Wine Faults: State of Knowledge in Reductive Aromas, Oxidation and Atypical Aging, Prevention, and Correction Methods.

The review summarizes the latest scientific findings and recommendations for the prevention of three very common wine faults of non-microbial origin. The first group, presented by the reductive aromas, is caused mainly by excessive H2S and other volatile sulfur compounds with a negative impact on wine quality. The most efficient prevention of undesirable reductive aromas in wine lies in creating optimal conditions for yeast and controlling the chemistry of sulfur compounds, and the pros and cons of correction methods are discussed. The second is browning which is associated especially with the enzymatic and non-enzymatic reaction of polyphenols and the prevention of this fault is connected with decreasing the polyphenol content in must, lowering oxygen access during handling, the use of antioxidants, and correction stands for the use of fining agents. The third fault, atypical aging, mostly occurs in the agrotechnics of the entire green land cover in the vineyard and the associated stress from lack of nutrients and moisture. Typical fox tones, naphthalene, or wet towel off-odors, especially in white wines are possible to prevent by proper moisture and grassland cover and alternating greenery combined with harmonious nutrition, while the correction is possible only partially with an application of fresh yeast. With the current knowledge, the mistakes in wines of non-microbial origin can be reliably prevented. Prevention is essential because corrective solutions for the faults are difficult and never perfect.

Analysis of data from the rapid alert system for food and feed for the country-of-origin Slovakia for 2002-2020.

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) plays a pivotal role in regulating food safety in the European Union by enabling the competent authorities in each Member State to issue warnings for removing unsafe or illegal items from the market. This article undertakes a comprehensive analysis of RASFF data on Slovak food from 2002 to 2020, to investigate the trends in notifications, actions executed, hazard categories, and product categories within the food industry. Our scrutiny of the RASFF data revealed fluctuations in the counts of alerts and information notifications across years, indicating periods of heightened hazard detection and enhanced transparency within the system. Various measures, including destruction, recall, notification, and prohibition, were employed to address these hazards and ensure the safety and compliance of food products. The hazard categories exhibited sporadic patterns, underscoring the necessity for ongoing surveillance and regulatory interventions. Specific product categories, such as dietetic foods, food supplements, and fortified foods, registered higher incidences of hazards in specific years, implying the need for intensified safety precautions. These findings highlight the importance of sustained efforts in maintaining food safety and managing risks within the industry.

Effect of Essential Oils and Dried Herbs on the Shelf Life of Fresh Goat Lump Cheese.

In recent years, the use of natural preservatives in food products has gained significant attention due to their potential health benefits and effectiveness. A standardized microbiological analysis was conducted on Slovak farm-produced lump goat cheese samples to determine the antibacterial activity of dry herbs and essential oils added to vacuum-packed goat cheese. We employed five dried herbs and five essential oils derived from the same plants. The microbiological quality of 145 fresh and vacuum-packed goat cheese samples was assessed. The number of coliform bacteria, total viable count, lactic acid bacteria, and microscopic filamentous fungi were examined in raw cheese samples stored for 12 days at 4 °C. All cheese samples were vacuum-packed (control samples were packed without vacuum). This study evaluated the potential benefits of using essential oils and dried herbs from thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.), black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), clove (Eugenia caryophyllus Thunb.), mint (Mentha × piperita L.), and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) as preservatives. The essential oils were obtained from Hanus Ltd., Nitra, Slovakia, and were applied at a concentration of 2%. The dried herbs were obtained from Popradský caj (Poprad, Slovakia) and Mäspoma Ltd. (Zvolen, Slovakia). The results showed that all microorganism groups were significantly reduced in cheese samples following the application of essential oils throughout the entire storage period. During the preservation of cheese samples in polyethylene bags used for vacuum packing food, Lactococcus garvieae, L. lactis, Enterobacter cloacae, and Serratia liquefaciens were the most frequently isolated microbiota. Essential oils and dried herbs demonstrated antimicrobial potential during the storage of vacuum-packed goat cheese.

The Effect of Heat Treatment on Cow's Milk Protein Profiles.

Milk is a food of high nutritional value processed by heat treatment. Heat treatment of milk is a technological process designed to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and extend the shelf life of products. The heating process directly affects the molecular structure of whey proteins by the process of denaturation. It leads to the formation of a whey protein−casein polymer complex. Based on these facts, milk heat-treatment conditions should be controlled during milk processing. This work focuses on describing the whey protein denaturation process and formation of the complex of whey protein with casein. The effect of heat treatment on individual milk protein fractions alpha-casein (α-cas), beta-casein (ß-cas), kappa-casein (κ-cas), beta-lactoglobulin (ß-lg) and alpha-lactalbumin (α-la) was studied by SDS-PAGE. Formation of the whey protein−casein polymer complex increased significantly (p < 0.05) on increasing the temperature and duration of the heat treatment.

Content of Mineral Elements in the Traditional Ostiepok Cheese.

Ostiepok is traditional half-fat semi-hard cheese manufactured in Slovak Republic. In this research, we have analyzed the content of macro-elements (calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium) and micro-elements (chromium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc) in Ostiepok cheese samples collected from various parts of Slovak Republic. The analysis of Ostiepok cheese samples (n = 19) was carried out by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The macro-element concentrations in the investigated samples varied quite significantly with the highest values recorded for sodium with its average concentration of 8083 mg kg-1. The second highest macro-element concentration was observed for calcium with the average concentration of 6850 mg kg-1. Average concentration of zinc was 23.2 mg kg-1; iron, 14.1 mg kg-1; and copper, 10.0 mg kg-1. The concentration of macro- and micro-elements varied from sample to sample, but we can conclude that the traditional Ostiepok cheese is a suitable source of some minerals important for human health. Based on the RDA, the exposure amounts of analyzed samples are low, and no element can be referred to as significant since none reaches 15% of the nutrient reference values, according to EC Regulation 1169/2011.