Population genetic variation and geographic distribution of suitable areas of Coptis species in China.

Introduction: The rhizomes of Coptis plants have been used in traditional Chinese medicine over 2000 years. Due to increasing market demand, the overexploitation of wild populations, habitat degradation and indiscriminate artificial cultivation of Coptis species have severely damaged the native germplasms of species in China. Methods: Genome-wide simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed using the genomic data of C. chinensis. Population genetic diversity and structure of 345 Coptis accessions collected from 32 different populations were performed based on these SSRs. The distribution of suitable areas for three taxa in China was predicted and the effects of environmental variables on genetic diversity in relation to different population distributions were further analyzed. Results: 22 primer pairs were selected as clear, stable, and polymorphic SSR markers. These had an average of 16.41 alleles and an average polymorphism information content (PIC) value of 0.664. In the neighbor-joining (N-J) clustering analysis, the 345 individuals clustered into three groups, with C. chinensis, C. chinensis var. brevisepala and C. teeta being clearly separated. All C. chinensis accessions were further divided into four subgroups in the population structure analysis. The predicted distributions of suitable areas and the environmental variables shaping these distributions varied considerably among the three species. Discussion: Overall, the amount of solar radiation, precipitation and altitude were the most important environmental variables influencing the distribution and genetic variation of three species. The findings will provide key information to guide the conservation of genetic resources and construction of a core reserve for species.

Potassium Chloride as an Effective Alternative to Sodium Chloride in Delaying the Thermal Aggregation of Liquid Whole Egg.

The potential of potassium chloride (KCl) to be used as a substitute for sodium chloride (NaCl) was studied by monitoring the effects of salt treatment on thermal behavior, aggregation kinetics, rheological properties, and protein conformational changes. The results show that the addition of KCl can improve solubility, reduce turbidity and particle size, and positively influence rheological parameters such as apparent viscosity, consistency coefficient (K value), and fluidity index (n). These changes indicate delayed thermal denaturation. In addition, KCl decreased the content of ß-sheet and random coil structures and increased the content of α-helix and ß-turn structures. The optimal results were obtained with 2% KCl addition, leading to an increase in Tp up to 85.09 °C. The correlation results showed that Tp was positively correlated with solubility, α-helix and ß-turn but negatively correlated with ΔH, turbidity, ß-sheet and random coil. Overall, compared to NaCl, 2% KCl is more effective in delaying the thermal aggregation of LWE, and these findings lay a solid theoretical foundation for the study of sodium substitutes in heat-resistant liquid egg products.

Effects of freezing on the gelation behaviors of liquid egg yolks affected by saccharides: thermal behaviors and rheological and structural changes.

Monitoring and controlling the freezing process and thermal properties of foods is an important means to understand and maintain product quality. Saccharides were used in this study to regulate the gelation of liquid egg yolks induced by freeze‒thawing; the selected saccharides included sucrose, L-arabinose, xylitol, trehalose, D-cellobiose, and xylooligosaccharides. The regulatory effects of saccharides on frozen egg yolks were investigated by characterizing their thermal and rheological properties and structural changes. The results showed that L-arabinose and xylitol were effective gelation regulators. After freeze‒thawing, the sugared egg yolks exhibited a lower consistency index and fewer rheological units than those without saccharides, indicating controlled gelation. Weaker aggregation of egg yolk proteins was confirmed by smaller aggregates observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and smaller particle sizes. Saccharides alleviated the freeze-induced conversion of α-helices to ß-sheets in egg yolk proteins, exposing fewer Trp residues. Overall, L-arabinose showed the greatest improvement in regulating the gelation of egg yolks, followed by xylitol, which is correlated with its low molecular weight.

Testing adulterated liquid-egg: developing rapid detection techniques based on colorimetry, electrochemistry, and interfacial fingerprinting.

To develop rapid detection techniques for liquid eggs' adulteration, three types of adulterations were considered: water dilution, manipulation of yolk ratio in whole egg, and blending different varieties of egg white or yolk. Objective: Establish detection techniques utilizing colorimetry, electrochemistry, and interfacial fingerprinting for these adulterations, respectively. Results: Colorimetry allows for detection (1 min·sample-1) of water dilution through linear (R2 ≥ 0.984) and exponential fitting (R2 ≥ 0.992); Electrochemistry enables detection (6 min·sample-1, R2 ≥ 0.979) of the adulteration of yolk ratio in whole egg; Interfacial fingerprinting technique effectively detects (detection duration: 10 min·sample-1, detection limit: 1.0-10.0 wt%) the adulteration of different varieties of egg white. Subsequently, through 3D-fluorescence microscopy (interface height variation: 22.49-573.45 µm), interfacial tension variation (65.54-35.48 mN·m-1), contact angle variation (89.7°-32.9°), particle size range (free water: 0.94-14.29 µm; protein aggregation: 6.57-10.76 µm), and etc., interfacial fingerprinting mechanism was elucidated. This research contributes novel insights into the detection of adulteration in liquid eggs.

High-temperature glycosylation of saccharides to modify molecular conformation of egg white protein and its effect on the stability of high internal phase emulsions.

This paper investigates the freeze-thaw stability of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by high-temperature wet heating glycosylation products. Glucose (Glu), D-fructose (Fru), xylose (Xyl), maltodextrin (MD), oligofructose (FO), and oligomeric isomaltulose (IMO) were chosen as sugar sources for the glycosylation reaction with egg white proteins (EWPs) at 120 °C to prepare the GEWPs. The study reveals that the type of sugar significantly influences the Maillard reactions with EWPs. The degree of glycosylation was highest in the Xyl group with the greatest reducing capacity and lowest in the MD, FO, and IMO groups. High-temperature wet glycosylation treatment induced changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of EWP. Elevated temperature exposed hydrophobic groups within the protein, while covalent binding of hydrophilic carbohydrates via the Maillard reaction decreased the protein's H0 value. Improved foaming and emulsifying properties were attributed to the increase in α-helix content, disulfide bond formation, and reduced surface tension. Emulsions prepared from GEWPs exhibited higher apparent viscosity and G' compared to those from natural EWPs, with the GEWP/Xyl group showing the highest values. After freeze-thaw treatment, the GEWP/Fru and GEWP/FO groups demonstrated superior stability and reduced freezing point, along with minimal microstructural alterations. These findings underscore the importance of sugar type in the stability of high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized by GEWPs, indicating that a tailored Maillard reaction can yield stabilizers with exceptional freeze-thaw stability for emulsions.

Effect of Whole Egg Liquid on Physicochemical, Quality, Fermentation and Sensory Characteristics of Yogurt.

With the purpose of developing an alternative set yogurt with high consumer acceptability, liquid whole egg (LWE), at levels that varied from 0 to 30%, was incorporated into set yogurt, and the effects on the physicochemical, quality, fermentation, and sensory characteristics of yogurt were evaluated. The fat content was lower in egg yogurt than in control yogurt. All color variables were significantly affected by LWE amount. The amount of bacteria in the egg yogurt was greater than in the control yogurt. Sensory analysis data suggested that color, odor, and texture consistently impacted the overall acceptability of the egg yogurt. The addition of 5% whole egg, which resulted in an increase of 6.28-fold in hardness, increase of 6.1-fold in viscosity, decrease in pH values, and a 5.6% decline in water-holding capacity (WHC). The aroma and flavor of the set yogurt was improved as well. LWE addition significantly increased the protein content and dynamic rheology. More importantly, the addition of LWE increased the protein content of the set yogurt. This investigation demonstrated the feasibility of fabricating LWE-enriched set yogurt and its superior quality compared with the corresponding normal product. It also emphasized the reconstruction of LWE with enhanced properties.

Tracking transformation behavior of soluble to insoluble components in liquid egg yolk under heat treatment and the intervention effect of xylitol.

The heat sensitivity of egg yolk limits its application, and xylitol can improve its thermal stability. The soluble and insoluble components of egg yolk and egg yolk containing xylitol treated at different temperatures were explored from the aspects of thermal instability behavior characterization and structure property. Magnetic resonance imaging and low field nuclear magnetic resonance showed that increased temperature induced liberation and transfer of hydrogen protons. Meanwhile, the apparent viscosity of soluble components increased, while that of insoluble components decreased. Microstructure showed that heat treatment induced aggregation and lipid transfer. SDS-PAGE showed that heat treatment induced aggregation and transformation of γ-livetin and apo-LDL. The change in crystal structure, Raman spectroscopy, and 3D fluorescence spectra showed that heat treatment resulted in the unfolding of yolk proteins, especially plasma proteins. Xylitol could alleviate transformation of components by stabilizing protein structure, alleviating the damage in protein integrity and elevation in aggregation size.

Effects of CaCl2 on the structure of high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein isolated from rapidly salted separated egg yolk.

According to previous research, adding CaCl2 to the salting solution improves the quality of salted separated egg yolk. To further understand the improvement mechanism of CaCl2, this paper investigated the effect of CaCl2 on the structure of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) during the salting process. The results indicated that the addition of CaCl2 can affect the composition of HDL and LDL apolipoproteins, improving the orderliness of the HDL structure and the looseness of the LDL structure. It was discovered by atomic force microscopy (AFM) that adding CaCl2 to the salting solution can weaken the aggregation behavior of HDL. Simultaneously, the addition of CaCl2 decreased the relative content of intermolecular ß-sheets in the secondary structure of HDL and LDL, influenced their tertiary conformation, and prevented HDL and LDL from participating in the formation of a three-dimensional gel structure by influencing their hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions.

Interventional effect of compound sugar and salt on the thermal instability behavior of liquid egg yolk.

In this study, the influence of compound sugar (glucose, sucrose, trehalose, and arabinose) and compound sugar and salt (glucose, sucrose, trehalose, arabinose, and NaCl) on the thermal stability of heat-treated liquid egg yolk was explored. The results showed that the addition of 4% compound sugar or 4% compound sugar salt could significantly enhance the heat resistance of liquid egg yolk and increase the denaturation temperature of liquid egg yolk to above 77°C. Moreover, the addition of sugar and salt could improve the functional properties of liquid egg yolk to varying degrees, allowing it to maintain excellent emulsification and soluble protein content after heat treatment. Further analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the increase in α-helix content in liquid egg yolk treated with sugar salt also contributes to improving the thermal stability of egg yolk. The method of inhibiting egg yolk aggregation caused by heat treatment provided in this study provides a selective method and theoretical basis for the commercial production of heat-resistant liquid egg yolk.

Effects of CaCl2 on the rheology, microstructure and protein structures of rapidly salted separated egg yolk.

Bivalent or trivalent metal salts can enhance the oil output and sandiness of salted eggs. We added CaCl2 to the salting solution to improve the quality of rapidly salted separated egg yolk and investigated its effect on rheological, microstructure, and protein structure. According to the findings, adding CaCl2 to the salting solution can promote the precipitation of egg yolk water, increase its viscosity, induce protein aggregation, and increase the denaturation temperature of the protein. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed that the inner boundary of egg yolk salted with CaCl2 was clearer and that the number and size of salted egg yolk lipoprotein aggregates were larger than those of egg yolk salted without CaCl2. Analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) demonstrated that CaCl2 caused the interconversion of the secondary-level structure. CaCl2 can have an impact on the microenvironment of amino acid residues, according to the results of 3D fluorescence and UV absorption spectra. Therefore, adding CaCl2 can accelerate the loss of water and change the structure of lipoprotein in egg yolk, which improves the sandiness and oil yield of salted separated egg yolk.

Changes in structural, rheological, and gel properties of egg white protein induced by preheating in the dry state.

The knowledge of fundamental rheological concepts is essential to understand the gelling process of egg white proteins (EWP), which can be used to further manipulate the gel performance with desired sensorial attributes. In this study, the rheological and gel properties of EWP as influenced by heating in the dry state were investigated. The structural changes in dry heated EWP (DEWP) were also characterized in terms of morphology, protein stability, and protein microenvironment. The results showed that moderate dry heating induced linear aggregation of DEWP and decreased the denaturation temperature (Td) and enthalpy of denaturation (ΔH). Furthermore, the cross-linking on protein surface led to nonpolar microenvironment of hydrophobic groups, which lays the foundation of improved gel properties. The specific outcomes include the increase in the G'max and the G''max values, k'/k'' values of DEWP dispersions, gel hardness and gumminess of DEWP gels and a decrease in gelation temperature of DEWP dispersions. However, few changes were found in the springiness and cohesiveness of the DEWP gels with increasing dry heating time. Notably, gels prepared with DEWP also had better digestibility. Overall, these results can provide theoretical basis for quality control and sensory evaluation of DEWP in the food industry.

Effects of Heating Treatment on Functional and Structural Properties of Liquid Whole Egg.

Liquid whole egg (LWE) products have many advantages such as convenient transportation, easy production and are safe. However, LWE has a short shelf life and high thermal sensitivity, so suitable heating treatment is the key to the production of LWE products. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of heating treatments conditions (at 55-67 °C for 0-10 min) on the emulsification, foaming activity and rheological properties of LWE. The results indicated that the emulsifying activity of LWE had no significant change after 55-64 °C heating treatment, while it decreased significantly after heating treatment at 67 °C. The foaming property of LWE increased significantly after 55 °C to the 64 °C heating treatment; while the foaming property showed a downward trend with the increase in heat treatment temperature, it can significantly improve the foam stability of LWE. The heating treatment thoroughly changed the molecular weight distribution of LWE protein, thus promoted the protein surface hydrophobicity, hydrophobicity activity and rheological properties. The heating treatment at 61 °C for 6 min had a better effect on the functional properties than that of the other heating groups. In addition, the results of this study provide the change in rules of LWE under different heating treatment conditions and provide theoretical guidance for the production and processing of LWE.

Metabolic regulation mechanism of Trametes gibbosa CB1 on lignin.

White rot fungi can degrade lignin and play a significant role in the recycling of carbon resources for environmental protection. Trametes gibbosa is the main white rot fungus in Northeast China. The main acids produced by T. gibbosa degradation, include long-chain fatty acids, lactic acid, succinic acid, and some small molecular compounds for example benzaldehyde. A variety of proteins respond to lignin stress and play an important role in xenobiotics metabolism, metal ion transport, and redox. Coordinated regulation and detoxification activation of H2O2 produced in oxidative stress by peroxidase coenzyme system and Fenton reaction. The Dioxygenase cleavage pathway and ß-ketoadipic acid pathway are the main oxidation pathways of lignin degradation, which mediate the entry of "COA" into the TCA cycle. In the joint action of hydrolase and coenzyme, cellulose, hemicellulose, and other polysaccharides are degraded and finally converted to glucose to participate in energy metabolism. The expression of the laccase (Lcc_1) protein was verified by E. coli. Also, the Lcc_1 overexpression mutant was established. The morphology of mycelium was dense and the lignin degradation rate was improved. We completed the first non-directional mutation of in T. gibbosa. It also improved the mechanism of T. gibbosa in response to lignin stress.

Addition of NaCl or Sucrose on the Protein Content, and Functional and Physicochemical Properties of Egg Whites Liquid under Heat Treatment.

In this study, differences in the protein content and functional and physicochemical properties of four varieties of egg white (EW) were studied by adding 4-10% sucrose or NaCl and then heating them at 70 °C for 3 min. According to a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, the percentages of ovalbumin, lysozyme and ovotransferrin rose with an increase in the NaCl or sucrose concentration; however, the percentages of ovomucin and ovomucoid decreased. Furthermore, the foaming properties, gel properties, particle size, α-helixes, ß-sheets, sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bond content also increased, whereas the content of ß-turns and random coils decreased. In addition, the total soluble protein content and functional and physicochemical properties of black bone (BB) chicken and Gu-shi (GS) EWs were higher than those of Hy-Line brown (HY-LINE) and Harbin White (HW) Ews (p < 0.05). Subsequently, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the changes in the EW protein structure in the four varieties of Ews. As the aggregations increased, the functional and physicochemical properties decreased. The protein content and functional and physicochemical properties of Ews after heating were correlated with the concentration of NaCl and sucrose and the EW varieties.

High-temperature glycosylation modifies the molecular structure of ovalbumin to improve the freeze-thaw stability of its high internal phase emulsion.

In this study, ovalbumins (OVAs) were glycosylated with fructo-oligosaccharide (FO) at different temperatures (80 °C, 100 °C, 120 °C, and 140 °C) and durations (1 h and 2 h) via wet-heating. The glycosylated OVAs (GOVAs) were characterized by the degree of glycosylation (DG), particle size, zeta potentials, and structural changes. GOVAs-stabilized high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) were then prepared to compare their macro- and microstructure and freeze-thaw stability. The results showed that the DG of GOVAs increased with the increase in glycosylation temperature and the protein structure unfolded with it. Glycosylation decreased the particle size, zeta potential, and α-helical structures and increased the ß-sheets and surface hydrophobicity (H0) of GOVAs compared with unmodified OVAs. Moreover, GOVAs-stabilized HIPEs exhibited smaller particle sizes, zeta potentials, agglomeration indexes, oil loss rates, and freezing points and higher viscoelasticity, centrifugal stabilities, flocculation indexes, and freeze-thaw stabilities. Notably, HIPEs prepared by GOVAs (glycosylated higher than 120 °C) showed the least changes in macro- and microscopic appearances after freeze-thawing. These findings will provide a novel method for improving and broadening the functionalities of OVAs and potentially develop HIPEs with enhanced freeze-thaw stabilities.

Effects of CaCl2 on salting kinetics, water migration, aggregation behavior and protein structure in rapidly salted separated egg yolks.

Salted egg yolks are valued by consumers for their delicious taste good processing characteristics. To improve the quality of rapidly salted separated egg yolks, we compared changes in the salting kinetics, textural properties, water migration, protein aggregation and structure of salted egg yolks in the presence or absence of CaCl2 for 24 h. CaCl2 increased the mass transfer driving force and diffusion coefficient during the salting process; as a result, the salted egg yolks exhibited increased hardness and decreased springiness and cohesiveness. Through low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR), it was confirmed that CaCl2 promoted the precipitation of lipids and the dehydration of egg yolk. Furthermore, CaCl2 promoted the bulk aggregation of proteins. The analyses of protein structures showed that the contents of ß-sheets and irregular curls in CaCl2-salted egg yolk protein increased, while the contents of α-helices and ß-turns decreased. CaCl2 affected the microenvironment of tryptophan residues and embedded these residues, enhancing protein aggregation. Based on the comprehensive information obtained in this study, adding CaCl2 to the salting solution improved the degree of protein polymerization in egg yolk; thus, this method might be used to improve the quality of egg yolks separated by salt.

Transcriptomics and co-expression network analysis revealing candidate genes for the laccase activity of Trametes gibbosa.

BACKGROUND: Trametes gibbosa, which is a white-rot fungus of the Polyporaceae family found in the cold temperate zone, causes spongy white rot on wood. Laccase can oxidize benzene homologs and is one of the important oxidases for white rot fungi to degrade wood. However, the pathway of laccase synthesis in white rot fungi is unknown. RESULTS: The peak value of laccase activity reached 135.75 U/min/L on the 9th day. For laccase activity and RNA-seq data, gene expression was segmented into 24 modules. Turquoise and blue modules had greater associations with laccase activity (positively 0.94 and negatively -0.86, respectively). For biology function, these genes were concentrated on the cell cycle, citrate cycle, nicotinate, and nicotinamide metabolism, succinate dehydrogenase activity, flavin adenine dinucleotide binding, and oxidoreductase activity which are highly related to the laccase synthetic pathway. Among them, gene_8826 (MW199767), gene_7458 (MW199766), gene_61 (MW199765), gene_1741 (MH257605), and gene_11087 (MK805159) were identified as central genes. CONCLUSION: Laccase activity steadily increased in wood degradation. Laccase oxidation consumes oxygen to produce hydrogen ions and water during the degradation of wood. Some of the hydrogen ions produced can be combined by Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) to form reduced Flavin dinucleotide (FADH2), which can be transmitted. Also, the fungus was starved of oxygen throughout fermentation, and the NADH and FADH2 are unable to transfer hydrogen under hypoxia, resulting in the inability of NAD and FAD to regenerate and inhibit the tricarboxylic acid cycle of cells. These key hub genes related to laccase activity play important roles in the molecular mechanisms of laccase synthesis for exploring industrial excellent strains.

Eggshell waste separation process assisted with pressure-vacuum: Process conditions and optimization.

Eggshells and eggshell membranes have high-value recycling applications and have been widely used in pharmaceutical, chemical, and food research. The separation of eggshells and eggshell membranes is a prerequisite to efficiently using both. Therefore, the pressure-vacuum experiment equipment was designed. In this study, research on the separation of eggshells and eggshell membranes from waste eggshells using the pressure-vacuum experiment equipment was carried out. The flash evaporation experiment process controlled the experimental factors to obtain a sufficient moisture content between the eggshell and eggshell membrane with vigorous flash evaporation. The effects of experimental factors such as superheat (5-10°C), temperature (50-70°C), initial pressure (0.6-0.8 MPa), pressurization time (0-40 min), and particle size (6-8 mm) on the separation rate were investigated in the pressure-vacuum experiment process. Through single-factor and orthogonal experiments, it was found that the separation rate was most affected by changes in temperature, initial pressure, and particle size, followed by the interaction of temperature and particle size. The experimental results suggested that the optimum separation of eggshell membranes from eggshells was achieved at higher superheat, higher temperature, higher initial pressure, medium pressurization time, and smaller particle size. Through optimization by response surface methodology, the optimal conditions for the separation of eggshells and eggshell membranes using the flash evaporation method were determined as 15°C of superheat, 70°C of temperature, 0.8 MPa of initial pressure, and 6 mm of particle size. Flash evaporation method is an effective and environmentally friendly method, which provides a new solution for the recycling of waste eggshells. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this study, pressure-vacuum experiment equipment was utilized to reuse of waste eggshells, and an innovative and environmentally friendly method of eggshell membrane and eggshell separation was established. The pressure-vacuum experiment equipment has a simple structure and low energy consumption. The results of flash evaporation experiments are instructive for further in-depth studies on the separation of eggshells and eggshell membranes. Furthermore, the separation of eggshells and egg membranes by flash evaporation is of great research value. Most importantly, the separated eggshells and eggshell membrane are available for high-value applications in food, chemical, and biological fields.

Effects of rice vinegar treatment on the antioxidant activities and protein structures of whole egg liquid before and after gastrointestinal digestion.

In this study, the effects of vinegar treatment on the antioxidant and structural properties of whole egg proteins were investigated. The results showed that the degrees of hydrolysis (DH) of vinegar-treated egg liquid (VE) and digested VE (DVE) increased after vinegar addition. A similar trend was also found for the antioxidant activity of DVE but not for that of VE. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results showed that vinegar treatment increased the gastrointestinal hydrolysis of whole egg protein compared with that of digested egg liquid (DEL) protein, which was in agreement with the free amino acid content results. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis results indicated that proteins from VE1:3 tended to form ß-sheet structures, whereas proteins from DVE1:3 accumulated α-helices and turns. Vinegar treatment has great potential as a nonthermal processing method for promoting gastrointestinal digestion and producing superior antioxidant peptides.

Glycosylation of egg white protein with maltodextrin in the dry state: Changes in structural and gel properties.

The glycosylation of egg white proteins (EWP) with maltodextrin (MD) was investigated by monitoring their gel properties and protein structure. The improved gel properties of glycosylated EWP (GEWP) were confirmed by the increase in gel hardness, gel water holding capacity (WHC), rheological parameters, and finer gel microstructures. The protein structures were characterized by monitoring changes in the content of sulfhydryl (SH) group, circular dichroism (CD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The GEWP structures were unfolded due to extended glycosylation, as observed by increased content of exposed SH group and ß-sheet and decreased crystallinity, thermal denaturation temperature (Td), and enthalpy (ΔH). A correlation was also found between the gel properties and the protein structural changes. Overall, this study is beneficial for determining the mechanism of glycosylation and provides a convenient approach to improving the gel properties of EWP, which can further broaden the application of EWP in the food industry.