Development of innovative clean label emulsions stabilized by vegetable proteins

The consumer's perception that food is one of the main determining factors for health increases the demand for foods in line with this trend. The food industry is researching new ingredients, formulations, and technologies aiming to respond to this demand. Namely, product formulations are increasingly less complex, with fewer additives, and manufactured with commonly known ingredients, leading to the concept of clean label products. The present work aimed to develop a vegan and clean label mayonnaise by replacing egg yolk with vegetable protein, obtaining a product aligned with current food trends. Emulsions with 1.5% (w/w) powdered aquafaba, green pea, lupin, and faba bean proteins were prepared and compared to the commercial standard Mendes Gonçalves' mayonnaise. Texture (TPA) and rheology (SAOS) measurements showed that emulsions with lupin and faba bean protein had significant differences (P < 0.05) from the standard. Thus, these two proteins were assessed in a mixed system using different proportions – total protein content of 1.5% (w/w). Additionally, lupin protein showed a significant impact on mayonnaise structure and consistency. Backscattering and droplet size distribution measurements indicated that, except for faba bean, all the emulsions studied are stable and have a high potential for scale-up.     

Lateral flow assays based on aptamers for food safety applications

Food safety has become the focus of social attention with the rapid development of economic society and the improvement of living standards. Food detection plays an important role in food safety. In recent years, efficient and rapid detection technology is one of the conventional means of food safety screening, effectively preventing the occurrence of food safety events. Because of the advantages of short detection time, simple operation, high sensitivity, and economy, lateral flow assay (LFA) provides an ideal platform for on-site detection. The key to developing a lateral-flow biosensor is to identify biorecognition molecules, design strategies, and labels according to the target. Aptamers have comparable specificity and affinity to antibodies, making them a viable alternative. Nanoparticles can not only be used as labels for qualitative and quantitative detection, but also their rigidity can stabilize the spatial structure of aptamers, ensuring maintenance of their affinity and specificity in complex matrices. A review of the field finds that the application of nanoparticles is mainly focused on GNPs. Aptamer-based dipstick detection still lags behind antibody-based dipstick detection in actual field detection. It is conceivable that the application of aptamer and nanoparticle combination in LFA has both challenges and opportunities. In this paper, the above content is briefly introduced and reviewed in order to provide help for the development of LFA based on aptamer-functionalized nanoparticles.