小分子糖时-空特征及在高糖食品加工保藏中应用的研究进展

单糖和寡糖等小分子糖不同时-空层面的物性转变是决定高糖食品加工保藏性能、安全性和营养价值体现的重要因素。时-空特征,作为描述不同相态下小分子糖分子或基团运动状态的全新参量,已被证实与高糖食品加工保藏过程中的品质劣变及受扩散限制反应的速率间存在明显因果关系。因此针对小分子糖时-空特征规律的深入认识,是保障小分子糖精深加工及研发和构筑功能性高糖食品结构的一种全新思路和技术手段。本文综述了小分子糖时-空特征理论的发展进程,重点介绍了基于热力学方法的时-空特征表征量—Strength值。同时,针对该参量在高糖食品防潮、抗结晶及受扩散限制反应速率调控方面的应用潜力展开了论述。旨在为推动时-空特征规律调控这一全新方法在高糖食品加工保藏性能改善中的应用提供理论储备和技术参考。     

The effect of temperature on adhesion forces between surfaces and model foods containing whey protein and sugar

The formation of fouling deposit from foods and food components is a severe problem in food processing and leads to frequent cleaning. The design of surfaces that resist fouling may decrease the need for cleaning and thus increase efficiency. Atomic force microscopy has been used to measure adhesion forces between stainless steel (SS) and fluoro-coated glass (FCG) microparticles and the model food deposits (i) whey protein (WPC), (ii) sweetened condensed milk, and (iii) caramel. Measurements were performed over a range of processing temperatures between 30 and 90 °C and at contact times up to 60 s. There is a significant increase in adhesion force of both types of microparticle to WPC at 90 °C for all contact times. For confectionary deposits adhesion to SS was similar. Adhesion of confectionary deposits to FCG at 30 °C revealed a decrease in adhesion compared to SS; at higher temperatures the adhesion forces were similar.     

Food materials adhesion: A review

This article reviews the various theories of adhesion mechanisms and, more specifically, studies concerning foodstuffs adhesion to industrial equipment and packaging surfaces. Adhesion is governed by mechanical interlocking, wetting, electrostatic and chemical forces, and diffusion. Direct conclusions about the validity of one of these theories were seldom made in the empirical studies reviewed. The different food adhesion determination methods were detailed: direct observations, evaluations (weighting, UV absorbance, and adhesive loss), adhesion strength measurements, and indirect measurements via the wetting theory (tilted plane method, contact angle, and surface tension). The importance of proteins, product rheological properties, solid surface rugosity, and wetting phenomena in many adhesion cases is highlighted. Conclusions were made that fundamental mechanisms of food‐contact surfaces interactions still need to be investigated to improve understanding in the science of food materials.     

FOOD TEXTURE AND ITS EFFECT ON INGESTION, MASTICATION AND SWALLOWING

The oral processing of most semisolid and solid foods can be summarized in terms of two opposing mechanical influences: forces that fracture food particles versus those that make them adhere to each other. During either the ingestion of food into the mouth or the early stages of mastication, the aim of processing solid food particles is usually to fracture them. However, later on towards swallowing, adhesion is desirable in order to try to form a sticky food bolus that could clear the mouth of isolated food fragments. Neither of these tendencies is actually a function of any particular force (or stress) or displacement (or strain) on food particles, but is instead controlled by energy. Food particles can adhere not only to each other but to the mouth's surfaces. This produces friction. While this is essential for the tongue to grip food particles and move them around the mouth, it also adds to the work that mouthparts must do during processing and may affect sensory perception of food quality. Successful processing of foods in the mouth requires a considerable amount of neural feedback from sensory receptors. We focus here on recent evidence about these sensory receptors with an attempt to reinterpret their role in terms of textural perception.     

Cleaning and other control and validation strategies to prevent allergen cross-contact in food-processing operations

Food allergies affect an estimated 10 to 12 million people in the United States. Some of these individuals can develop life-threatening allergic reactions when exposed to allergenic proteins. At present, the only successful method to manage food allergies is to avoid foods containing allergens. Consumers with food allergies rely on food labels to disclose the presence of allergenic ingredients. However, undeclared allergens can be inadvertently introduced into a food via cross-contact during manufacturing. Although allergen removal through cleaning of shared equipment or processing lines has been identified as one of the critical points for effective allergen control, there is little published information on the effectiveness of cleaning procedures for removing allergenic materials from processing equipment. There also is no consensus on how to validate or verify the efficacy of cleaning procedures. The objectives of this review were (i) to study the incidence and cause of allergen cross-contact, (ii) to assess the science upon which the cleaning of food contact surfaces is based, (iii) to identify best practices for cleaning allergenic foods from food contact surfaces in wet and dry manufacturing environments, and (iv) to present best practices for validating and verifying the efficacy of allergen cleaning protocols.     

Occurrence and distribution of listeria species in facilities producing ready-to-eat foods in British Columbia, Canada

In British Columbia (BC), Canada, food processing facilities licensed under provincial authority are not required to sample for Listeria monocytogenes in food products or processing environments. In 2009, we conducted a survey of dairy, fish, and meat facilities under BC authority to estimate the prevalence of Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and production environments. From August to October, 250 RTE food samples and 258 swabs from the food processing environments of 43 facilities were collected. Standard culture methods were applied to both food samples and swabs. Of swabs collected from all 258 environmental surfaces, 15% were positive for Listeria spp. Significantly (P, 0.001) more fish facilities than dairy and meat facilities had food contact surfaces contaminated with Listeria spp. L. monocytogenes was found in RTE foods from fish facilities alone (5 of 12); in all five of the fish facilities with contaminated product, one or more environmental swabs were also positive for L. monocytogenes. The results suggest that while control of L. monocytogenes in BC-inspected dairy and meat facilities is effective in limiting food contamination, there is a need for provincial inspectors to initiate improved monitoring and management of contamination by L. monocytogenes in RTE fish processing facilities.     

Mathematical model of Listeria monocytogenes cross-contamination in a fish processing plant

Listeriosis is a foodborne disease caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The food industry and government agencies devote considerable resources to reducing contamination of ready-to-eat foods with L. monocytogenes. Because inactivation treatments can effectively eliminate L. monocytogenes present on raw materials, postprocessing cross-contamination from the processing plant environment appears to be responsible for most L. monocytogenes food contamination events. An improved understanding of cross-contamination pathways is critical to preventing L. monocytogenes contamination. Therefore, a plant-specific mathematical model of L. monocytogenes cross-contamination was developed, which described the transmission of L. monocytogenes contamination among food, food contact surfaces, employees' gloves, and the environment. A smoked fish processing plant was used as a model system. The model estimated that 10.7% (5th and 95th percentile, 0.05% and 22.3%, respectively) of food products in a lot are likely to be contaminated with L. monocytogenes. Sensitivity analysis identified the most significant input parameters as the frequency with which employees' gloves contact food and food contact surfaces, and the frequency of changing gloves. Scenario analysis indicated that the greatest reduction of the within-lot prevalence of contaminated food products can be achieved if the raw material entering the plant is free of contamination. Zero contamination of food products in a lot was possible but rare. This model could be used in a risk assessment to quantify the potential public health benefits of in-plant control strategies to reduce cross-contamination.     

Isotherms and package life: Some advances in emballistics

Package-life calculations are the first evidence of ‘reasonable care’ in the packaging of hygroscopic goods. Three generations of emballistic calculation are traced here, from log tables via hand-held calculators to personal microcomputers. The third stage is shown to be capable of dealing with foods having isotherms that were previously intractable. In particular, packs of sugar-rich foods that switch from one isotherm to another by recrystallisation can now be provided with life-curves; they show that calculations based on the earlier formulae might result in over-protecting by a factor of two.     

RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF COHESION AND ADHESION FOR SENSORY STICKINESS OF SEMISOLID FOODS

Sensory stickiness (sticky mouthfeel) was hypothesized to result from the viscoelastic and adhesive properties of a foodstuff. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relative importance of these two properties. Measurements consisted of compression – decompression cycles on a texture analyzer, with product, type of surface, the presence or absence of saliva and compression regime as variables. Products included commercial mayonnaises, custard desserts and warm sauces, varying in apparent viscosity (at shear rate of 10 s ^?1 ) between 0.3 and 18.3 Pa.s. Fairly good models were obtained, predicting sensory stickiness with R² = 0.85–0.92. The predictive value of the mathematical models did not increase when the surface characteristics approached those of the human tongue (use of porcine lingual mucosa). Different surfaces or the use of saliva resulted in differences in the absolute values of the parameters, but their relative values when comparing different products did not change. The parameters appearing in the predictive models represented product characteristics only. The type of surface was not an important factor in determining differences in sensory stickiness between these samples. For the products used in this study, adhesion was large enough to prevent detachment of the sample from the surfaces, i.e., adhesion was not limiting. Variations in perceived stickiness could be explained with R² = 0.86, based on only two product characteristics: consistency and ‘long behavior’ (the extent to which necking occurs during decompression). This was better than the correlation between sensory stickiness and apparent viscosity (R² = 0.77), confirming the relevance of ‘long behavior’ for sensory stickiness.     

Roles of Water and Solids Composition in the Control of Glass Transition and Stickiness of Milk Powders

Abstract: Plasticization and glass transition of amorphous components in food powders often result in stickiness and caking. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of milk powders was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a viscometer method was used to determine sticky-point temperatures. Water sorption isotherms were established for varying solids compositions. Lactose contents were analyzed by high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAE-PAD) and proteins were identified using SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis. Solids composition and water affected both the T_g and stickiness behavior. Stickiness was governed by carbohydrates and water plasticization. At low protein contents, precrystallization of lactose decreased the sticky point temperature, but increasing protein content in all milk powders decreased stickiness at all water activities. The results showed that glass transition can be used to describe time-dependent stickiness and crystallization phenomena, and it can be used as a parameter to control and reduce stickiness of dairy solids with various compositions. Practical Application: Glass transition of component sugars in milk powders with various water contents was responsible for a solid-liquid transformation which resulted in their viscous flow at particle surfaces and stickiness of the powders. Stickiness leads to wall deposition in dehydration and caking of powders in storage when the amorphous carbohydrate-rich components gain liquid characteristics. High protein contents in milk powders decreased stickiness, but precrystallization of lactose prior to spray drying increased stickiness at low protein content. Milk powders in storage gained higher water contents with increasing protein contents, but stickiness was reduced and lactose crystallization was delayed which improved storage stability.     

Comparison of adhesion characteristics of common dairy sporeformers and their spores on unmodified and modified stainless steel contact surfaces

The attachment of aerobic spore-forming bacteria and their spores to the surfaces of dairy processing equipment leads to biofilm formation. Although sporeformers may differ in the degree of attachment, various surface modifications are being studied in order to develop a surface that is least vulnerable to attachment. This study was conducted to compare the extent of adhesion of spores and vegetative cells of the thermotolerant sporeformer Bacillus licheniformis and the high-heat-resistant sporeformers Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus sporothermodurans on both native and modified stainless steel surfaces. We studied the effect of contact surface and cell surface properties (including surface energy, surface hydrophobicity, cell surface hydrophobicity, and zeta potential) on the adhesion tendency of both types of sporeformers and their spores. Attachment to native and modified (Ni-P-polytetrafluoroethylene, Ni-P-PTFE) stainless steel surfaces was determined by allowing interaction between the respective contact surface and vegetative cells or spores for 1 h at ambient temperature. The hydrophobicity of vegetative cells and spores of aerobic spore-forming bacteria was determined using the hexadecane assay, and zeta potential was determined using the Zeta sizer Nano series instrument (Malvern Panalytical, Malvern, UK). The results indicated a higher adhesion tendency of spores over vegetative cells for both thermotolerant and high-heat-resistant sporeformers. On comparing the sporeformers, B. sporothermodurans demonstrated the highest adhesion tendency followed by G. stearothermophilus; B. licheniformis exhibited minimal attachment on both surfaces. The tendency to adhere varied with cell surface properties, decreasing with lower cell surface hydrophobicity and higher cell surface charge. On the other hand, modifying contact surface properties for higher surface hydrophobicity and lower surface energy decreased attachment.     

Survival, elongation, and elevated tolerance of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis at reduced water activity

Growing microorganisms on dry surfaces, which results in exposure to low water activity (a(w)), may change their normal morphology and physiological activity. In this study, the morphological changes and cell viability of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis challenged to low a(w) were analyzed. The results indicated that exposure to reduced a(w) induced filamentation of the cells. The amount of filamentous cells at a(w) 0.94 was up to 90% of the total number of cells. Surviving filamentous cells maintained their membrane integrity after exposure to low a(w) for 21 days. Furthermore, cells prechallenged to low a(w), obtained with an ionic humectant, demonstrated higher resistance to sodium hypochlorite than control cells. These resistant cells are able to survive disinfection more efficiently and can therefore cause contamination of foods coming in contact with surfaces. This points to the need for increased attention to cleaning of surfaces in household environments and disinfection procedures in processing plants.     

Influence of semi-solid fluid’s surface tension and rheological properties on the residues at packaging materials

Residues of food are unwanted in food processing and food packaging. Therefore different properties of high viscous food and their relevance to adhesion phenomena at packaging surfaces are investigated herein. The results may be utilised to reduce the amount of sticking content.In order to quantify the amount of remaining material a method of evaluation was designed using polysaccharides solutions and mixtures of highly viscous oils as model products. The surfaces tension and rheological properties were analyzed. The work of adhesion of each product-surface system was calculated from the respective contact angle data.It was found that the viscosity has a great influence on the amount of residues. For Newtonian liquids the influence is linear. For viscoelastic liquids there are other effects that cause fewer residues when the viscosity is increased. Furthermore, it seems that fewer residues remain when the dispersive part of the surface tension of the liquid is high. Aside from this the work of adhesion is a good measure to predict the amount of residue.     

OBJECTIVE TESTS FOR THE STICKINESS OF COOKED RICE

The suitability of a sieve test and an adhesion test as objective tests for determining the stickiness of cooked rice was examined. Six rice varieties, two each from dwarf incica, tall indica and japonica classes, and stored for 1 and 2 years at three different temperatures, were used. The consistency of the cooked rices was also determined by the Haake consistometer. The sieve test gave a very good indication of the stickiness of cooked rice. The adhesion test also gave a fair indication, but the correlation was less sharp and the test needs improvement. Consistency of cooked rice was negatively correlated with its stickiness. The water-insoluble amylose content of rice seemed to be importantly related to its stickiness and consistency after cooking.     

Short communication: Evaluation of a sol-gel–based stainless steel surface modification to reduce fouling and biofilm formation during pasteurization of milk

Milk fouling and biofilms are common problems in the dairy industry across many types of processing equipment. One way to reduce milk fouling and biofilms is to modify the characteristics of milk contact surfaces. This study examines the viability of using Thermolon (Porcelain Industries Inc., Dickson, TN), a sol-gel-based surface modification of stainless steel, during thermal processing of milk. We used stainless steel 316L (control) and sol-gel-modified coupons in this study to evaluate fouling behavior and bacterial adhesion. The surface roughness as measured by an optical profiler indicated that the control coupons had a slightly smoother finish. Contact angle measurements showed that the modified surface led to a higher water contact angle, suggesting a more hydrophobic surface. The modified surface also had a lower surface energy (32.4 ± 1.4 mN/m) than the control surface (41.36 ± 2.7 mN/m). We evaluated the susceptibility of control and modified stainless steel coupons to fouling in a benchtop plate heat exchanger. We observed a significant reduction in the amount of fouled layer on modified surfaces. We found an average fouling weight of 19.21 mg/cm² and 0.37 mg/cm² on the control and modified stainless steel coupons, respectively. We also examined the adhesion of Bacillus and biofilm formation, and observed that the modified stainless steel surface offered greater resistance to biofilm formation. Overall, the Thermolon-modified surface showed potential in the thermal processing of milk, offering significantly lower fouling and bacterial attachment than the control surface.     

Staphylococcal enterotoxin and its rapid identification in foods by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based methodology

The problem of Staphylococcus aureus and other species as contaminants in the food supply remains significant on a global level. Time and temperature abuse of a food product contaminated with enterotoxigenic staphylococci can result in formation of enterotoxin, which can produce foodborne illness when the product is ingested. Between 100 and 200 ng of enterotoxin can cause symptoms consistent with staphylococcal intoxication. Although humans are the primary reservoirs of contamination, animals, air, dust, and food contact surfaces can serve as vehicles in the transfer of this pathogen to the food supply. Foods may become contaminated during production or processing and in homes or food establishments, where the organism can proliferate to high concentrations and subsequently produce enterotoxin. The staphylococcal enterotoxins are highly heat stable and can remain biologically active after exposure to retort temperatures. Prior to the development of serological methods for the identification of enterotoxin, monkeys (gastric intubation) and later kittens (intravenous injection) were used in assays for toxin detection. When enterotoxins were identified as mature proteins that were antigenic, serological assays were developed for use in the laboratory analysis of foods suspected of containing preformed enterotoxin. More recently developed methods are tracer-labeled immunoassays. Of these methods, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are highly specific, highly sensitive, and rapid for the detection of enterotoxin in foods.     

Generation of semicarbazide from natural azine development in foods,followed by reaction with urea compounds

This paper proposes a mechanism to explain the trace levels of natural semicarbazide occasionally observed in foods. The analytical derivative of semicarbazide, 2-nitrobenzaldehyde semicarbazone, is often measured as a metabolite marker to detect the widely banned antibiotic nitrofurazone. However, this marker is not specific as semicarbazide may be present in foods for several reasons other than exposure to nitrofurazone. In some cases, an entirely natural origin of semicarbazide is suspected, although up until now there was no explanation about how semicarbazide could occur naturally. In this work, semicarbazide is proposed as being generated from natural food compounds via an azine intermediate. Hydrazine, in the form of azines or hydrazones, may be generated in dilute aqueous solution from the natural food compounds ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and acetone, following known oxidation chemistry. When this mixture was prepared in the presence of ureas such as allantoin, urea, biuret or hydroxyurea, and then analysed by the standard method for the determination of semicarbazide, 2-nitrobenzaldehyde semicarbazone was detected. 2-Nitrobenzaldehyde aldazine was also found, and it may be a general marker for azines in foods. This proposal, that azine formation is central to semicarbazide development, provides a convergence of the published mechanisms for semicarbazide. The reaction starts with hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, atmospheric oxygen or hypochlorite; generates hydrazine either by an oxaziridine intermediate or via the chlorination of ammonia; and then either route may converge on azine formation, followed by reaction with a urea compound. Additionally, carbamate ion may speculatively generate semicarbazide by reaction with hydrazine, which might be a significant route in the case of the hypochlorite treatment of foods or food contact surfaces. Significantly, detection of 2-nitrobenzaldehyde semicarbazone may be somewhat artefactual because semicarbazide can form during the acid conditions of analysis, which can free hydrazine in the presence of urea compounds.     

Detection of Listeria in crawfish processing plants and in raw,whole crawfish and processed crawfish (Procambarus spp.)

The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes represents a major concern to the food industry and particularly to producers of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods because of the severity of human listeriosis infections and because of the ubiquitous nature of this organism. Although several studies on the prevalence and sources of L monocytogenes in various RTE seafoods have been conducted, limited information is available on the presence and potential sources of this organism in RTE crawfish products. We thus monitored the presence of L monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. in the processing environment, in raw, whole crawfish, and in cooked crawfish meat from two processing plants. Samples were collected from the two plants throughout one crawfish season (April to June 2001) at 5 and 8 separate visits, respectively. At each visit, 6 raw, whole crawfish, 6 finished product samples (crawfish meat), and 14 mid- or end-of-processing environmental sponge samples were collected and tested for L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp. Of the 337 samples tested, 31 contained Listeria spp. Although Listeria innocua was the predominant Listeria spp. found (20 samples), four samples were positive for L monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes was detected in three raw material samples and in one environmental sample. Listeria spp. were found in 29.5% of raw, whole crawfish (n = 78) and in 4.4% of environmental samples (n = 181) but in none of the finished product samples. Among the environmental samples, Listeria spp. were found in 15.4% of the drains (n = 39) and in 5.1% of the employee contact surfaces (gloves and aprons) (n = 39) but in none of the samples from food contact surfaces. Even though a high prevalence of Listeria spp. was detected on raw materials, it appears that the heat treatment during the processing of crawfish and the practices preventing postprocessing recontamination can significantly reduce Listeria contamination of RTE crawfish meat.