Comparative assessment of three storage methods for preserving maize grain to enhance food security post COVID-19. (Special Issue: Technology and innovation for a post COVID recovery and growth: the contribution of industry and academia.)

Cold storage is expensive for smallholder farmers and seed processors in developing countries. Smallholder farmers continue to resort to traditional storage methods such as polypropylene (PP) bags for maize grain storage. They often dose the grains with chemicals to preserve them. However, hermetic bags have proven to provide superior protection to grains during storage without chemical treatment. With the advent of the COVID-19 virus which distorted many food systems across continents, stakeholders in the grain industry need to adopt better systems to reduce post-harvest food loss and improve food security. In this study, maize grain quality, nutritional content and viability were compared under three storage methods (PP bags with Phostoxin treatment, cold storage, and hermetic bag) over a storage period of four months. The results showed that the hermetic bag maintained the moisture content (MC) of the stored grains with 0.40% variations from the initial MC of 13% at the end of the storage period compared to 0.70% and 1.10% for grains stored under cold storage and in PP bags, respectively. Grain damage after the 4th month of storage in the hermetic bag had only increased by 0.40% from an initial 13.3% before storage compared to an increase of 6% for cold storage, which was attributed to unstable power during the storage period, and 4.30% for grains stored in the PP bag. Carbon dioxide concentration in the hermetic bag was maintained at about 11% throughout the storage period indicating low microbial activity. The hermetic bag technology was identified as the best option for quality preservation during storage of maize grain over the other methods, and its adoption by smallholder farmers in Ghana should be considered.

An integrated IoT architecture to monitor food quality along the supply chain

Drop in nutrition value during food logistics impacts the health of consumers. Vegetables, fruits, fish, milk lose nutrients during logistics if it is not properly monitored. Real-time tracking and monitoring, large data handling and secure business transactions are key to the effective operation of supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the need for handling unforeseen situations in various sectors. Limitations to logistic operations, inaccessible warehouses, shutdown of consumer outlets for an unexpected duration, have affected the supply chain drastically. This has laid emphasis on the need for technology-based solutions that can monitor, control and make quick decisions, that can reduce losses. With this scenario as a background, a system architecture has been proposed to detect the nutrient value of food by periodically monitoring temperature and humidity in real-time and alerting the cold chain entities in cold chain environments. This architecture is proposed as an integration of Internet of Things (IoT) with cloud-based storage, to provide real-time data collection at the end-user, seamless storage and computation in the cloud and secure transactions at the business layer. An experimental setup of the system architecture has been configured and the implementation has been tested at a preliminary level. The performance of the application is analyzed and the proposed web application is efficient for large scale supply chain applications, provided scaling of hardware resources.

Achieving zero hunger goal through minimizing waste in food supply chain: evidence from Asian emerging region

Agricultural products have taken center stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic as countries strive to become self-sufficient and independent. Despite this, Agri-products supply chain management has largely been ignored. Farmers are typically in charge of getting these products to market. The local market suffers because of the significant quantity of agricultural products wasted along the Agri-Food supply chain (AFSC), and export revenue is at risk. To address the issue of food waste in AFSC, this study identified the sources of food waste and proposed corrective measures for the local farming industry. Stakeholders from the farming community, transportation companies, and retailers were conducting semi-structured interviews and coding them using open-source coding. Lack of cold storage and improper handling and packaging of products have been found to have a negative impact on the distribution process in developing countries. In this regard, a well-designed supply chain strategy, network design, and information system can alleviate these issues. Farmers and transporters must be taught how to minimize damage during transport. Recycled packaging material can also be used, saving money while reducing the likelihood of product damage. This is among the pioneer studies that focus on the causes of food waste in AFSC in Pakistan.

Application of functional ingredients in canned meat production

A comprehensive literature search was conducted. An extended search was performed, including a targeted search on the websites of a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations. All links identified in databases and search engines were uploaded to the Covidence systematic review tool for automatic deduplication and blind screening. The generalised material of the analysis represents a new typological basis of the market strategy for the analysis of the practices used by the dominant producers in the meat canning industry. Only a limited number of papers note the possible benefits of using functional ingredients in canned meat for human health, therefore further studies are required that would provide convincing evidence of the benefits of functional ingredients. As scientific evidence increases, researchers and meat producers should make more efforts to inform and educate consumers about the health benefits of functional ingredients used in meat canning.

The brewing industry in Friuli Venezia Giulia

This article discusses the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on beer production and consumption in Europe, with a focus on Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy. The pandemic restrictions have resulted in a contraction in the production and consumption of beer in Europe in 2020 and 2021. However, Italy has seen a recovery in the beer sector due to a surge in demand in the HoReCa channel. In terms of off-trade outlets, such as supermarkets and retail sales, there has been a continued growth trend seen in previous years, with an increasing preference for low-alcohol or alcohol-free beers. Friuli Venezia Giulia has experienced a rise in the number of beer consumers by 3.1% in 2021, with every 100 people witnessing a rise of 1.5% compared to the previous year, making it the region with the highest percentage of beer consumers in Italy. The region has seen continuous growth in craft brewing companies, with 55 as of 31 March 2022. Microbreweries are the predominant business type, and e-commerce is a service offered by 36% of the craft companies. The environmental impact resulting from the activities of the companies studied varies, and there is significant room for improvement in the future. Overall, the craft brewing industry in Friuli Venezia Giulia shows continued growth and development, contributing to the economic development of rural areas.

Research advances on processing and quality safety control technology of aquatic pre-made products

Due to the growing demand for instant food and lifestyle change after the COVID-19, aquatic pre-made products become popular. The unique nutritional and functional characteristics and processing suitability of aquatic products make them suitable for the development of ready-to-eat, instant heat, instant cooked and ready-to-use pre-made products. However, due to their unique fishy taste, texture and perishable characteristics, appropriate pretreatment technology, flavor and quality improvement and maintenance technology as well as storage technology in the processing and storage process need to be adopted so as to improve the quality of pre-made products. The main factors affecting the quality and safety of aquatic product pre-made products include biological hazards, chemical hazards and physical hazards. Therefore, quality control technologies of aquatic pre-made products including the raw material collection, processing process and the cold chain transportation process are necessary. In the future, aquatic pre-made products should be more nutritious, high-quality and diversified because of the improvement of nutrition and quality control technology.

Research on the construction of a traceability system for imported cold chain food based on blockchain technology under COVID-19

[Purpose and significance] Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19, many local epidemics have been related to imported cold chain food, so the construction of an imported cold chain food traceability system is extremely urgent. In this paper, we propose the use of blockchain technology to build an imported cold chain food traceability system to achieve informatization of the whole chain for imported cold chain food. Under this system, when food quality or epidemic-related problems occur, it will be possible to clearly identify the responsible subject and trace the source of the problem to enable recall of products and other responses. The establishment of an imported cold chain food traceability system is of great significance in alleviating the pressure of the epidemic in China, improving regulatory efficiency, shaping the corporate brand image, and enhancing consumer trust. [Summary] First, we systematically categorize the reasons why imported cold chain food has repeatedly become a risk point during the epidemic. Second, we conduct a detailed analysis of the advantages of blockchain technology, which we propose to use to build an imported cold chain food traceability system;these advantages include its characteristics of decentralization and immutability. We also divide the traceability system into four layers: application, collection, communication, and data storage, and provide a brief description of each. Finally, in view of the difficulties and deficiencies faced in the construction of a blockchain traceability system, we put forward suggestions for improvement. In the context of normalization of the epidemic, an imported cold chain food traceability system based on blockchain technology can effectively solve the problems of information opacity, difficulties in information sharing, and poor information security. To enhance the application of blockchain technology to imported cold chain food traceability, we argue that the state, enterprises, and even consumers should participate in and use their different levels of power to contribute to the construction and development of a blockchain traceability system.

Imported cold chain food traceability management platform and innovative application

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out globally, and cold-chain food has become the key point of the task to prevent the coronavirus from spreading within the city/region or beyond. Using information tools like establishing a national cold-chain traceability management platform to control the risk of imported cold-chain food has become an important topic at present. The paper focuses on the technology used by provinces and cities in cold-chain traceability, and combined with the actual needs, analyzes the advantages of heterogeneous identification technology. This paper starts from the present situation, introducing the technical roadmap selecting of traceability of imported cold-chain food and elaborating the data circulation structure of traceability of imported cold-chain food. Based on that, this paper introduces the national traceability platform of imported cold-chain food and its core functions based on heterogeneous identification. Through the construction of a three-level framework with the national cold-chain traceability management platform, to make sure the cold chain food can be traceable and be manageable. Meanwhile, through the two applications of inter-provincial confirmation and data verification, the national management effect of imported cold chain food is improved. [Outlook] Currently, the platform mainly focuses on imported livestock, poultry and aquatic products. In the future, the traceability scope may be gradually expanded to help improve the management effect. Establishing the imported cold-chain food traceability platform has a good effect on improving the information management level and promoting the traceability efficiency of problematic food, which is conducive to ensuring food safety.

An credible traceability system for cold chain logistics developed for China's agricultural products in the context of COVID-19

Cold chain logistics is important for reducing post-harvest losses of agricultural products and ensuring the safety of agricultural products. COVID-19 cases related to cold chains have occasionally occurred, prompting considerable and widespread attention to cold chain logistics. The establishment of an effective traceability system for agricultural products within cold chain logistics is vital for ensuring their safety during the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving accurate traceability and recall. A study was conducted to assess the developmental status of cold chain logistics for China's agriculture products and identify challenges associated with cold chain logistics in the context of COVID-19. The study highlighted the advantages of blockchain-based traceability of agricultural products within cold chain logistics. Accordingly, a blockchain-based system was constructed for ensuring effective traceability of agricultural products within cold chain logistics extending from the production to the sales areas (i.e., from the field to the table). First, the demand for a traceability system was analyzed in detail from the perspective of the government, enterprises, and consumers. Second, six layers of the system architecture, comprising perceptions, data, networks, and the core, application, and user layers were delineated. Next, a storage mechanism and the system flow were designed and analyzed, and the on-chain and off-chain storage mechanisms of the "Inter Planetary File System+ blockchain" were applied for data storage, thereby addressing the deficiency of the blockchain and improving the operation and query efficiency of the traceability system. Lastly, the main functions of three respective ports for the government, enterprises, and consumers were introduced. This system can effectively resolve various challenges, such as tracing the entire process of cold chain logistics for agricultural products and a lack of clarity regarding assigned responsibility. Thus, the traceability of the entire process of cold chain logistics for agricultural products can be achieved, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of oversight of agricultural production, which ensures the quality and safety of agricultural products and strengthens consumers' trust in food safety.

Effects of adding different silver carp fish pastes on the quality of lion's head meatballs

To clarify the most suitable fish paste for preparing lion's head meatballs, this study investigated the effect of adding 6 different silver carp fish pastes: fresh unwashed (group 1-1), fresh washed (group 1-2), frozen unwashed without antifreeze agent (group 2-1), frozen washed without antifreeze agent (group 2-2), frozen unwashed with antifreeze agent (group 3-1), and frozen washed with antifreeze agent (group 3-2) on the basic nutrients, color, texture properties, waterholding capacity, sensory and flavor properties, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARs) value, and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content of pork/fish composite meatballs. The results showed that the contents of protein and fat in meatballs from groups 2-1 and 2-2 were lower than those in groups 3-1 and 3-2, and the contents of water, protein and fat were 61.68%, 11.32% and 19.41% for group 2-1, and 62.45%, 11.09% and 19.33% for group 2-2, respectively. The gel properties, hardness, elasticity, cohesion, and sensory quality of groups 3-1 and 3-2 were significantly higher than those of groups 2-1 and 2-2 (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference compared with groups 1-1 and 1-2. The odor response value of groups 3 was lower than that of groups 1, and groups 3 had the highest sweetness value (3 039.66) and lowest bitterness value (534.59). The TBARs value and TVB-N content in groups 1-2, 2-2, and 3-2 (with washed fish paste) were significantly lower than those in groups 1-1, 2-1 and 3-1 (with unwashed fish paste) (P < 0.05). Since fresh fish paste is not easy to store and subject to spoilage, frozen washed fish paste with antifreeze agent can be used to produce composite meatballs.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on coffee production and exports in India

Studies were conducted to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on coffee production concerning labour, since labour is major input required for all the operations right from planting to harvesting. The Indian coffee sector was affected by Covid-19 pandemic. It was reported that the pandemic has decreased production as well as exports. To face this type of situation, short domestic processing and storage need to be increased rather than being solely dependent only on earnings from exports.