Search results for "Food processing"
showing 10 items of 164 documents
Physics of agarose fluid gels: Rheological properties and microstructure
2021
Agarose, a strongly gelling polysaccharide, is a common ingredient used to optimize the viscoelastic properties of a multitude of food products. Through aggregation of double helices via hydrogen bonds while cooling under quiescent conditions it forms firm and brittle gels. However, this behavior can be altered by manipulating the processing conditions viz shear. For example, gelation under shear leads to microgel particles with large surface area, which in turn leads to completely different rheological properties and texture. Such fluid gels are shown to play an important role in texture modification of foods and beverages for dysphagia patients. In this study, different concentration of a…
Microbial inactivation and evaluation of furan formation in high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treated vegetable-based infant food.
2017
Abstract The inactivation of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria as well as the formation of food processing contaminants (e.g. acrylamide, furan, etc.) in infant foods is of utmost importance for industry, consumers as well as regulatory bodies. In this study, the potential of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) for microorganism inactivation including total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMA) and total yeasts and molds (TYM) at equivalent processing conditions, as well as its effects on furan formation in vegetable-based infant food was evaluated. The process parameters evaluated were combinations of pressures (200, 300, and 400 MPa), temperatures (25, 35, and 45 °C), and treatment times (5, 10, a…
Microbial Ecology of Retail Ready-to-Eat Escarole and Red Chicory Sold in Palermo City, Italy
2019
Background: Ready-To-Eat (RTE) foods include any edible food that is commonly consumed raw. This study aimed at evaluation of microbial ecology of retail RTE escarole and red chicory sold in Palermo city, Italy. Methods: A total of 32 mono-varietal RTE samples, including escarole (n=16) and red chicory (n=16) samples were obtained from Palermo, Italy. Both RTE vegetables at expiry date were analyzed to quantify spoilage bacteria, pathogenic bacteria, and yeast. All different colonies were isolated and identified on the basis of phenotypic characteristics and genetic polymorphisms by random amplification of polymorphic DNA-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and further genotype by sequencing th…
Energy and environmental life cycle assessment of an institutional catering service: An Italian case study
2019
Food production is recognised as one of the major drivers for global environmental pressure. In the last years, changes in consumption models result in an increasing population consuming food out of home that pose the catering service sector at the centre of the European Union policies aimed at improving the environmental sustainability of the food sector. In this framework, better technical knowledge on the environmental impacts of catering service is essential in order to identify potential actions towards a more sustainable food sector. This article presents an environmental assessment of a school catering service operating in Italy and delivering approximately 2,518,128 meals per year. …
Pulsed electric field applications for the extraction of compounds and fractions (fruit juices, winery, oils, by-products, etc.)
2020
Abstract The pulsed electric field (PEF) is well known to have a significant effect on the rate of various processes in the food industry. Food processes can be completed rapidly with higher efficiency, high reproducibility, reducing the processing cost, simplifying manipulation, and work-up, giving higher purity of the final product, eliminating posttreatment of wastewater and less energy when compared to a conventional process using the PEF. The advantages of using the PEF for food processing is to get high quality fresh-like liquid foods with excellent flavor, nutritional value, and shelf life retaining the fresh aroma, taste, and appearance. This chapter presents a complete picture of c…
Current applications and new opportunities for the use of pulsed electric fields in food science and industry
2015
ABSTRACT Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility of pulsed electric fields (PEF) for different applications in food industry. PEF technology is therefore a valuable tool that can improve functionality, extractability, and recovery of nutritionally valuable compounds as well as the bioavailability of micronutrients and components in a diverse variety of foods. Additionally, other studies have shown the potential of PEF treatments to reduce food processing contaminants and pesticides. This opens the doors to new PEF applications in the food industry. This review focused on some of the most renowned traditional and emerging PEF applications for improvement of osmotic dehydration, ext…
An overview of the potential applications based on HPP mechanism
2020
Abstract Over the last decades, high-pressure processing (HPP) has shown its potential as one of the most relevant technologies for nonthermal food processing mainly due to its application for microbial inactivation while retaining fresh-like characteristics of the food. Moreover, HPP can be considered as a potential tool for developing new food products with new sensorial and functional properties. Apart from food preservation, the application of HPP to improve health attributes (e.g., reducing food contaminants or salt concentration), and to enhance the extraction or fermentation processes, has been an interesting research topic around the world. This chapter intends to show the core-base…
Green technologies for food processing: Principal considerations
2019
Abstract The environmental impact of the food industry is of increasing concern for our society. Reductions in the amounts of harmful substances produced and in energy consumption, and increases in by-product recycling, are all requirements that the industry must now meet. However, “green technology” concepts are currently driving the development of new techniques in this field. Emerging green technologies are capable of superseding conventional thermal treatment, which negatively affects the physical, nutritional, and bioactive properties of food, and are also more environmentally friendly. Novel green techniques include ionizing and ultraviolet radiation, ohmic heating, high-power ultraso…
Bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds from fruits and vegetables after thermal and nonthermal processing
2017
Abstract Background The growing demand for nutritious, healthy, and still attractive foods drives the future of food processing to be multipurpose and more sophisticated. Information and insight of the relation between thermal and nonthermal treatments (high pressure processing, high pressure homogenization, pulsed electric fields, etc.) with bioaccessibility of phytochemicals is important not only for researchers, but also for the food industry, thus giving opportunities to develop innovative healthy food products. Scope and approach The food industry finds it crucial to develop processing technologies, which at the same time will preserve and improve the nutritive value of foods and make …
Strategies to achieve a healthy and balanced diet: fruits and vegetables as a natural source of bioactive compounds
2020
Abstract The main world health problems are obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular problems. They are etiologically linked with the reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables and increased intake of salt, fats from animal origins, trans fatty acids, sugars, and sugary beverages. Various strategies for educating the public tend to promote the increased consumption of bioactives from fruits and vegetables and dieting, while creating affordable and nutritious foods from sustainable raw materials. These strategies include educating the public about dietary tools and the industrial use of advanced nonthermal food processing and production technologies from re…