Effects of drying methods and acidic strength on physicochemical properties of potassium caseinate

The aims of the present study were to characterize physicochemical characteristics and chemical structures by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and mark dissolved protein content, microstructure, and moisture content of potassium caseinate prepared by drying methods and acid strength. The experiment was arranged according to factorial complete randomized design with triplicates, while data from FTIR and microstructure analysis was presented descriptively. The results demonstrated that acids and drying methods for preparing potassium caseinate could increase antioxidant activity, a* score (reddish) and b* score (yellowish). Specifically, freeze-drying method coupled with acid treatments accounted for reducing moisture content but improved viscosity and microstructural properties. Briefly, we could argue that drying techniques and acids established noticeable effects on the quality of potassium caseinate.

Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.) seed oil: press extraction, optimization, characterization, and oxidative stability

In order to optimize the screw-press extraction conditions of oil from goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.) seeds obtained from nectar processing waste, a face centered design was applied. The oil was extracted at different temperatures (60, 80, and 100°C) and seed moisture contents (8, 10, and 12%). Oil recovery (OR) increased and residual oil in the cake decreased significantly as moisture content and temperature were reduced; oil moisture and volatile matter as well as acid value, K232, K268, and p-anisidine, respectively, decreased proportionally with the moisture extraction. Thus, the highest OR (86.4%) and the best quality were obtained at 8% moisture content and 60°C pressing temperature. Under these conditions, the extracted oil presented high linoleic acid (76.0%), iodine value (140.0 mg I2/g), and refractive index (1.4769). The oil stability index, measured by Rancimat, varied from 3.65 h (120°C) to 14.87 h (100°C); the predicted shelf life at 25°C was 120.4 days and the activation energy was 85.6 kJ/mol. The results highlighted that screw-pressing of goldenberry seeds provides quality oil without employing polluting and hazardous solvents.

Effect of different thawing methods on quality properties of stuffed pasta (manti)

Stuffed pasta or ‘manti’ is a traditional food consumed fondly in Turkey. For consumption, it is produced as fresh, frozen or dried manti. Frozen manti is cooked directly without thawing. The present study investigated the effects of different thawing processes on physicochemical properties and sensory qualities of frozen stuffed pasta (manti). The following five thawing processes were used individually: (1) infrared, (2) microwave (3) infrared-assisted microwave, (4) dry hot air and (5) running water thawing. The storing temperatures of manti found in the market were 10°C and 24.5°C. Consequently, manti samples were thawed up to these temperatures. It was determined that the shortest thawing period (20 sec) was that of infrared-assisted microwave process. The longest process was dry hot-air thawing (420 sec) in manti samples that were thawed until refrigerator (+4°C) and room temperatures (24.5°C). Thawing methods did not change pH, moisture values and weight gain (p > 0.05). It was found that sensory qualities and amount of dry matter passing into the water of samples were different (p < 0.05). It was concluded that thawing was necessary for frozen manti, and the best method was microwave thawing.

Circular economy in the brewing chain

The main aim of this review was to check for the applicability of the concept of circular economy to brewing chain. By analyzing the beer brewing process, it was possible to identify the main brewery wastes formed and packaging materials used as well as their range of composition and yields. In order to reduce the contribution of packaging material to the carbon footprint of beer, it would be necessary to replace one-way containers used nowadays with lighter, reusable, or recycled ones. Even if the contribution of beer consumption phase was taken into account, there was no definitive solution about the less environmentally impacting beer packaging format. The direct management of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging for liquid foodstuffs could make available 100% recycled PET flakes to be reconverted into food-grade bottles with minimum downcycling to other non-food usage. The countless potential uses of brewery wastes in nutritional and biotechnological fields were tested in laboratory by disregarding any cost–benefit or market analysis. This was mainly because the estimated market price of dried brewer’s spent grain (BSG) resulted to be about 450% higher than that of conventional lignocellulose residues. All the alternative uses hailed in the literature appeared to be more useful for publishing articles than for defining any economically feasible reusing procedure for all brewery wastes. Owing to their high moisture content, such wastes are so perishable as to prevent their safe usage in the human food chain. Currently, their use as-is in animal feeding is the disposal method not only economically feasible but also able to reduce the greenhouse gas load of beer packed in glass bottles (GB) by about one-third of that associated with packaging materials. Not by chance, it is practiced by most industrial and craft breweries.

Replacement of meat by mycoproteins in cooked sausages: Effects on oxidative stability, texture, and color

Processed meat is one of the most consumed products worldwide. Naturally, production of proteins with animal origins includes limitations such as costs, energy, time, and environmental problems. Thus, replacement of meats by alternative biomaterials such as mycoproteins can be promising. Mycoproteins with hyphal morphologies, including branches and lengths, have close structures to meat and can be a potential alternative for meat products. Therefore, the major objectives of this study included complete replacement of sausage meats by mycoproteins and comparing characteristics of the novel formula with those of meat. In general, physicochemical, microbial, nutritional, and mechanical characteristics of the formulas were assessed. Results showed that the mycoprotein substitution improved the nutritional and health effects due to the higher valuable protein and lower lipid contents. Besides, it had a high content of essential amino acid and unsaturated fatty acid, compared to meat sausage. Absence of yeasts, molds, Salmonella spp., Eshrichia (E.)coli, and Staphiloccocus (S.)aureus verified the effectiveness of the heat treatment and also the effectiveness of the hygienic procedures in both samples. With regard to phycicochemical properties, more contents of moisture and lipids in sausages containing mycoprotein were linked to further water binding capacity (WBC) (P < 0.05) and oil binding capacity (OBC) in them, compared to beef samples. Besides, the mycoprotein sample had lower (P < 0.05) values of carbohydrates, ash, and pH, compared to the beef sample. In contrast, beef sausages had better textural characteristics, such as hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and springiness indexes, compared to mycoprotein sausages. Higher water and OBC values of the mycoproteins led to the filling of the protein interstitial spaces as well as decreasing of the textural attributes. Thus, it resulted in the use of less oil and water in mycoprotein formulations. In conclusion, mycoproteins can be addressed as appropriate replacements for meats in sausages.

Effect of different plants’ aromatic essential oils on frozen Awassi lamb meat’s chemical and physical characteristics

The effect of drenching Awassi lambs with three aromatic essential oils from sage (Salvia officinalis L.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.), and laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) was investigated on meat chemical and physical characteristics, and oxidative and deterioration measurements. Twenty-four Awassi lambs, five to six months old, were divided into four groups. A concentrated diet was provided to the lambs at a rate of 3% of the body weight. The treatments were as follows: T1 was served as the untreated control, while T2, T3, and T4 were drenched with oils of sage, clove, and laurel, respectively. Drenching was carried out using water-soluble capsules containing 500 mg oil/capsule/day. Treatments lasted 90 days. At the end of the treatment period, the animals were fasted overnight and slaughtered. The carcasses were cleaned and kept at 4°C for 24 h. The longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was then separated and preserved in a plastic bag for three preservation periods: no freezing and 30 days and 60 days freezing at −18°C. Several physical, fat, and protein stability analyses of meat were done after the preservation periods. The results indicated no significant effect of drenching Awassi lambs with different aromatic essential oils on the meat’s physical and chemical characteristics. However, these oils, especially clove oil, affected fat and protein stability with increasing preservation period by freezing.

Effect of addition of Tunisian Zizyphus lotus L. Fruits on nutritional and sensory qualities of cookies

Zizyphus lotus, which belongs to Rhamnaceae family, has been widely used to formulate many healthy food products. The aim of this work was to formulate new functional cookies enriched with different amounts of Zizyphus lotus powder (ZLP; 15%, 30%, 45% and 100%). The chemical properties of ZLP were also determined. The formulated cookies were evaluated for their physicochemical, textural and sensory characteristics. Results revealed that ZLP contained various bioactive components, fatty acids, and antioxidants. ZLP-added cookies demonstrated higher phytochemical and antioxidant activities than control cookies prepared without ZLP. The activity of ZLP cookies was enhanced with increase of ZLP level. Hardness and fracturability (brittleness) of cookies increased with increasing amount of ZLP. Results of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis also revealed the presence of many bioactive compounds in formulated cookies. All cookie samples were generally accepted, but the panelists indicated a higher preference for cookies containing 15% ZLP.

Med-index: a food product labeling system to promote adherence to the mediterranean diet encouraging producers to make healthier and more sustainable food products

Consumers are increasingly demanding transparency in food labeling as they want more and better information about what they are eating and where their food comes from. Several food indexes have been developed in the last decades to promote healthy eating with the aim of reducing certain diseases such as obesity, cancer, and diabetes. The Mediterranean diet is known to be one of the healthiest dietary patterns, and it is associated with a lower incidence of mortality from all-causes, and it is also related to a lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases; however, a comprehensive index that quantifies the Mediteraneaness of foods is still missing. The real European challenge is to identify a uniform labeling system for the whole of Europe which promotes a healthy lifestyle. This article describes the development of the Mediterranean Index (MI), which aims to accurately measure the degree of food Mediterraneaness. The MI simultaneously integrates nutritional and sustainability characteristics of foods. The MI may provide an objective basis for the use of the “Mediterraneaness” label on food products, which can ultimately promote adherence to the Mediterranean diet encouraging producers to make healthier and more sustainable food products. Growing consumer concern toward health foods for better health can be a factor useful to promote the applicability of the precision nutrition principles by means of conscious choice.

Effects of the drying method for flowers of Cynara cardunculus var. Altilis on milk coagulating properties

In the production of some traditional cheeses from vegetable rennet, raw extracts of Cynara cardunculus flowers are used as the coagulant. During the preparation of this rennet, there are many factors that can influence its coagulation activity. We studied the flowers of Cynara cardunculus var. altilis to evaluate the effects of some of these factors: ripening stage of the flower at harvest, type of drying, part of the flower subjected to drying, toasting of the pistils, and maceration time of the pistils. The results show that it is possible to improve the coagulation activity of the traditional preparation of Cynara cardunculus flowers through some practices such as the rapid drying of the flowers/pistils at a controlled temperature, the toasting treatment of the pistils carried out after the slow drying of the flowers, and the extension of the extraction time to 24 h.

Factors affecting the cooking quality of stored carioca beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

The culinary quality of carioca beans is related to their market value and consumer acceptability. The depreciation of the cooking/technological quality of the product occurs mainly because of the integument browning and the longer cooking time of the grains, which are influenced by the storage time and conditions. The loss of culinary quality reduces the market value of carioca beans because consumers reject darkened grains that are attributed to a longer cooking time. As a result, cooking time (resistance to cooking), the color of the integument, and the texture of the cooked beans are determinant factors in the acceptance of carioca bean cultivars. The browning of the grain integument and the cooking time mainly depends on the environmental conditions, storage time, the tegument of each genotype, and the chemical and physical properties of the cotyledons. Therefore, this review aims to survey the scientific literature on the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect the culinary quality of carioca beans.