and Functional Properties of Black Garlic (Allium sativum L.).

Black garlic (BG) is an emerging derivative of fresh garlic with enhanced nutritional properties. This study aimed to develop functional BG products with good consumer acceptance. To this end, BG was treated with freezing (F-BG), ultrasound (U-BG), and HHP (H-BG) to assess its sensory and functional properties. The results showed that F-BG and H-BG had higher S-allyl-cysteine (SAC), polyphenol, and flavonoid contents than BG. H-BG and F-BG displayed the best sensory quality after 18 days of aging, while 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), SAC, and polyphenols were identified as the most influential sensory parameters. Moreover, the F-BG and H-BG groups achieved optimal taste after 18 days, as opposed to untreated BG, which needed more than 24 days. Therefore, the proposed approaches significantly reduced the processing time while enhancing the physical, sensory, and functional properties of BG. In conclusion, freezing and HHP techniques may be considered promising pretreatments to develop BG products with good functional and sensory properties.

Loss of Sensory Cup Quality: Physiological and Chemical Changes during Green Coffee Storage.

Coffee is one of the most valued consumer products. Surprisingly, there is limited scientific knowledge about the biochemical processes during the storage of green coffee that affects its sensory quality. This review analyzes the impact of the different variables involved in the green coffee storage on quality from a chemical point of view. Further, it highlights the relationship between the physiological processes of the grain, its viability, and shelf-life. Notably, the storage conditions and postharvest treatment affect both the longevity and the sensory quality of the coffee, probably due to the biological behavior of green coffee. Various studies found modifications in their chemical profiles involving carbohydrates, lipids, proteins/amino acids, and phenolic compounds. To make future studies more comparable, we recommend standardized protocols for evaluating and linking the sensory coffee quality with instrumental analysis methods and pre-defined settings for experimental storage conditions.

The influence of muscle, ageing and thermal treatment method on the quality of cooked beef.

The study was undertaken to investigate the effect of muscle, thermal treatment, and ageing on the beef quality. The longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles were taken from Holstein-Friesian young bull carcasses then subjected to steam-cooking and sous-vide after 9 and 14-d wet ageing. It was shown that characteristics of cooked beef were the most significantly affected by thermal treatment method. Using sous-vide provided beef with lower shear force and cooking loss values, darker, and more red colour and more beneficial sensory quality. LL and SM muscles showed a similar quality when subjected to the same thermal treatment method after the same ageing time. It is possible to obtain juicy and tender beef from Holstein-Friesian bulls after 9-d ageing and sous-vide treatment.

Bioaugmentation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens-Bacillus kochii co-cultivation to improve sensory quality of flue-cured tobacco.

Flue-cured tobacco (FCT) with irritating and undesirable flavor must be aged. However, the spontaneous aging usually takes a very long time for the low efficiency. Bioaugmentation with functional strains is a promising method to reduce aging time and improve sensory quality. To eliminate the adverse effect of excessive starch or protein content on the FCT quality, we used the flow cytometry to sort Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LB with high alpha-amylase and Bacillus kochii SC with high neutral protease from the FCT microflora. The mono, co-culture of strains was performed the solid-state fermentation with FCT. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens monoculture for 2 days and Bacillus kochii monoculture for 2.5 days achieved the optimum quality. B. amyloliquefaciens-B. kochii co-culture at a ratio of 3:1 for 2 days of fermentation showed a more comprehensive quality enhancement and higher functional enzyme activity than mono-cultivation. Through OPLS-DA model (orthogonal partial least-squares-discriminant analyzes), there were 38 differential compounds between bioaugmentation samples. In co-cultivation, most of Maillard reaction products and terpenoid metabolites were at a higher level than other samples, which promoted an increase in aroma, softness and a decrease in irritation. This result validated the hypothesis of quality improvement via the co-culture. In our study, we presented a promising bioaugmentation technique for changing the sensory attributes of FCT in a short aging time.

Factors related to sensory properties and consumer acceptance of vegetables.

Many consumers perceive the bitter taste or other sensory characteristic of vegetables as unpleasant, posing a challenge to dietary recommendations aiming to increase vegetable consumption. Food experience is multisensory, with complex interactions between the senses and individual differences in sensory perception. This review focuses on the factors affecting sensory properties of vegetables and sensory perception of vegetables among adults. Topical examples of sensory quality and evaluation of vegetable samples are presented. Cultivar and growing conditions are related to the internal sensory quality of vegetables. The effects of different processing methods, such as freezing and cooking, on the sensory properties of vegetables are also reviewed. Flavor modification of vegetables with seasonings may be used to improve palatability and incorporating vegetables to meals may increase the intake of vegetables. Recently, external factors (e.g. visual and odor stimuli) have been tested in multisensory research in the context of vegetable perception and choice. These options to achieve better sensory quality, more palatable meals and pleasant eating context may be used to promote vegetable intake among adults.

Fresh Basil Infusion: Effect of Sous-Vide Heat Treatment on Their Volatile Composition Profile, Sensory Profile, and Color.

Herbs, including basil, are used to enhance the flavor of food products around the world. Its potential is influenced by the quality of fresh herbs and processing practices, wherein conditions of heat treatment play an important role. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of sous-vide heat treatment on the volatile compounds profile, sensory quality, and color of basil infusions. The material used for research was aqueous basil infusion prepared conventionally at 100 °C, and using the sous-vide method (65, 75, and 85 °C). The composition of volatile compounds was identified by GC/MS analysis, the sensory profile was assessed using a group of trained panelists, while the color was instrumentally assessed in the CIE Lab system. No significant differences were found in the intensity of the taste and aroma of basil infusions at different temperatures. Seventy headspace volatile compounds were identified in the analyzed samples, ten of which exceeded 2% of relative area percentage. The most abundant compounds were eucalyptol (27.1%), trans-ocimene (11.0%), ß-linalool (9.2%), and ß-myrcene (6.7%). Most of the identified compounds belonged to the terpenes and alcohols groups. Our findings show that the conventional herbal infusion was more like a sous-vide infusion prepared at the lowest temperature SV65, while SV75 and SV85 were similar to each other but different from the conventional. However, a smaller number of volatile compounds in the samples heated at higher temperatures of sous-vide were identified. The sous-vide samples showed a higher content of alkanes. The sous-vide method (p ≤ 0.05) resulted in darker, less green, and less yellow basil leaves than fresh and traditionally steeped ones. Long heat treatment under vacuum at higher temperatures causes a pronounced change in the aroma composition.

Longitudinal Metatranscriptomic Analysis of a Meat Spoilage Microbiome Detects Abundant Continued Fermentation and Environmental Stress Responses during Shelf Life and Beyond.

Microbial food spoilage is a complex phenomenon associated with the succession of the specific spoilage organisms (SSO) over the course of time. We performed a longitudinal metatranscriptomic study on one modified-atmosphere-packaged (MAP) beef product to increase understanding of the longitudinal behavior of a spoilage microbiome during shelf life and beyond. Based on the annotation of the mRNA reads, we recognized three stages related to the active microbiome that were descriptive of the sensory quality of the beef: acceptable product (AP), early spoilage (ES), and late spoilage (LS). Both the 16S RNA taxonomic assignments from the total RNA and functional annotations of the active genes showed that these stages were significantly different from each other. However, the functional gene annotations showed more pronounced differences than the taxonomy assignments. Psychrotrophic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) formed the core of the SSO, according to the transcribed reads. Leuconostoc species were the most abundant active LAB throughout the study period, whereas the transcription activity of Streptococcaceae (mainly Lactococcus) increased after the product had spoiled. In the beginning of the experiment, the community managed environmental stress by cold-shock responses, which were followed by expression of the genes involved in managing oxidative stress. Glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and pyruvate metabolism were active throughout the study at a relatively stable level. However, the proportional transcription activities of the enzymes in these pathways changed over time.IMPORTANCE It is generally known which organisms are the typical SSO in foods, whereas the actively transcribed genes and pathways during microbial succession are poorly understood. This knowledge is important, since better approaches to food quality evaluation and shelf life determination are needed. Therefore, we conducted this study to find longitudinal markers that are connected to quality deterioration in a MAP beef product. This kind of RNA marker could be used to develop novel types of rapid quality analysis tools in the future. New tools are needed, since even though SSO can be detected and their concentrations determined using the current microbiological methods, results from these analyses cannot predict how close in time a spoilage community is to the production of clear sensory defects. The main reason for this is that the species composition of a spoilage community does not change dramatically during late shelf life, whereas the ongoing metabolic activities lead to the development of notable sensory deterioration.

Human Bifidobacterium strains as adjunct cultures in Spanish sheep milk cheese.

Three bifidobacteria strains of human origin (Bifidobacterium pseudolongum INIA P2, Bifidobacterium breve INIA P734, and Bifidobacterium longum INIA P678) were used as potential probiotic adjunct cultures for the manufacture of pasteurized sheep milk cheese. Bifidobacteria were inoculated at 5 to 6 log cfu/mL in milk vats. Microbiological, physicochemical, rheological, color, and sensory characteristics were determined at 7, 28, and 60 d of ripening. Counts of B. pseudolongum INIA P2 remained above 6 log cfu/g during 60 d of ripening as well as after further simulated gastrointestinal digestion of cheeses. Bifidobacterium breve INIA P734 counts remained stable during 28 d and decreased by less than 1 log unit after simulated digestion. Bifidobacterium longum INIA P678 counts dropped sharply during cheese manufacture and ripening and were below detection level after simulated digestion. Addition of bifidobacteria strains did not affect starter viability, cheese pH, dry matter, water activity, or salt content but significantly increased overall proteolysis and the concentration of some free amino acids. Cheeses with bifidobacteria exhibited no significant differences in most sensory characteristics with respect to control cheese. According to our results, B. breve INIA P734 and B. pseudolongum INIA P2 are promising candidates as probiotic adjunct cultures in fresh and semi-hard sheep milk cheese.

Effects of the substitution of soybean meal by spirulina in a hay-based diet for dairy cows on milk composition and sensory perception.

The demand for protein sources alternative to soybean meal for supplementing forages low in metabolizable protein is large. The suitability of spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), a fast growing and resource-efficient blue-green microalga, as a source of metabolizable protein for dairy cows is known, but its effects on milk antioxidants and sensory properties were never investigated. Twelve cows were allocated to 2 groups and fed hay-based diets complemented with sugar beet pulp and wheat flakes in individual feeding troughs. The N content per kilogram of DM was equivalent between the 2 diets. Diet of 1 group was supplemented with 5% spirulina; the second group was supplemented with 6% soybean meal (control). After an adaptation period of 15 d, data were collected, and feed, milk, blood, and rumen fluid were sampled. Feeds were analyzed for proximate contents, and blood plasma was analyzed for total antioxidant capacity and antioxidant contents (tocopherol, phenols). Milk samples were analyzed for fatty acid profile, coagulation properties, color, and contents of fat, protein, lactose, total phenols, lipophilic vitamins, and provitamins (e.g., ß-carotene). Triangle tests were performed by a trained sensory panel on 6 homogenized and pasteurized bulk milk samples per treatment. The substitution of soybean meal by spirulina in the diet did not affect feed intake, milk yield, milk fat, protein, or lactose contents compared with the control group. However, the milk from the spirulina-fed cows had a higher content of ß-carotene (0.207 vs. 0.135 µg/mL) and was more yellow (b* index: 14.9 vs. 13.8). Similar to the spirulina lipids but far less pronounced, the milk fat from the spirulina-fed cows had a higher proportion of γ-linolenic acid (0.057 vs. 0.038% of fatty acid methyl esters) compared with milk fat from soybean meal-fed cows. Also trans-11 C18:1 (vaccenic acid) and other C18:1 trans isomers were elevated, but otherwise the fatty acid profile resembled that of cows fed the control diet. No sensory difference was found between milk from the 2 experimental groups. Furthermore, we observed no effects of substituting soybean meal by spirulina on total antioxidant capacity, α-tocopherol and total phenols in blood and milk. Effects on rumen fluid characteristics were minor. In conclusion, spirulina seems to be a promising protein source for dairy cows with certain improvements in nutritionally favorable constituents in milk and without side-effects on animal performance in the short term.

Effect of microencapsulated fish oil powder on selected quality characteristics of chicken sausages.

BACKGROUND: Encapsulation of fish oil for use as oil powder for the human food industry offers new product design possibilities. The fat content of fish is unique in the amount of of long chain n-3 fatty acid that it contains. It can be expected that developing innovative food products with significantly improved nutritional value can simultaneously affect their rheological and sensory qualities in different ways. The present study aimed to compared the influence of the addition of fish oil and microencapsulated fish oil on the mechanical, structural, and sensory properties of poultry sausages during 21-day storage. RESULTS: In comparison with other systems, sausages enriched with microencapsulated fish oil were characterized by a greater capacity to accumulate potential strain energy (G') and by statistically significantly greater hardness measured in all the storage periods that were tested. The sausages enriched with microencapsulated fish oil were characterized by higher water activity than the other sausage variants. The analysis of cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) images indicated the presence of a large evenly dispersed oil phase and microcapsules in the structure of the sausages. The sample with the addition of microcapsules was characterized by higher values on the smell and consistency parameters. CONCLUSION: The better results in the sensory evaluation of the structural parameters of the sample with microcapsules were consistent with the results of instrumental assessments. The use of microencapsulated fish oil powder as an ingredient of chicken sausages therefore seems to be a promising concept. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.