Fumonisins in plant-origin food and fodder – a review

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by the Fusarium group of fungi commonly found on crops, mainly on maize. Some data suggest that as much as 25% of world crops may be lost because of mycotoxin contamination. Therefore, researchers in many countries (particularly in those in which relatively large amounts of maize are directly consumed by humans) are concerned with fumonisin levels in plant-origin foodstuffs and feeds available in their local markets. There is no doubt the levels are strongly correlated with the climate conditions prevailing in the region in which the maize was cultivated: the hotter the climate, the more serious the problem. Negative consequences of consumption of fumonisin-contaminated food by humans include an increased risk of oesophagus cancer and decreased body mass growth. In recent years some trials have been undertaken to reduce fumonisin levels in food and feed by the application of isothiocyanates naturally occurring in plants or peptidoglycans isolated from lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The results of these studies suggested that some reduction in contamination levels might be achieved. Additionally, some recent studies indicate that Sphingopyxis sp. bacteria produce enzymes that are able to break down the fumonisin molecule. Some fumonisins present in food may be bound/coupled with other compounds, and therefore difficult to detect. Such complexes in which the toxins are masked or hidden may even be at higher levels than the not-bound (free) molecules. The problem of how to evaluate effectively and efficiently the concentration of fumonisins in various foodstuffs is therefore a real-life challenge for scientists.     

Membrane technology for vegetable oil processing—Current status and future prospects

Vegetable oil processing has been identified as one of the potential nonaqueous applications of membrane technology. Membrane-based processing has been largely attempted on individual steps of the conventional refining process with reasonable success. With the advent of organic-solvent-nanofiltration, membrane desolventizing of hexane oil miscella has received greater attention, revitalizing the prospects of integrated membrane processing. A practical evaluation of membrane augmented desolventizing revealed that approximately 65% energy savings towards solvent evaporation could be achieved in an industrial environment. Further, a pragmatic appraisal advocated that an integrated membrane process with a focus on pretreatment and desolventizing along with physical refining would be a desirable approach for fortifying the benefits. The present review intends to channelize the efforts to overcome the current limitations and highlights the importance of developing better membranes, process evaluation under appropriate practical conditions, and developing suitable cleaning protocols for stable performance. In the case of alternate solvents to hexane, membrane solvent recovery would be a favorable approach to overcome the limitation of associated higher thermal energy requirements. Nevertheless, solvent selection should be based on a composite evaluation of extraction and membrane desolventizing, specific to the type of oil. Finally, a comprehensive process scheme has been proposed to realize the benefits in extraction-refining plants. In this direction, a few pilot demonstration plants need to be established and operated for 1–2 years to understand and overcome the practical difficulties and limitations of the technology, leading to its industrial adoption.     

Consumers’ attitude towards food by-products: the influence of food technology neophobia,education and information

The aim of the present study was to investigate how food technology neophobia level, socio-economic variables and information about novel foods and technologies may affect consumers’ attitude towards uses of food by-products in relation to positive effects on environment and consumers’ health. Results suggested that education and, most of all food technology neophobia and information, can be critical factors in facilitating the widespread adoption of new food technologies. Moreover, positive attitudes towards food by-products were found, even in people characterised by a greater food neophobia and lower education level. These positive attitudes could be considered a starting point for the food industry to design novel recycling strategies of food by-products in the perspective of the circular economy.     

The power of microsystem technology in the food industry – Going small makes it better

Microfluidic devices show significant potential of application in food industry. Microfludic devices ensure reduced costs of the analysis, reduced amount of waste, enhanced mass and heat transfer, increased and improved analytical performances, allowed processes parallelization and on-site analysis. However, there is still a gap in standardisation of materials, channel geometries and process conditions to achieve maximum process efficiency. In this work micro and nano- particle formation for protection of bioactive compounds, monitoring of microorganisms and contaminants, extraction of bioactive compounds and analysis of antimicrobial substances for application in food industry will be discussed including the specific properties of used microfluidic devices.     

Global food security – Issues,challenges and technological solutions

BackgroundFood security is both a complex and challenging issue to resolve as it cannot be characterized or limited by geography nor defined by a single grouping, i.e., demography, education, geographic location or income. Currently, approximately one billion people (16% of global population) suffer from chronic hunger in a time when there is more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet. Therein lies the Food security challenge to implement an ability to deal with increasing food shortages, caused by a combination of waste and an ever expanding world population. At current levels prediction state that we must increase global food production by 70% on already over exploited finite infrastructures before 2050.Scope and approachThis review paper firstly introduces the concept of Food Security with an overview of its scale and depth in the context of the global food industry. It then highlights the main sources. The readership is then introduced to the key factors affecting food security and highlights the many national and international measures adopted to tackle the problem at both policy and technological level.Key findings and conclusionsFood experts indicate that no one single solution will provide a sustainable food security solution into the future. Collective stakeholder engagement will prove essential in bringing about the policy changes and investment reforms required to achieve a solution. Achieving truly sustainable global food security will require a holistic systems-based approach, built on a combination of policy and technological reform, which will utilize existing systems combined with state-of-the-art technologies, techniques and best practices some of which are outlined herein.     

Freezing: an underutilized food safety technology?

Freezing is an ancient technology for preserving foods. Freezing halts the activities of spoilage microorganisms in and on foods and can preserve some microorganisms for long periods of time. Frozen foods have an excellent overall safety record. The few outbreaks of food-borne illness associated with frozen foods indicate that some, but not all human pathogens are killed by commercial freezing processes. Freezing kills microorganisms by physical and chemical effects and possibly through induced genetic changes. Research is needed to better understand the physical and chemical interactions of various food matrices with the microbial cell during freezing and holding at frozen temperatures. The literature suggests that many pathogenic microorganisms may be sublethally injured by freezing, so research should be done to determine how to prevent injured cells from resuscitating and becoming infectious. Studies on the genetics of microbial stress suggest that the induction of resistance to specific stresses may be counteracted by, for example, simple chemicals. Research is needed to better understand how resistance to the lethal effect of freezing is induced in human pathogens and means by which it can be counteracted in specific foods. Through research, it seems possible that freezing may in the future be used to reliably reduce populations of food-borne pathogens as well as to preserve foods.     

How do processing technology and formulation influence consumers’ choice of fruit juice?

The study aimed at investigating the influence of four variables related to processing technology and formulation on consumer’s choice of fruit juice, and to explore the moderating effect of food technology neophobia (FTN). A choice-conjoint task was implemented considering four variables: processing technology, added sugar, preservatives and cold pressing. Sixteen pairs of labels were presented to 369 Brazilian consumers to that indicate which of the products they would purchase. Then, they answered the FTN scales and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Data were analysed using a logit model with random parameters. Results showed that cold pressing, pressurisation and the claims ‘no added sugar’ and ‘no preservatives’ had a positive effect on consumers’ choices, whereas the claim ‘not pressurised’ had a negative effect. The FTN moderated the effect of the variables on participants' choices of fruit juices. The main difference between groups of consumers with different level of neophobia (low, medium and high) was related to the effect of information about juice processing.     

Crosslinking in polysaccharide and protein films and coatings for food contact – A review

BackgroundCrosslinking is the process of forming tridimensional networks by linking polymer chains by covalent or noncovalent bonds. It is useful for polysaccharide- and protein-based films and coatings to be applied to food surfaces, enhancing their water resistance as well as mechanical and barrier properties. Crosslinkers intended to be used for food contact materials must present low toxicity.Scope and approachThis review is a summary of the main crosslinking agents which have been used for protein and polysaccharide films and coatings, and which may be applied as food contact materials. The study emphasizes the mechanisms of crosslinking agents, the chemical groups involved, conditions for application, advantages and drawbacks, as well as examples of applications for food contact materials.Key findings and conclusionsCrosslinking is a promising technique to improve the performance and applicability of protein- and polysaccharide-based food contact materials, especially concerning their water sensitivity, which hinders many of their potential applications as food contact materials. Some aldehydes are very effective as crosslinkers, but they have been avoided in food contact materials because of possible migration of aldehyde residues to food, and less toxic compounds have been studied for those applications, such as phenolic acids, oxidized polysaccharides, and enzymes. Crosslinking techniques may help make protein- and polysaccharide-based materials more suitable for large-scale processing and applications in the future.     

Relationship between pungency and food components – A comparison of chemical and sensory evaluations

The influence of food ingredients (water, starch, fat, and sugar), individually and in combination, on the sensory perception of the pungency of capsaicin was studied in model food systems using the time-intensity method. Furthermore, the transferability of the results obtained using model food matrices to complex matrices, such as convenience salsas, was investigated. Significant differences between the samples (p < 0.05) were examined by analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Tukey-HSD post hoc test. A highly complex matrix and a high starch content reduced the perception of pungency in both the model food matrices and the convenience salsa products. Therefore, the time-related maximum intensity of pungency (I_max) was affected by other factors in addition to the capsaicin concentration.The total capsaicinoid content in the salsas was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS) and correlated to the results of the sensory evaluation. The best correlation (R² = 0.8029) was observed for the total capsaicinoid content and the maximum intensity of pungency (I_max) in comparison to the duration of the total pungency perception T_Dur (R² = 0.5176) and the area under the curve (R² = 0.6898). The calculated regression models serve as an example of how empirical calculations can be generated and used in a specific context.     

Developments in food processing and increasing gaps in consumers competence of food handling––the challenge for nutrition policy in Europe

Human evolution is accompanied by innovations in food processing. The results are remarkable: there is food security, as there is surplus on cheap, safe and high quality food. Despite this situation nutritional studies reveal that there are still nutritional problems in the world. Food security is only a precondition but no guarantee for nutrition security.The causes of nutritional problems are complex. In industrialised societies the importance of the last links of the food chain, being the competence of consumers regarding food and nutrition, is ignored. Whereas the global knowledge on food processing is increasing continuously, a reverse trend regarding consumer competence can be observed. The consequences of these trends have to be observed and studied. People with less food and nutrition competence are susceptible to disorientation and misguided behaviour. It is likely that the trend accelerates since the traditional ways to learn food and nutrition competence are diminishing; even in the case of food professionals, like cooks or bakers, there is clear evidence of lack of practical experiences.Nutrition and food policy has to focus on this gap. The most important nutritional problems are no longer those of food quality, but related to consumer behaviour. Today’s consumers need high qualification to use all the opportunities to manage the everyday tasks. Without fostering such training (not only for the general population, but also for food professionals) we in Europe are in danger of becoming a food illiterate population.     

Exudate gums: chemistry,properties and food applications – a review

Gums are complex carbohydrate molecules which have the ability to bind water and form gels at low concentration. These carbohydrates are often associated with proteins and minerals in their structure. Gums are of various types such as seed gums, exudate gums, microbial gums, mucilage gums, seaweeds gums, etc. Exudate gums are plant gums which ooze out from bark as a result of a protection mechanism upon injury. Exudate gums have been used by humans since ancient times for various applications due to their easy availability. The main characteristics which make them fit for use in various applications are viscosity, adhesive property, stabilization effect, emulsification action and surface-active property. Major applications of these gums are in food products, the paper, textile, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, oil-well drilling, etc. In the present paper, the chemistry, properties, processing and applications of commercially available exudate gums such as acacia gum or gum arabic, karaya gum, ghatti gum and tragacanth gum are discussed. Recent literature reveals that apart from the above mentioned applications, these gums also have nutritional properties which are being explored. Other gums cannot replace them because of their certain unique characteristics. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

Identification and quantification of lichenysin – a possible source of food poisoning

Lichenysin produced by 53 different Bacillus licheniformis strains has been structurally examined with a qualitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method using quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The same lichenysin isoforms are produced from all strains, indicating that the growth conditions have a stronger influence on the lipopeptide production than the genotype. A rapid method for the quantification of lichenysin from bacterial cell cultures with LC-MS/MS after a simple methanol extraction has been refined. For the first time commercially available lichenysin has been used as calibrant, making quantification more accurate. The trueness for C15-lichenysin has been improved to 94% using matrix-matched calibration with lichenysin compared with 30% using solvent calibration with surfactin. The quantitative method was fully validated based on Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The LOD of the method was below 1 µg g^–1 and the repeatability ranged from 10% to 16%.     

The role of processing and matrix design in development and control of microstructures in dairy food production—a survey

New options to process dairy products by means of new single unit operations or combinations thereof are presented. The innovative possibilities discussed in this paper mainly refer to novel ways of influencing product microstructures or textures as perceived during consumption, by means of contributions of single molecule fractions of complex systems derived from membrane fractionation techniques. In addition, options to integrate physiologically active components which also have a structure forming effect in fermented or other dairy products are highlighted. Alternatives derived from thermal, mechanical and enzymatic processing and from fractionation techniques by means of membranes are presented which can be exploited for fractionation and compositional matrix design of dairy products.     

Sustainable (food) packaging – an overview

Packaging has an increasingly essential role to play in preserving the value invested in products by ensuring that they can deliver their designed service with minimum wastage. Food contact materials that deliver more units of service with increasingly fewer inputs of energy and materials, and increasingly fewer negative social, economic and environmental impacts, e.g., from emission of wastes, will be more sustainable both in the food processing machines of the industrial system and as packaging for food. Buzz words, whether bio-, nano-, degradable, or whatever comes next, must be critically examined per unit of service delivered to determine if, over the whole life cycle of the products to which they are applied, energy and resource use are minimised, pollution is reduced (not relocated), ecological benefits are created, and social and economic well-being are increased. Only when this caution is applied can a new solution be described as more sustainable.     

Green tea extract: Chemistry,antioxidant properties and food applications – A review

Green tea is one of the most popular and extensively used dietary supplement in the United States. Diverse health claims have made for green tea as a trendy ingredient in the growing market for nutraceuticals and functional foods. Green tea extract contains several polyphenolic components with antioxidant properties, but the predominant active components are the flavanol monomers known as catechins, where epigallocatechin-3-gallate and epicatechin-3-gallate are the most effective antioxidant compounds. Additional active components of green tea extract include the other catechins such as epicatechin and epigallocatechin. Among these, epigallocatechin-3-gallate is the most bioactive and the most scrutinized one. Green tea polyphenols are also responsible for distinctive aroma, color and taste. Green tea extract can also be used in lipid-bearing foods to delay lipid oxidation and to enhance the shelf-life of various food products. This review outlines the chemistry, flavour components, antioxidant mechanism, regulatory status, food applications, and stability of green tea extract in food.