Traditional food processing and Acrylamide formation: A review.

Tradition methods that are applied for the processing of food commonly use relatively high temperature and long cooking time for the preparation of foods. This relatively high temperature and long processing time of foods especially in the presence of carbohydrate is highly associated with the formation of acrylamide. Acrylamide is a process contaminant that is highly toxic to humans and remains as a global issue. The occurrence of acrylamide in traditional foods is a major public health problem. Studies that are conducted in different countries indicated that traditionally processed foods are highly linked to the formation of acrylamide. Therefore, understanding the factors influencing acrylamide formation during traditional food processing techniques is crucial for ensuring food safety and minimizing exposure to this harmful chemical compound. Several research reports indicate that proper food processing is the most effective solution to address food safety concerns by identifying foods susceptible to acrylamide formation. This review aims to provide an overview of traditional food processing techniques and their potential contribution to the formation acrylamide and highlight the importance of mitigating its formation in food products. The information obtained in this review may be of great value to future researchers, policymakers, society, and manufacturers.

Chemical, structural, and techno-functional characterization of yam (Dioscorea) flour from South West Ethiopia.

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a versatile tuber crop that holds nutritional, cultural, and economic values. Yam is a major source of carbohydrates for tropical Countries and provides various nutrients and health benefits. This study aims to characterize the chemical, structural, and thermal properties of yam flour using various analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal analysis. Additionally, the pasting and rheological properties of yam flour were evaluated, as they are crucial for product development and enhancing the value of this unconventional vegetable. D. cayenensis complex had the highest total starch (64.63 ± 1.61 %) and soluble sugar (4.95 ± 0.46 %) content, which was significantly higher than other yam species. The amylose content of yam flours showed significant (p < 0.05) differences among the yam species. D. cayenensis flour exhibited significantly the highest peak (2923.66 cP) and steak back viscosity (2097.66 cP) among the yam species associated with their greater amylose content. There were notable variations in pasting and gelatinization parameters among the species. The peak temperatures of D. bulbifera and D. cayenensis complex were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than D. cayenensis and D. rotundata flours. The rheological measurements of yam flours demonstrated solid-like behavior with varying intensities. Furthermore, the morphology of tuber yam flour particles was oval to ellipsoidal shaped, with some appearing ovoid, and the smaller granules appearing spherical. The X-ray diffraction showed that all yam flours exhibit a B-type pattern. This study provide a better understanding of this unconventional vegetable's potential applications in the food industry and contribute to its value addition.

Optimization of pectin yield extracted from coffee Arabica pulp using response surface methodology.

Pectin was extracted from coffee pulp using 0.1 M H2SO4. The Box Behnken Design based Response surface methodology was applied to optimize pectin yield. The impact of extraction time (45-75 min), temperature (80-100 °C), solid to liquid ratio (SLR) (1:20, 1:27.5, and 1:35), and pH (1.5, 2, and 2.5) on pectin yield were studied. Under optimal extraction conditions (84 °C, 75 min, SLR of 1:20 and pH: 1.5), physical, chemical, structural and antioxidant properties of pectin were examined. The results of the physicochemical analysis are: acetyl value: 1.10 ± 0.05 %, equivalent weight: 1429 ± 54 g/mol, anhydrouronic acid: 57.1 ± 0.9 %, degree of esterification: 78.5 ± 1.8 %, moisture content: 8.5 ± 1.5 % and ash content: 4.3 ± 0.9 %. FTIR analysis indicated the (-OH) peak of pectin was lower and shifted left compared to treated and untreated coffee pulp powder. SEM analysis shows a smoother surface, whereas XRD shows a less amorphous structure of pectin. The total phenolic and flavonoid content of coffee pulp pectin was found to be 26.7 µg Gallic Acid Equivalent/mg and 0.8957 µg Quercetin Equivalent/mg, respectively. Antioxidant analysis showed significant antioxidant properties (IC50 = 642.31 ± 30.43 µg/mL). The predicted and actual pectin yields at the optimal extraction condition were 14.39 and 13.7 %, respectively, with R2 = 0.95 that indicate the model can represent the experiment. Therefore, achieving a maximum pectin yield with improved antioxidant and other physicochemical qualities ensures that coffee pulp can potentially serve as a viable commercial source of pectin.

Method optimization for the determinations of selected phytochemicals and antioxidant activities of wild Ethiopian Syzygium guineense fruit and seed under different drying conditions.

This study aimed to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) parameters using response surface methodology (RSM) for the determination of ascorbic acid (AA), antioxidant activities/the half maximal effective concentration (EC50), total phenolic contents (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) of Ethiopian wild Syzygium guineense fruit and seed processed under different drying conditions. The optimizations of the UAE methods for the determination of AA, antioxidant activities (EC50 values), TPC, and TFC were evaluated using response surface methodology (RSM). The extraction time of 15 min, the temperature of 35 °C, extraction solvent composition (methanol:water) of 75 to 25%, and solid-to-solvent ratios of 1:15 w/v were the optimum independent parameters. The experimental and the predicted data of TPC, EC50, and AA were in good agreement with the overall error below 0.01%. It also indicated a hypothesized distribution of predicted data fitted with experimental data. The average TPC, EC50, and AA content in S. guineense fruits and the seed varied from 581.25 ± 37.13 to 1917.40 ± 26.15 mg GAE/100 g, 4.02 ± 0.42 to 155.73 ± 5.11 mg/100 g, and 1.96 ± 0.02 to 0.94 ± 0.00 mg/mL, respectively. This study indicated that this underutilized wild fruit and its seeds can be an alternative source of AA and antioxidant compounds.

Microbial inactivation and quality impact assessment of red pepper paste treated by high pressure processing.

The study aimed to investigate inactivation of naturally occurring microorganisms and quality of red pepper paste treated by high pressure processing (HPP). Central composite rotatable design was employed to determine the impacts of pressure (100-600 MPa) and holding time (30-600 s). HPP at 527 MPa for 517 s reduced aerobic mesophilic bacteria count by 4.5 log CFU/g. Yeasts and molds counts were reduced to 1 log CFU/g at 600 MPa for 315 s. Total phenols, carotenoids and antioxidants activity ranged from 0.28 to 0.33 g GAE/100 g, 96.0-98.4 mg ßc/100 g and 8.70-8.95 µmol TE/g, respectively. Increase (2.5-6.7%) in these variables was observed with increasing pressure and holding time. Total color difference (ΔE∗) values (0.2-2.8) were within the ranges of 'imperceptible' to 'noticeable'. Experimental results were fitted satisfactorily into quadratic model with higher R2 values (0.8619-0.9863). Optimization process suggested treatment of red pepper paste at 536 MPa for 125 s for maximum desirability (0.622). Validation experiments confirmed comparable percentage of relative errors. Overall, this technique could be considered as an efficient treatment for the inactivation of microorganisms that naturally occur in red pepper paste with minimal changes in its characteristics.