Effect of Pumpkin Cultivar on the Selected Quality Parameters of Functional Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of pumpkin cultivar as a fermented semi-product on the selected quality parameters of functional non-dairy frozen desserts, which were prepared using the potentially probiotic strain cultures L. rhamnosus Lock 0900 and L. casei O14. Microbiological status, pH, sugar and carotenoids content, antioxidant activity, color and sensory quality have been checked. Regardless of the pumpkin cultivar used, the lactic acid fermentation of pulps with selected bacterial strains decreased reducing sugar and total sugars content. Improvement in the antioxidant activity was also observed. The impact of the individual sensory attributes on the overall quality was determined. The overall quality of the investigated pumpkin sorbets was positively driven by the sweet taste, pumpkin flavor, smoothness of texture, and negatively driven by acidic flavor, pungent taste, and bitter taste, verified by PCA method. All of the final products achieved high survival of probiotics (higher than 8.4 log CFU/g) and revealed a good sensory quality (overall quality higher than 8 c.u). The treatments with the cultivar “Melon Yellow” of the Cucurbita maxima species, were characterized by significantly higher (p < 0.05) carotenoids content, total sugars and reducing sugars content and antioxidant activity, measured by two methods. It can be concluded that the pumpkin cultivar and strain culture used for the fermentation affect the count of potentially probiotic bacteria in the final products, the composition of bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and sensory quality of the functional pumpkin frozen desserts.

Linking the Sensory Taste Properties of Chocolate-Based Biscuits to Consumers’ Emotions: A Cross-Cultural Study

This research measured consumers’ emotions and change in emotion to the specific sensory taste properties and attitudes of chocolate-based biscuits. The sample size involved 216 respondents from South Africa (n = 106) and Switzerland (n = 110). Respondents tasted chocolate-based biscuits and completed an online questionnaire. The increase in consumers’ levels of guilt after chocolate-based biscuit consumption and the contribution of a chocolate taste and craving attitude to consumers’ subsequent positive emotions and change in positive emotions could help food and consumer scientists to understand the link between emotions and the sensory descriptors of chocolate-based biscuits. Investigating the association between the emotional responses and sensory attributes of sweet baked products could benefit product developers when formulating food products for specific target markets and aid in the understanding of the emotional profile of food products.

The Variation of Rice Quality and Relevant Starch Structure during Long-Term Storage

The main substances of rice are starches, which vary their metabolism during storage. We conducted a series of tests including rice physicochemical properties, edible quality, starch content and chain length distribution along with starch structure variation to disclose the shift of rice quality by observing the changes of rice during storage. The results showed that: (1) the rice deterioration occurred as time passed, and the germination rate decreased from 70.8% to 29.4% during the storage;(2) fatty acid values increased significantly during long-term storage;(3) electrical conductivity increased as time passed;and (4) the two-year-storage rice showed significantly decreased viscosity and edible quality after sensory evaluation, decreased hardness and damaged surface area of starch granules as storage time passed. Additionally, the damaged surface area of starch granules increased with storage time. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the short-range order and spiral degree of rice starch first decreased in the first year and then increased over the storage time. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction showed that the main starch of rice was A-type crystalline. Meanwhile, apparent amylose content increased from 31.00% to 33.85%, then decreased to 31.75%. The peak viscosity reduced from 2735.00 mPa·s to 2163.67 mPa·s and the disintegration value was brought down from 1377.67 mPa·s to 850.33 mPa·s. Based on the results, rice should not be stored for more than 2 years under suitable granary conditions to maintain it at a good quality.

Sensory quality and shelf-life of locally produced British butters compared to large-scale, industrially produced butters

Purpose>The purpose of this pilot-scale study was to compare the quality of traditionally manufactured butters from local, small British producers with the quality of butters that are produced industrially.Design/methodology/approach>Butter samples were obtained after supervised site inspections of three traditional-butter manufacturers and one large-scale butter producer. The samples were subject to initial microbiological, chemical and sensory testing, followed by a refrigerated shelf-life study over 24 weeks.Findings>Traditional butters matched or exceeded the sensory quality of industrial butters, but spoilage microorganisms tended to grow faster on traditional butters. This seemed to be related to poorer water droplet dispersion in the manufacture of some of the traditionally made butters. Visible mould appeared on two of the traditional butters after eight weeks, but this occurred well after the nominal “best before” date.Originality/value>Prolonged lockdowns due to the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic pose a threat to the food supply chain, and food produced by local manufacturers may become increasingly important. However, are foods produced by local small-scale manufacturers of a quality comparable to that produced using large-scale production facilities? To the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no comparative study of the quality and shelf-life of traditionally-produced and industrially-produced butters. The current work presents such a comparison together with an outline of how the process of traditional butter-making differs from commercial production in Britain.

Truths and myths about superfoods in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nowadays, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, consumers increasingly seek foods that not only fulfill the basic need (i.e., satisfying hunger) but also enhance human health and well-being. As a result, more attention has been given to some kinds of foods, termed "superfoods," making big claims about their richness in valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds as well as their capability to prevent illness, reinforcing the human immune system, and improve overall health.This review is an attempt to uncover truths and myths about superfoods by giving examples of the most popular foods (e.g., berries, pomegranates, watermelon, olive, green tea, several seeds and nuts, honey, salmon, and camel milk, among many others) that are commonly reported as having unique nutritional, nutraceutical, and functional characteristics.While superfoods have become a popular buzzword in blog articles and social media posts, scientific publications are still relatively marginal. The reviewed findings show that COVID-19 has become a significant driver for superfoods consumption. Food Industry 4.0 innovations have revolutionized many sectors of food technologies, including the manufacturing of functional foods, offering new opportunities to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of such foods. Although many food products have been considered superfoods and intensively sought by consumers, scientific evidence for their beneficial effectiveness and their "superpower" are yet to be provided. Therefore, more research and collaboration between researchers, industry, consumers, and policymakers are still needed to differentiate facts from marketing gimmicks and promote human health and nutrition.

Application of Functional and Edible Coatings and Films as Promising Strategies for Developing Dairy Functional Products-A Review on Yoghurt Case

Edible coatings and films appear to be a very promising strategy for delivering bioactive compounds and probiotics in food systems when direct incorporation/inoculation is not an option. The production of dairy products has undergone radical modifications thanks to nanotechnology. Despite being a relatively new occurrence in the dairy sector, nanotechnology has quickly become a popular means of increasing the bioavailability and favorable health effects of a variety of bioactive components. The present review describes, in detail, the various processes being practiced worldwide for yoghurt preparation, microencapsulation, and nanotechnology-based approaches for preserving and/or enriching yoghurt with biologically, and its effect on health and in treating various diseases. In the case of yoghurt, as a perfect medium for functional ingredients supplementation, different gums (e.g., alginate, xanthan gum, and gum arabic), alone or in combination with maltodextrin, seem to be excellent coatings materials to encapsulate functional ingredients. Edible coatings and films are ideal carriers of bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants, antimicrobials, flavors, and probiotics, to improve the quality of dairy food products. Yoghurt is regarded as a functional superfood with a variety of health benefits, especially with a high importance for women's health, as a probiotic. Consumption of yoghurt with certain types of probiotic strains which contain gamma-linolenic acid or PUFA can help solve healthy problems or alleviate different symptoms, and this review will be shed light on the latest studies that have focused on the impact of functional yoghurt on women's health. Recently, it has been discovered that fermented milk products effectively prevent influenza and COVID-19 viruses. Bioactive molecules from yoghurt are quite effective in treating various inflammations, including so-called "cytokine storms" (hypercytokinaemia) caused by COVID-19.

Food Products with High Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities and Their Sensory Appreciation

(1) Background: The demand for healthy and nutritious food is growing worldwide. Fermented dairy products are highly valued by consumers for their health benefits. Kefir is a fermented dairy product that brings many benefits to the consumer due to its antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, antihypertensive and antimicrobial properties. Extracts from various plants in the form of volatile oils have a beneficial efct on consumer health. Following the research, their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were demonstrated. (2) Methods: In the present study, the main purpose was to obtain a fermented dairy product with a high nutritional value;therefore, kefir, enriched with three types of volatile oils, namely, volatile mint oil, volatile fennel oil and volatile lavender oil, was made. The kefir samples obtained were sensory and texturally analyzed. The beneficial effect on health must also be studied in terms of the acceptability of these products by consumers from a sensory point of view. A non-numerical method based on several multi-personal approval criteria was used to interpret the results obtained in the sensory analysis. In the textural analysis, the consistency, cohesiveness and firmness of the kefir samples were analyzed. (3) Results: The samples enriched with volatile oils obtained superior results compared to the control sample in both conducted examinations. Kefir samples with volatile oils retained their sensory and textural characteristics for a longer time during storage. (4) Conclusions: The volatile oils added to kefir positively influenced the sensory and textural characteristics of the finished product.

An overview of the challenges and factors affecting the success of meat product in the market and the need to apply management and knowledge transfer in industry

The meat products industry in the country has a history of more than 90 years. There are currently about 170 meat processing factories in Iran with a nominal capacity of more than 1.5 million tons per year, which is currently less than one third of this amount due to the economic and health conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry has faced many challenges over the years, including competition with other food processors and negative publicity about the unhealthiness of these products. On the other hand, technological advances in the food industry have made it difficult to stay in the market. Therefore, in order to survive the meat products industry in the market, it needs to change existing products or make new products by using management and knowledge transfer, as well as supporting applied research for correct information. In order to stay and succeed in the market, one must pay attention to the tastes and expectations of consumers and the factors influencing the development of a new product, especially the commercialization index, i.e. the technologyy readiness level. Knowledge management and knowledge transfer are among the approaches that need to be considered by the meat products industry and knowledge bases (organizations / research centers and universities). This article looks at the current situation of the meat products industry in the country and the existing challenges by introducing the process of developing new products and the need to use management and knowledge transfer in the industry for the success of these products in the market. Therefore, the nature of this article is qualitative and of an applied type, which has been written in the manner of documentary studies, reviewing sources and analyzing the existing conditions, and according to the author's experiences of about three decades in the meat products industry. © 2022 Tarbiat Modares University. All Rights Reserved.