Recent advancements and applications of explosion puffing.

In modern days, to meet the steadily growing demand for novel and nutritional food products several innovative technologies have been used in the food industry. Among them, explosion puffing (EP) is considered an efficient method for the processing of food products and is proposed as an alternative to conventional processing methods. This review discusses the wide applications of EP in drying, puffing, extraction of bioactive compounds, removal of anti-nutritional compounds, etc. Thus, it provides a complete picture of the applications of EP for the development of different food products and tries to elucidate the effect on the quality attributes of the food. EP act as a promising tool in the food industry. The improvements in the food products quality can be achieved through EP. However, several challenges such as protein denaturation, Maillard reaction, unsuitability for some food products, etc. should be addressed before the industrial adaptation of this technique.

Conventional and emerging approaches for reducing dietary intake of salt.

High dietary intake of sodium is associated with several non-communicable diseases and depleting immunity. In recent years, with emergent regulations and increasing awareness about the role of diet on human health, there has been significant research and commercial interest in salt reduction approaches. Nevertheless, lowering the level of salt while maintaining the physicochemical properties, sensory attributes and microbial stability of food products is a challenging task for the food industry. This review analyses scientific literature and details the various techniques that have been used for the effective reduction of sodium levels in food products. These include various physical and chemical modifications, apart from psychological approaches, and novel non-thermal processing techniques. The work presents a comprehensive understanding of recent advancements in lowering salt content, with implications on their effects on the properties and consumer acceptance of foods. Some approaches have been proven to be realistic and sustainable. Importantly, a combination of different strategies can overcome the drawbacks of conventional methods and facilitate the development of high-quality foods. However, numerous challenges need to be addressed for the production of shelf-stable low-salt products. Future research works must consider these novel concepts and focus on commercial-level applications.

Challenges for the application of bacteriophages as effective antibacterial agents in the food industry.

Food contamination caused by foodborne pathogens is one of the most important concerns in public health worldwide, and accounts for a significant portion of food loss every year. The emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria has turned the attention of researchers back to the potential of bacteriophages as antibacterial agents, and their use has been attempted in various pre-and post-harvest food production settings. The application of phage-based antibacterial products has achieved considerable success but a number of technical, environmental and administrative challenges remain unaddressed. In this review, we summarize the current status of bacteriophage application in the food industry. We discuss the obstacles facing the further development of phage-based antibacterial products from the aspects of technology, environmental safety, and administrative policy. We also advance some possible solutions to these challenges. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Line-scan Raman scattering image and multivariate analysis for rapid and noninvasive detection of restructured beef.

The mean spectral (MS) features were extracted from Raman scattering images (RSI) of beef samples over the region of interest covering the spectral range of 789-1710cm-1 and the spatial offset range of 0-5 mm (for two sides of the incident laser). The RSI monitored the main change in the protein, amide bands, lipids, and amino acid residues. The classification model performance based on MS features compared the conventional Raman spectral features and confirmed the usefulness of RSI. Finally, the results showed that RSI technology is a reliable tool for rapid and noninvasive detection of restructured beef.

Proteolysis and protein oxidation throughout the smoked dry-cured ham process.

During the five stages of smoked dry-cured ham processing, proteolysis and protein oxidation were simultaneously detected in the Biceps femoris (BF) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles. Proteolysis was more advanced in BF than in SM throughout the process of production. The total FAA increased significantly (p < 0.05) throughout the processing, resulting in higher total FAA content in BF than in SM muscle. SDS-PAGE revealed progressive degradation of sarcoplasmic proteins of investigated muscles, with the pronounced changes for the 69.9-41.7 kDa region. SDS-PAGE of BF showed more intense degradation of myofibrillar proteins due to greater proteolysis in BF. Electrophoresis of myofibrillar proteins evidenced the marked degradation of 130 kDa, 96.7 kDa and 27-20.7 kDa bands in both muscles. A similar trend was observed for protein oxidation in BF and SM, with the final values of 26.36 and 23.7 nmol carbonyls/mg proteins, respectively. The Pearson correlation revealed a strong relationship between protein oxidation and proteolysis.

Improving vitamin D3 stability to environmental and processing stresses using mixed micelles.

Deficiency of vitamin-D is prevalent globally and can lead to negative health consequences. The fat-soluble nature of vitamin-D, coupled with its sensitivity to heat, light and oxygen limits its incorporation into foods. Mixed micelles (MM) have potential to enhance bioavailability of vitamin-D. This study explores the stability of MM to food processing regimes and their ability to protect vitamin-D. Subjecting MM to a range of shearing speeds (8,000-20,500 rpm) and to high pressure processing (600 MPa, 120sec) resulted in no change in MM size (4.1-4.5 nm). MM improved the retention of vitamin-D following exposure to UV-C light, near UV/visible light, and heat treatment. MM suspensions protected vitamin-D over a four week storage period at refrigeration or freezer conditions. Overall MM show potential to protect vitamin-D from degradation encountered in food processing and storage and may be beneficial as a mechanism to fortify foods with vitamin-D.

Identification of adducts formed between acrolein and alanine or serine in fried potato crisps and the cytotoxicity-lowering effect of acrolein in three cell lines.

In physiological and thermally-processed conditions, alanine and serine efficiently eliminate acrolein to generate two main adducts, 2-(5-formyl-3,6-dihydropyridin-1(2H)-yl) propanoic acid and 2-(5-formyl-3,6-dihydropyridin-1(2H)-yl)-3-hydroxypropanoic acid, with amounts of 81.6 ± 4.24 µg/kg and 23.72 ± 0.40 µg/kg in fried potato crisps, respectively. Adduct formation markedly decreased the cytotoxicity of acrolein against Caco-2, GES-1 and HUVEC cells. The cell viability of them remained approximately100% after incubation with 200 µmolL-1 adducts, while the IC50 values for acrolein in the three cells were 66, 54, and 16 µmolL-1 respectively. The adducts express the protective effects by tremendous reduction of cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and DNA damage.

Utilization of tofu processing wastewater as a source of the bioactive peptide lunasin.

The goal of our study was to design a simple and feasible method to obtain lunasin, a naturally-occurring bioactive peptide, from tofu whey wastewater. A combination of alcoholic precipitation of high-molecular weight proteins from the whey, isoelectric precipitation of lunasin enriched material, and purification via gel filtration chromatography was selected as the best approach using tofu whey prepared at the laboratory scale. This process was applied to tofu whey produced by a local tofu factory and 773 mg of 80% purity lunasin was obtained per kg of dry tofu whey. Significant reduction of nitric oxide, and pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 over lipopolysaccharide activated murine macrophages demonstrate its biological activity. Our three-step process is not only simpler and faster than the previously reported methods to obtain lunasin but provides a sustainable approach for the valorization of a waste product, promoting the better utilization of soybean nutrients and active compounds.

Effect of various roasting, extraction and drinking conditions on furan and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural levels in coffee.

Furan and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) were quantified in 108 coffee models prepared considering the species/origin of the coffee beans, roasting temperature/time, mesh size used to sieve the ground coffee beans, type of extraction water and extraction method. The effect of drinking conditions, such as adding sugar or cream, on furan and 5-HMF levels, was also studied. The range of furan and 5-HMF in coffee samples were 5-362 ppb and 51-1143 ppm, respectively. Furan levels were increased by 198-560% with increasing roasting temperature/time and by 106-399% in cold-brew extracts compared with espresso extracts. Among the mesh sizes used, 500 µm with espresso extraction, and 710 µm with cold-brew extraction led to maximal furan levels. 5-HMF concentration was highest in Robusta coffee and espresso extracts, and decreased by 17-76% with increasing roasting temperature/time. In a drinking condition study, furan level was remained unchanged, even when sugar or cream were added.

Effects of manufacturing procedures and preparation conditions on European Union priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Oolong tea samples.

The study evaluated the changes in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of Oolong tea samples at each heat treatment stage of the manufacturing process, different post-treatment methods and different brewing conditions. The content of PAHs in the tea leaves was significantly increased during stir fixation (280 °C for 8 min) stage of the manufacturing process. In the subsequent heat treatment process, the PAHs content did not change much until the Oolong tea product (primary) was further roasted. The level of PAHs increased with the roasting time. Charcoal roasting resulted in higher PAHs content in the product compared with electric roasting. Higher brewing temperature caused higher level of PAHs released into the tea infusion. The level of released PAHs decreased with the increase of the number of tea brewing (the total released PAHs was about 4%). The risk assessment results for PAHs in the tea infusions showed a low level of health concern.

Effects of the structure and gel properties of myofibrillar protein on chicken breast quality treated with ultrasound-assisted potassium alginate.

This paper aimed to evaluate the effects of the structure and gel properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) on 300-days-old chicken breast quality treated with ultrasound (300 W) and low addition (4 mg/mL) of potassium alginate (UPA). The results showed that UPA group exhibited lower liquid loss and optimized texture correlated with the formed water barrier and damaged myofibrils. UPA reduced the MP size and increased its solubility, and the decreased myosin thermostability and dissociated actomyosin reduced heating time for improved texture. UPA improved the gel strength, elastic modulus and ordered-arrangement of network. During gelation, the aggregation of myosin head was weakened and cross-linking of myosin tail and PA molecules was enhanced by hydrophobic interactions. UPA further inhibited the formation of disulfide bonds of myosin head and increased gel firmness. The lower myosin gelling temperature thus accelerated gel formation, and enhanced protein association with PA molecules facilitated the better gel performance.

Improving the bioactive ingredients and functions of asparagus from efficient to emerging processing technologies: A review.

Historically, asparagus is a vegetable with abundant phytochemicals (polyphenols, saponins, asparagusic acid, and alkaloids) and crucial bioactivities (neuroprotective, antianxiety, antityrosinase, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiasthma effects). Numerous investigations indicated that processing technologies have a significant influence on the physicochemical, functional, and microstructural characteristics of asparagus. This review presents an updated overview of novel applications of processing technologies, including ultrasound treatments (in terms of extraction, purification, and preservation), heating treatments (hydrothermal treatments, thermal treatments, and combination heating treatments), high-pressure processing, representative shelf-life extension technologies, and green extraction technologies. These physical technologies enhance the yields of bioactive substances, bioactivities and product quality. In addition, utilizing the novel technologies (ohmic heating, cold plasma, pulsed electric fields, membrane processing) and conventional technologies with novel effects to fully develop the potential of asparagus should also be taken into consideration in the future.

Effects of processing parameters on furan formation in canned strawberry jam.

The formation mechanism of furan has been studied extensively in model systems, however, furan formation in real foods are complex and far from being fully understood. In this study, the effects of acid-regulating agent (citric acid), sugar addition (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and thickening agents (xanthan gum, κ-carrageenan and pectin) on furan levels in strawberry jams were studied; meanwhile the formation pathway of furan in canned strawberry jam was proposed by carbon module labeling (CAMOLA) technique. Our results suggested low pH promoted furan formation in strawberry jam. Besides, fructose produces more furans than sucrose and glucose, and the addition of xanthan gum reduced furan levels significantly. The kinetic data showed that ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acid degradation followed first-order kinetics while rate of furan formation followed zero-order kinetics. This study presented the possibility of mitigating furan formation in canned strawberry jams by optimization of processing parameters and addition of xanthan gum.

Unravelling the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Protective Effect of Lactate on the High-Pressure Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes.

Formulations with lactate as an antimicrobial and high-pressure processing (HPP) as a lethal treatment are combined strategies used to control L. monocytogenes in cooked meat products. Previous studies have shown that when HPP is applied in products with lactate, the inactivation of L. monocytogenes is lower than that without lactate. The purpose of the present work was to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the piezo-protection effect of lactate. Two L. monocytogenes strains (CTC1034 and EGDe) were independently inoculated in a cooked ham model medium without and with 2.8% potassium lactate. Samples were pressurized at 400 MPa for 10 min at 10 °C. Samples were subjected to RNA extraction, and a shotgun transcriptome sequencing was performed. The short exposure of L. monocytogenes cells to lactate through its inoculation in a cooked ham model with lactate 1h before HPP promoted a shift in the pathogen's central metabolism, favoring the metabolism of propanediol and ethanolamine together with the synthesis of the B12 cofactor. Moreover, the results suggest an activated methyl cycle that would promote modifications in membrane properties resulting in an enhanced resistance of the pathogen to HPP. This study provides insights on the mechanisms developed by L. monocytogenes in response to lactate and/or HPP and sheds light on the understanding of the piezo-protective effect of lactate.

The Effect of the Addition of Fiber Preparations on the Color of Medium-Grounded Pasteurized and Sterilized Model Canned Meat Products.

A beneficial aspect of the use of fiber preparations in the meat industry is the improvement of some quality characteristics of meat products. However, the preparation added in the amount of 3 or 6% may affect their color. The effect of the addition of barley, wheat and oat fiber preparations with different fiber lengths, in quantities allowing the product to be indicated as "high in fiber" or "source of fiber", to pasteurized or sterilized medium-grounded canned meat products on their color, was determined. In the obtained canned meat products, the basic chemical composition and the L*, a* and b*, C* (Chroma) and h* (hue angle) color components were determined. The addition of the barley fiber preparation BG 300 to the model canned meat products caused a significant (p ≤ 0.05) darkening and an increase in the proportion of yellow color. In an industrial practice, this may result in poorer consumer acceptance of the meat product. Fiber length of wheat and barley fiber had no effect on the color components of products. The 6% addition of the wheat fiber preparations WF 200R and WF 600R or the oat fiber preparations HF 200 and HF 600 caused an apparent lightening of their color (ΔE > 2) compared to the control products.

Rapid and real-time detection of black tea fermentation quality by using an inexpensive data fusion system.

Intelligent identification of black tea fermentation quality is becoming a bottleneck to industrial automation. This study presents at-line rapid detection of black tea fermentation quality at industrial scale based on low-cost micro-near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and laboratory-made computer vision system (CVS). High-performance liquid chromatography and a spectrophotometer were used for determining the content of catechins and theaflavins, and the color of tea samples, respectively. Hierarchical cluster analysis combined with sensory evaluation was used to group samples through different fermentation degrees. A principal component analysis-support vector machine (SVM) model was developed to discriminate the black tea fermentation degree using color, spectral, and data fusion information; high accuracy (calibration = 95.89%, prediction = 89.19%) was achieved using mid-level data fusion. In addition, SVM model for theaflavins content prediction was established. The results indicated that the micro-NIRS combined with CVS proved a portable and low-cost tool for evaluating the black tea fermentation quality.

Categorisation of culturable bioaerosols in a fruit juice manufacturing facility.

Bioaerosols are defined as aerosols that comprise particles of biological origin or activity that may affect living organisms through infectivity, allergenicity, toxicity, or through pharmacological or other processes. Interest in bioaerosol exposure has increased over the last few decades. Exposure to bioaerosols may cause three major problems in the food industry, namely: (i) contamination of food (spoilage); (ii) allergic reactions in individual consumers; or (iii) infection by means of pathogenic microorganisms present in the aerosol. The aim of this study was to characterise the culturable fraction of bioaerosols in the production environment of a fruit juice manufacturing facility and categorise isolates as harmful, innocuous or potentially beneficial to the industry, personnel and environment. Active sampling was used to collect representative samples of five areas in the facility during peak and off-peak seasons. Areas included the entrance, preparation and mixing area, between production lines, bottle dispersion and filling stations. Microbes were isolated and identified using 16S, 26S or ITS amplicon sequencing. High microbial counts and species diversity were detected in the facility. 239 bacteria, 41 yeasts and 43 moulds were isolated from the air in the production environment. Isolates were categorised into three main groups, namely 27 innocuous, 26 useful and 39 harmful bioaerosols. Harmful bioaerosols belonging to the genera Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Penicillium and Candida were present. Although innocuous and useful bioaerosols do not negatively influence human health their presence act as an indicator that an ideal environment exists for possible harmful bioaerosols to emerge.

The effect of different pretreatments followed by enzyme reaction on preparing shape-retaining softened burdock.

To prepare texture-softened burdock that maintains its original shape, the effect of three different pretreatments before pectinase reaction (ENZ) up to 3 h: heating and drying (HD), freeze-thawing after heating and then drying (HFTD), or freeze-drying after heating (HFD) was compared. The hardness of raw burdock could be decreased by 15% after ENZ up to 3 h. The order of hardness by pretreatment was HFD (-93.3%) < HFTD (-80.7%) < HD (-52.8%) < R (raw), implying that the burdock could be softened by pretreatment itself. By the combination of pretreatment and ENZ, HFTD-ENZ for 3 h or HFD-ENZ over 2 h produced excellent softening. Hardness less than 2.0 × 104 (N/m2) was obtained by HFD followed by ENZ over 2 h, and this could possibly be ingested by the tongue without chewing. More chlorogenic acid was also detected with those samples.

Identification of ß-carotene oxidation products produced by bleaching clay using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS.

The removal of plant pigments such as ß-carotene is an aspect of vegetable oil processing often desired by the food and pharmaceutical industries. Adsorption of ß-carotene to acid-activated clay (AAC) is a well-established method for purification. Despite this, the removal mechanism of ß-carotene is not well understood. UPLC-MS/MS analysis of surface compounds extracted from ß-carotene-AAC (BC-AAC) complexes show that AAC acts as an oxidiser. Oxidation products detected included canthaxanthin and 3',4'-didehydro-ß-caroten-4-one. AAC had surface water exchanged with an 18O labelled water and was then exposed to ß-carotene. Carotenoids labelled with 18O were produced from this reaction, suggesting surface water is necessary for ß-carotene removal.

Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission among Meat Processing Workers in Nebraska, USA, and Effectiveness of Risk Mitigation Measures.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the meat processing industry in the United States. We sought to detail demographics and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections among workers in Nebraska meat processing facilities and determine the effects of initiating universal mask policies and installing physical barriers at 13 meat processing facilities. During April 1-July 31, 2020, COVID-19 was diagnosed in 5,002 Nebraska meat processing workers (attack rate 19%). After initiating both universal masking and physical barrier interventions, 8/13 facilities showed a statistically significant reduction in COVID-19 incidence in <10 days. Characteristics and incidence of confirmed cases aligned with many nationwide trends becoming apparent during this pandemic: specifically, high attack rates among meat processing industry workers, disproportionately high risk of adverse outcomes among ethnic and racial minority groups and men, and effectiveness of using multiple prevention and control interventions to reduce disease transmission.