False Additives in Canned Meats as a Source of Food Allergens

The introduction of undeclared ingredients into a food product formulation can lead to serious health problems, especially in people with allergic diseases. Identification of the composition of a food product helps to prevent possible negative consequences of the influence of allergic additives. The present study was carried out by the histological method using the example of canned meat as the most frequently falsified product. Plant-based protein products and thickening food additives were found in many samples. Conclusions are made about a high level of counterfeiting of this type of product, including allergens, which is a risk factor for human health.

Natural Gums as Oleogelators

The natural gums used as high molecular weight oleogelators are mainly polysaccharides that deliver a broad spectrum of possible utilization methods when structuring liquid fats to solid forms. The review discusses a natural gums’ structuring and gelling behavior to capture the oil droplets and form the water/oil gelling emulsions basing on their structural conformation, internal charge, and polymeric characteristics. The specific parameters and characteristics of natural gums based oleogels are also discussed. In the future, oleogels may eliminate saturated and trans fats from food products and allow the production of low-fat products, thus reducing the environmental damage caused by the excessive use of palm oil. The increasing knowledge of molecular interaction in polysaccharide chains of natural gums allows to apply more sustainable and wiser strategies towards product formulation. Innovative solutions for using oleogels based on natural polysaccharide biopolymers let incorporate them into the food matrix and replace fats completely or create blends containing the source of fats and the addition of the oleogel. The profound insight into molecular characteristics of natural gums in the function of being oleogelators is presented.

Valorisation of viscera from fish processing for food industry utilizations

Fish viscera is a valuable source of functional materials for the food industry, such as protein, oil, enzymes, protein hydrolysate, peptones, sterols, producing biodiesel, and other oleochemical industries. The major components of fish viscera are oil and protein, and their quantity depends on the fish habitats. Viscera oil from fish contains appreciable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. The protein of fish viscera is a raw material for protein concentrates, hydrolysate, and bioactive peptides. All are valuable ingredients in food processing and product formulation. Most viscera are fish digestive tracts and organs responsible for producing enzymes, and several enzymes are found in high activity, such as lipases and proteases. The extraction of lipases and proteases from fish viscera and their utilizations have been intensively studied. Currently, the isolation of each major component from fish viscera is conducted separately. Therefore, it is challenging to obtain all valuable components from fish viscera to have a zero-waste process. This article reviews the separation of major components of fish viscera by conventional and emerging technology and the proposed simultaneous and integrative separation of all valuable major components.

Amaranth and Date Flavoured Milk

Background: This project is aimed at developing a milk-based beverage combining the nutrient properties of milk, amaranth and dates. Inclusion of amaranth and dates in flavoured milk could provide product diversification and benefits to the health-conscious consumers. The objective of the present study was to develop a procedure for manufacture of an amaranth date flavoured milk (ADFM) using amaranth and date. Methods: To select the level of fat in milk, four batches of ADFM were prepared from milks containing different levels of milk fat viz. F1 (4.5%), F2 (3.0%), F3 (1.5%) and F4 (0.1%). To carry out their optimization in the final product formulation, the data was analysed using response surface methodology (RSM) using an advanced statistical software program named design expert (Version 8.0.3) was employed. Result: On the basis of overall acceptability score, ADFM prepared from milk containing fat at 3.0% fat was preferred the most. From amongst different types and levels of stabilizing salts it was found that addition of 0.15% sodium citrate prevented coagulation during sterilization. The levels of roasted amaranth flour (% w/w of milk), date extract (% w/w of milk) and sugar (% w/w of milk) for preparation of ADFM was optimized using RSM with CCRD using three independent variables. The suggested solution from RSM analysis for ADFM was: level of roasted amaranth flour: 1.61 % w/w of milk, level of date extract: 5.16% w/w of milk and sugar: 6.0% w/w of milk. The developed product has 20.83% total solid, 2.77% fat, 3.07% protein, 14.15% carbohydrate, and 0.84% ash. Results of the study revealed that an acceptable quality ADFM can be manufactured by incorporating roasted amaranth and date.

Nanotechnology as a Processing and Packaging Tool to Improve Meat Quality and Safety

Nanoparticles are gaining momentum as a smart tool towards a safer, more cost-effective and sustainable food chain. This study aimed to provide an overview of the potential uses, preparation, properties, and applications of nanoparticles to process and preserve fresh meat and processed meat products. Nanoparticles can be used to reinforce the packaging material resulting in the improvement of sensory, functional, and nutritional aspects of meat and processed meat products. Further, these particles can be used in smart packaging as biosensors to extend the shelf-life of fresh and processed meat products and also to monitor the final quality of these products during the storage period. Nanoparticles are included in product formulation as carriers of health-beneficial and/or functional ingredients. They showed great efficiency in encapsulating bioactive ingredients and preserving their properties to ensure their functionality (e.g., antioxidant and antimicrobial) in meat products. As a result, nanoparticles can efficiently contribute to ensuring product safety and quality whilst reducing wastage and costs. Nevertheless, a wider implementation of nanotechnology in meat industry is highly related to its economic value, consumers’ acceptance, and the regulatory framework. Being a novel technology, concerns over the toxicity of nanoparticles are still controversial and therefore efficient analytical tools are deemed crucial for the identification and quantification of nanocomponents in meat products. Thus, migration studies about nanoparticles from the packaging into meat and meat products are still a concern as it has implications for human health associated with their toxicity. Moreover, focused economic evaluations for implementing nanoparticles in meat packaging are crucial since the current literature is still scarce and targeted studies are needed before further industrial applications.

​Ice Cream and Frozen Yoghurt - A Suitable Carrier for Probiotics: A Review

Nowadays there has been a significant interest in the development of innovative functional food products conferring customized benefits to the consumers viz., physical and mental well-being, dental health, gastro-intestinal functions, etc. Among the dairy products with live cultures, probiotic ice cream and fermented frozen desserts such as frozen yoghurt are the emerging functional foods. Ice creams and frozen yoghurt are food products showing potential for use as probiotic vehicles and are highly popular with the consumers. The problem to be tackled relates to the loss of viability of probiotic cells in frozen dairy desserts which can occur during product formulation, processing, freezing and storage. The development of probiotic frozen dairy desserts containing live probiotic bacteria necessitates certain technological interventions. The means used to attain higher survivability of probiotic cells in such frozen products include use of selected probiotic strains, use of prebiotics along with probiotics, encapsulation of probiotic cells, use of cryoprotectants, etc.

Formulation, optimization, qualitative and quantitative analysis of new dosage form of corticosteroid

Background The objective of the present research work is to develop the entirely new drug product formulation (Ophthalmic Suspension) which belongs to the therapeutic class of steroids drugs (Corticosteroid). There are different dosage forms of Triamcinolone acetonide to treat different systemic as well as topical diseases as per patient symptomatic conditions. Due to non-availability of this active drug (Triamcinolone acetonide) ophthalmic dosage form in the national and international market research work is carried out to enter in this dosage form. Results In the formulation design and development, different inactive like polysorbate 30 mg/mL, PEG-12 glyceryl dimyristate 70 mg/mL, ethyl alcohol 10 µL/mL, citric acid 1 mg/mL, sodium citrate 3.5–4.0 mg/mL, BKC 0.15 mg/mL and water for injection have been used at different stages in different proportions during the manufacturing procedure. Gradient HPLC, C18 column, 5 µm, 100 A, 3.9 mm × 300 mm, detector UV/Vis @ 254 nm, column oven, auto-sampler, degasser, is used and this analytical testing method is validated to obtain the accurate results. The excipients play different roles including solvent, antioxidant, solubilizer, emulsifier, antibacterial, preservative, anticoagulant, antimicrobial agent, surfactant and buffers in the stability of active drug for its excellent therapeutic output results. Correlation coefficient factor is greater than 0.999 which indicates that the method has good linearity at proposed concentration against triamcinolone acetonide. Conclusions Excellent physical and chemical properties like physical appearance, pH, specific gravity, viscosity, re-suspendability, sedimentation volume is accomplished to meet the requirements of the eye treatment products. On the basis of experimental results achieved during validation process, it can be assumed that the current analysis method is more accurate, precise, specific, linear and consistency indicating in the range of 70 to 130% of the analyte concentration. From the physical, chemical behaviors and chemical assay of the newly developed drug formulation of corticosteroid (triamcinolone acetonide) it is concluded that it can be probably put for further clinical trial in different phases for human use.

Potential utilization of emulsion gels and multiple emulsions as delivery systems to produce healthier meat products

In recent years the increase in consumers’ demands for healthy food have accelerated the studies searching for innovative approaches in meat product formulations. Developing a healthier lipid profile and reducing fat are the most important goals in the meat industry. One of the main problems of animal fat replacement with plant oils is maintaining the technological and sensory properties of the products. Pre-emulsions provide a great opportunity to carry the healthier plant oils to meat systems for increasing mono and polyunsaturated fatty acid content, since adding liquid plant oils directly to product formulation can have technological and sensory problems. Using emulsion gels and multiple emulsions prepared with polyunsaturated oils could be a good option to achieve healthier meat products. This review addresses the emulsion gel and multiple emulsion properties and their use in meat products as fat replacers.