Simulation of vacuum distillation to produce alcohol-free beer

Several processes have been developed for producing alcohol-free beer while maintaining desirable sensory characteristics. One of the most popular thermal processes used is distillation, where not only ethanol but volatile aromatic components are partly or completely removed from the beer. Based on data from the literature and using the Aspen Plus simulator, this study evaluates and compares the aroma profiles of alcohol-free beers obtained by continuous vacuum distillation with different pressures and processes. Three processes were simulated at pressures of 60, 102, and 200 mbar. The first (Process A) was a standard continuous vacuum distillation, where the bottom product was an alcohol-free beer. In the second (Process B), the bottom product was blended with a standard beer that had not undergone any thermal process. In the third (Process C), part of the top stream was mixed with the bottom product. This study considered eight major compounds in beer: ethanol, propanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, ethyl acetate, diacetyl and isoamyl acetate. The three simulated pressure ranges showed similar results, indicating that reducing the pressure below 200 mbar did not improve separation. Further, vacuum distillation did not remove diacetyl from the beer. Processes B and C resulted in beer that was richer in flavour compounds. Furthermore, when these processes were compared to Process A, the concentration of esters was markedly higher. © 2019 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Cowpea cooking characteristics as affected by micronisation temperature: a study of the physicochemical and functional properties of starch

Bechuana white cowpeas were micronised to three temperatures (130, 153 and 170 °C). Cooking properties of the cowpea seeds and the role of starch‐related properties were studied. In all cases, micronisation significantly reduced the cooking time and thus the time required for the cowpea seeds to attain a suitably soft texture. This was attributed in part to the significant improvement in rate of water absorption during cooking and starch pre‐gelatinisation, as evidenced by loss of birefringence and increased susceptibility of the cowpea starch to α‐amylase digestion. However, micronisation to 170 °C resulted in a severe deterioration in pasting properties of the cowpea flour, possibly due to starch depolymerisation and/or amylose‐associated crosslinking. Owing to these changes, cowpea seeds micronised to 170 °C required a longer cooking time than the other two micronised samples. Flour prepared from cowpea seeds micronised to 170 °C may have limited starch functionality. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Antibiotic susceptibility of Bifidobacterium thermophilum and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum isolates from animal sources

The widespread use of antimicrobial substances has led to resistant populations of microorganisms in several ecosystems. In animal husbandry, the application of antibiotics has contributed to resistance development in pathogenic and commensal bacteria. These strains or their resistance genes can be spread along several ecological routes, including the food chain. Antibiotic resistance is important in terms of the safety of industrial strains, such as probiotics for food and feed. Bifidobacterium thermophilum and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum are known to comprise the major part of the bifidobacterial microbiota in the gut and feces of cattle and pigs. In this study, the antimicrobial susceptibility in bifidobacterial isolates of these species was investigated. Isolates from the beef and pork production chain were identified and typed to strain level, and the antimicrobial susceptibility level was tested to a set of antibiotics. Isolates with low susceptibility levels were screened by PCR for already described resistance genes. Strains atypically resistant to clindamycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline were determined. The resistance genes tet(O), tet(W), and erm(X) were detected in the bifidobacterial species that were examined.     

Antibiotic susceptibility testing of Bifidobacterium thermophilum and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum strains: broth microdilution vs. agar disc diffusion assay

There is urgent need for having available suitable methods and data regarding the susceptibility levels of antibiotic resistant and sensitive strains of bifidobacteria. Based on a defined standard operation procedure, agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution were compared in order to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of 82 B. pseudolongum and 80 B. thermophilum strains mainly originating from the meat production chain. The methods that were assessed showed interpretable agreement within this study. The disc diffusion zone diameters are highly reproducible making the method a useful alternative to broth microdilution for antimicrobial susceptibility screening of bifidobacteria.