Nonthermal plasma-activated water: A comprehensive review of this new tool for enhanced food safety and quality

Nonthermal plasma (NTP) is an advanced technology that has gained extensive attention because of its capacity for decontaminating food from both biological and chemical sources. Plasma-activated water (PAW), a product of NTP's reaction with water containing a rich diversity of highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), is now being considered as the primary reactive chemical component in food decontamination. Despite exciting developments in this field recently, at present there is no comprehensive review specifically focusing on the comprehensive effects of PAW on food safety and quality. Although PAW applications in biological decontamination have been extensively evaluated, a complete analysis of the most recent developments in PAW technology (e.g., PAW combined with other treatments, and PAW applications in chemical degradation and as curing agents) is nevertheless lacking. Therefore, this review focuses on PAW applications for enhanced food safety (both biological and chemical safeties) according to the latest studies. Further, the subsequent effects on food quality (chemical, physical, and sensory properties) are discussed in detail. In addition, several recent trends of PAW developments, such as curing agents, thawing media, preservation of aquatic products, and the synergistic effects of PAW in combination with other traditional treatments, are also presented. Finally, this review outlines several limitations presented by PAW treatment, suggesting several future research directions and challenges that may hinder the translation of these technologies into real-life applications.     

Nonthermal Processes for Shelf‐Life Extension of Seafoods: A Revisit

For the past two decades, consumer demand for minimally processed seafoods with good sensory acceptability and nutritive properties has been increasing. Nonthermal food processing and preservation technologies have drawn the attention of food scientists and manufacturers because nutritional and sensory properties of such treated foods are minimally affected. More importantly, shelf‐life is extended as nonthermal treatments are capable of inhibiting or killing both spoilage and pathogenic organisms. They are also considered to be more energy‐efficient and to yield better quality when compared with conventional thermal processes. This review provides insight into the nonthermal processing technologies currently used for shelf‐life extension of seafoods. Both pretreatments such as acidic electrolyte water and ozonification and processing technologies, including high hydrostatic pressurization, ionizing radiation, cold plasma, ultraviolet light, and pulsed electric fields, as well as packaging technology, particularly modified atmosphere packaging, have been implemented to lower the microbial load in seafood. Thus, those technologies may be the ideal approach for the seafood industry, in which prime quality is maintained and safety is assured for consumers.     

Time–Temperature Management Along the Food Cold Chain: A Review of Recent Developments

The cold chain is responsible for the preservation and transportation of perishable foods in the proper temperature range to slow biological decay processes and deliver safe and high‐quality foods to consumers. Studies show that the efficiency of the cold chain is often less than ideal, as temperature abuses above or below the optimal product‐specific temperature range occur frequently, a situation that significantly increases food waste and endangers food safety. In this work, field studies on time–temperature conditions at each critical stage of the cold chain are reviewed to assess the current state of commercial cold chains. Precooling, ground operations during transportation, storage during display at retail and in domestic refrigerators, and commercial handling practices are identified and discussed as the major weaknesses in the modern cold chain. The improvement in efficiency achieved through the measurement, analysis, and management of time–temperature conditions is reviewed, along with the accompanying technical and practical challenges delaying the implementation of such methods. A combination of prospective experimental and modeling research on precooling uniformity, responsive food inventory management systems, and cold chains in developing countries is proposed for the improvement of the cold chain at the global scale.     

Nonthermal Inactivation of Cronobacter sakazakii in Infant Formula Milk: A Review

Up-to-date, nonthermal technologies and combinations of them, in accordance with the “hurdle technology” concept, are being applied by different research groups in response to calls by the International Food and Human Health Organizations (ESPGHAN, 2004; FAO/WHO, 2006, 2008) for alternatives to thermal control of Cronobacter sakazakii in reconstituted powdered infant formula milk. This review highlights (i) current knowledge on the application of nonthermal technologies to control C. sakazakii in infant formula milk and (ii) the importance of the application of nonthermal technologies for the control of C. sakazakii as part of the development of strategies in the context of improving food safety and quality of this product.     

Processing Strategies to Inactivate Hepatitis A Virus in Food Products: A Critical Review

Hepatitis A infection, caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV), is the leading cause of human viral hepatitis throughout the world and is mainly propagated via the fecal–oral route. Transnational outbreaks of food‐borne infections are reported with increasing frequency as a consequence of international food trade. Food‐borne outbreaks caused by HAV are mainly associated with bivalve molluscs, produce (soft fruits and leafy greens), and ready‐to‐eat meals. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a structured and systematic review of the published literature on the current state of knowledge regarding the stability of HAV in foods as well as the efficacy of food processing strategies and to identify and prioritize research gaps regarding practical and effective mechanisms to reduce HAV contamination of foods. In particular, processing and disinfection strategies for the 3 food categories have been compiled in this review, including common and emerging food technologies. Overall, most of these processes can improve food safety; however, from a commercial point of view, none of the methods can guarantee total HAV inactivation without affecting the organoleptic qualities of the food product.     

液相色谱-高分辨质谱技术在食品掺假鉴别研究中的应用

食品欺诈是指蓄意对食品进行虚假描述,造成该食品的宣称与其真实属性不符的行为.食品掺假是食品欺诈最为常见的表现形式.在众多食品欺诈事件中,所占比例较大的是冒充、稀释、非法添加和非标注成分这4类掺假行为.随着食品加工方式的多样化、贸易的全球化和供应链的复杂化,食品掺假愈发隐蔽,难以用常规靶向分析手段实现掺假鉴别,因此,非靶...     

Application of Deep Learning in Food: A Review

Deep learning has been proved to be an advanced technology for big data analysis with a large number of successful cases in image processing, speech recognition, object detection, and so on. Recently, it has also been introduced in food science and engineering. To our knowledge, this review is the first in the food domain. In this paper, we provided a brief introduction of deep learning and detailedly described the structure of some popular architectures of deep neural networks and the approaches for training a model. We surveyed dozens of articles that used deep learning as the data analysis tool to solve the problems and challenges in food domain, including food recognition, calories estimation, quality detection of fruits, vegetables, meat and aquatic products, food supply chain, and food contamination. The specific problems, the datasets, the preprocessing methods, the networks and frameworks used, the performance achieved, and the comparison with other popular solutions of each research were investigated. We also analyzed the potential of deep learning to be used as an advanced data mining tool in food sensory and consume researches. The result of our survey indicates that deep learning outperforms other methods such as manual feature extractors, conventional machine learning algorithms, and deep learning as a promising tool in food quality and safety inspection. The encouraging results in classification and regression problems achieved by deep learning will attract more research efforts to apply deep learning into the field of food in the future.     

The Role of Auditing,Food Safety,and Food Quality Standards in the Food Industry: A Review

Food safety and quality audits are used widely in the food industry for various reasons (to evaluate management systems, obtain certifications to certain food safety and quality standards, assess the condition of premises and products, confirm legal compliance, and so on). Nowadays, the increased interest of consumers on food safety and quality matters, triggered mainly by recent food scandals, has enabled the public and private food sectors to develop a variety of food safety and quality standards. These standards have both advantages and disadvantages and their effectiveness depends on several factors such as the competency and skills of auditors and the standard used in each case. Although the industry continuously invests in developing and improving these systems, the number of foodborne outbreaks per year appears to be quite stable in both Europe and the United States. This may be an indication that additional measures and techniques or a different approach would be required to further improve the effectiveness of the food safety and quality management systems. This article examines the role of audits and food safety and quality assessment systems in the food industry, presenting the results of several studies and briefly describing the main food safety and quality standards currently used in Europe (with particular emphasis on the United Kingdom and Greece), the U.S., Australia–New Zealand, and Asia.     

Food Safety Interventions to Control Listeria monocytogenes in the Fresh Apple Packing Industry: A Review

Listeria monocytogenes, in fresh and ready‐to‐eat produce such as whole fresh apples, is of concern as there is no “kill step” in their packing process that would eliminate the pathogenic bacteria. Recent listeriosis outbreaks revealed that insufficient cleaning and sanitation practices in fresh apple packing houses may lead to contamination of fruit with L. monocytogenes. This article discusses three fundamental aspects for ensuring microbiological safety of fresh apples: protection of fresh apples from microbial contamination during the packing process, decontamination intervention techniques, and the challenges in removal of L. monocytogenes from fresh apples. Currently used and novel methods of fresh produce decontamination are discussed and evaluated on their usefulness for the apple packing process. Additionally, present regulatory requirements, possible routes of produce contamination, and bacteria attachment and survival mechanisms are described. Optimum methods for microbial decontamination of whole fresh apples are still to be determined. Critical aspects that should be considered in developing the interventions include apple morphology, conditions and scale of the packing process, and influence of the interventions on apple quality. Evaluation of the currently used and emerging decontamination methods indicated that the hurdle technology and rotating use of sanitizers to avoid development of bacterial biofilm resistance may give the best results, although not conclusively.     

Cold Plasma‐Mediated Treatments for Shelf Life Extension of Fresh Produce: A Review of Recent Research Developments

Fresh produce, like fruits and vegetables, are important sources of nutrients and health‐promoting compounds. However, incidences of foodborne outbreaks associated with fresh produce often occur; it is thus important to develop and expand decay‐control technologies that can not only maintain the quality but can also control the biological hazards in postharvest, processing, and storage to extend their shelf life. It is under such a situation that plasma‐mediated treatments have been developed as a novel nonthermal processing tool, offering many advantages and attracting much interest from researchers and the food industry. This review summarizes recent developments of cold plasma technology and associated activated water for shelf life extension of fresh produce. An overview of plasma generation and its physical–chemical properties as well as methods for improving plasma efficiency are first presented. Details of using the technology as a nonthermal agent in inhibiting spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, inactivating enzymes, and modifying the barrier properties or imparting specific functionalities of packaging materials to extend shelf life of food produce are then reviewed, and the effects of cold plasma‐mediated treatment on microstructure and quality attributes of fresh produce are discussed. Future prospects and research gaps of cold plasma are finally elucidated. The review shows that atmospheric plasma‐mediated treatments in various gas mixtures can significantly inhibit microorganisms, inactive enzyme, and modify packaging materials, leading to shelf life extension of fresh produce. The quality attributes of treated produce are not compromised but improved. Therefore, plasma‐mediated treatment has great potential and values for its application in the food industry.     

Application of Light‐Emitting Diodes in Food Production,Postharvest Preservation,and Microbiological Food Safety

Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) possess unique properties that are highly suitable for several operations in the food industry. Such properties include low radiant heat emissions; high emissions of monochromatic light; electrical, luminous, and photon efficiency; long life expectancy, flexibility, and mechanical robustness. Therefore, they reduce thermal damage and degradation in crops and foods and are suitable in cold‐storage applications. Control over spectral composition of emitted light results in increased yields and nutritive content of horticultural or agricultural produce. Recently, LEDs have been shown to preserve or enhance the nutritive quality of foods in the postharvest stage, as well as manipulate the ripening of fruits, and reduce fungal infections. LEDs can be used together with photosensitizers or photocatalysts to inactivate pathogenic bacteria in food. UV LEDs, which are rapidly being developed, can also effectively inactivate pathogens and preserve food in postharvest stages. Therefore, LEDs provide a nonthermal means of keeping food safe without using chemical sanitizers or additives, and do not accelerate bacterial resistance. This article provides a review of the technology of LEDs and their role in food production, postharvest preservation, and in microbiological safety. Several challenges and limitations are identified for further investigation, including the difficulty in optimizing LED lighting regimens for plant growth and postharvest storage, as well as the sensory quality and acceptability of foods stored or processed under LED lighting. Nevertheless, LED technology presents a worthy alternative to current norms in lighting for the growth and storage of safe and nutritious food.     

食品加工过程中多环芳烃生成机理的研究进展

多环芳烃是一类对环境和食品极具危害的污染物。早期对环境中多环芳烃的检测、安全评价、食品加工过程中的污染及产生的机理和控制方法开展了大量的工作,本文重点对多环芳烃形成的化学机制及食品加工过程中多环芳烃的产生机制进行综述,并对研究现状进行简要总结,以期为食品中多环芳烃控制提供新思路。     

Self‐Assembled Carbohydrate Polymers for Food Applications: A Review

The self‐assembled natural and synthetic polymers are booming. However, natural polymers obtained from native or modified carbohydrate polymers (CPs), such as celluloses, chitosan, glucans, gums, pectins, and starches, have had special attention as raw material in the manufacture of self‐assembled polymer composite materials having several forms: films, hydrogels, micelles, and particles. The easy manipulation of the architecture of the CPs, as well as their high availability in nature, low cost, and being sustainable and green polymers have been the main positive points in the use of them for different applications. CPs have been used as building blocks for composite structures, and their easy orientation and ordering has given rise to self‐assembled CPs (SCPs). These macromolecules have been little studied for food applications. Nonetheless, their research has grown mainly in the last 5 years as encapsulated food additive wall materials, food coatings, and edible films. The multifaceted properties (systems sensitive to pH, temperature, ionic strength, types of ions, mechanical force, and enzymes) of these devices are leading to the development of advanced food materials. This review article focused on the analysis of SCPs for food applications in order to encourage other research groups for their preparation and implementation.     

SPR传感器在食品微生物检测中的应用

表面等离子体子共振(SPR)是一种新兴的现代分析技术,它不仅可以实时监测分子间相互作用,还可以准确、灵敏、快速、简便的检测出各种生化指标。利用SPR检测食品中的微生物是近年来兴起的一个热门课题。本文简单介绍了SPR的基本原理,综述了SPR在食品微生物中应用的研究进展。     

Electrolyzed Water as a Novel Sanitizer in the Food Industry: Current Trends and Future Perspectives

Electrolyzed water (EW) has gained immense popularity over the last few decades as a novel broad‐spectrum sanitizer. EW can be produced using tap water with table salt as the singular chemical additive. The application of EW is a sustainable and green concept and has several advantages over traditional cleaning systems including cost effectiveness, ease of application, effective disinfection, on‐the‐spot production, and safety for human beings and the environment. These features make it an appropriate sanitizing and cleaning system for use in high‐risk settings such as in hospitals and other healthcare facilities as well as in food processing environments. EW also has the potential for use in educational building, offices, and entertainment venues. However, there have been a number of issues related to the use of EW in various sectors including limited knowledge on the sanitizing mechanism. AEW, in particular, has shown limited efficacy on utensils, food products, and surfaces owing to various factors, the most important of which include the type of surface, presence of organic matter, and type of tape water used. The present review article highlights recent developments and offers new perspectives related to the use of EW in various areas, with particular focus on the food industry.     

Interactions of Foodborne Pathogens with Free‐living Protozoa: Potential Consequences for Food Safety

Free‐living protozoa (FLP) are ubiquitous in natural ecosystems where they play an important role in the reduction of bacterial biomass and the regeneration of nutrients. However, it has been shown that some species such as Acanthamoeba castellanii, Acanthamoeba polyphaga, and Tetrahymena pyriformis can act as hosts of pathogenic bacteria. There is a growing concern that FLP might contribute to the maintenance of bacterial pathogens in the environment. In addition to survival and/or replication of bacterial pathogens in FLP, resistance to antimicrobial agents and increased virulence of bacteria after passage through protozoa have been reported. This review presents an overview of FLP in food‐associated environments and on foods, and discusses bacterial interactions with FLP, with focus on the foodborne pathogens Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes. The consequences of these microbial interactions to food safety are evaluated.     

高场强超声波技术在食品蛋白质加工中的应用研究进展

食品中的蛋白质不仅能为人类提供必需营养,在食品加工中也起着重要作用。高场强超声波技术作为一种新兴技术,在未来食品蛋白质加工中的应用具有巨大潜力。本文综述近10 年国际上以高场强超声波为手段对食品蛋白质进行改性的研究,从高场强超声波作用基本原理,高场强超声波对蛋白质结构、凝胶性、粒径、溶液黏度、溶解性、浊度、乳化性和起泡性的影响以及对蛋白质反应、蛋白质提取和对蛋白质感官品质的影响多个方面分别进行阐述。     

细胞毒理学在食品领域中的应用

细胞毒理学是研究外源性物质对生命细胞损伤作用规律及其机制的一门毒理学分支学科,它可以用于食品安全毒理学的评价、食品中有害物质的毒作用机理研究、食品加工生产中有毒有害物质的检测、功能性食品中功效成分的活性研究等。细胞毒理学的研究方法有多种,用于探讨外源物对细胞的不同作用,包括对细胞的活性影响和遗传学影响、造成细胞形态学变化以及细胞凋亡检测。目前在食品领域较广泛应用的细胞毒理学方法有MTT比色实验、细胞DNA合成测定法、彗星电泳法、Western blot法、流式细胞术测定法、NRU染色法、免疫细胞化学染色技术等。     

A Comprehensive Review on Kiwifruit Allergy: Pathogenesis,Diagnosis, Management,and Potential Modification of Allergens Through Processing

Kiwifruit is rich in bioactive components including dietary fibers, carbohydrates, natural sugars, vitamins, minerals, omega‐3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. These components are beneficial to boost the human immune system and prevent cancer and heart diseases. However, kiwifruit is emerging as one of the most common elicitors of food allergies worldwide. Kiwifruit allergy results from an abnormal immune response to kiwifruit proteins and occur after consuming this fruit. Symptoms range from the oral allergy syndrome (OAS) to the life‐threatening anaphylaxis. Thirteen different allergens have been identified in green kiwifruit and, among these allergens, Act d 1, Act d 2, Act d 8, Act d 11, and Act d 12 are defined as the “major allergens.” Act d 1 and Act d 2 are ripening‐related allergens and are found in abundance in fully ripe kiwifruit. Structures of several kiwifruit allergens may be altered under high temperatures or strong acidic conditions. This review discusses the pathogenesis, clinical features, and diagnosis of kiwifruit allergy and evaluates food processing methods including thermal, ultrasound, and chemical processing which may be used to reduce the allergenicity of kiwifruit. Management and medical treatments for kiwifruit allergy are also summarized.