Clean vs dirty labels: Transparency and authenticity of the labels of Ceylon cinnamon.

Ceylon cinnamon, which was regarded as a luxury spice during ancient times, has been consumed for its medicinal properties and health benefits for thousands of years. For centuries, Arabian traders controlled the European cinnamon trade through limited supplies from a country which they did not reveal. Content marketing analysis and chemical profiling of value-added products of Ceylon cinnamon in the global marketplace are proposed to investigate the clean status of the product labels. In the present study, a mixed-method approach was employed to investigate the labels of 6 types of value-added forms of cinnamon; i.e. quills, powder, tea, breakfast cereals, confectionery and bakery and nutraceuticals which are used in USA, UK, Mexico, Japan and products of Sri Lankan cinnamon exporters. Two hundred and seventy-six labels were analyzed to find out the aspects of clean status, transparency and authenticity. Key label claims of the cinnamon products lie within the bounds of cleaner, healthy, nutritional and sustainable attributes. Consumer perception lies within ingredients, nutritional value, country of origin and claim on safety and quality standards and certification. The value chain transparency, ethical rules (species mislabeling), and chemical profile of the pharmaceutical, confectionery and fragrance industry inputs were ignored. The best claim and competitive advantage of the Ceylon cinnamon; an ultra-low level (<0.01 mg/g Dry Weight) of Coumarin, were rarely indicated in labels. Lack of clean labels and traceability lagged Ceylon cinnamon in the 40 international markets while Cassia cinnamon (Coumarin content 2.23 mg/g DW), a major competitor of Ceylon cinnamon appears in the market with dirty labels. Millennials and upper-middle-class female consumers in their active ages, place a high demand on Ceylon cinnamon. Today's tech-savvy global consumers of Ceylon cinnamon use market intelligence frequently for identifying product authenticity. Well equipped clean labels were found to be demanded by the modern cinnamon consumers.

Modifications of nutritional, structural, and sensory characteristics of non-dairy soy cheese analogs to improve their quality attributes.

In this review, some recognized modifications utilized in the preparation of soy cheese and cheese analogs produced with soymilk are discussed. Soymilk is an inexpensive, nutritive dairy substitute that is used to make cheese and cheese analogs by people worldwide. The components of soy components, including isoflavones, have beneficial health effects that support the amelioration of chronic and degenerative diseases. However, the quality characteristics of such cheeses can be diminished, especially the taste and structure. Its quality is affected by soybean variety, storage temperature, soymilk-processing conditions, stirring speed, coagulation temperature, type of coagulator, and coagulator's concentration ratio. Over the years, researchers have studied to improve soy cheese characteristics by improving its structure, flavor, color, and nutrition quality. Structure of cheese types have been developed, including soft cheeses like tofu and cream cheese types, cheese types with different milk type combinations, soy-paneer, soy-mozzarella, and hard type cheeses. Flavor development has attempted to reduce the unpleasant beany flavor by adding spices and other ingredients, or blending with other milk types. Reduction of lipoxygenases in soymilk helps to reduce rancidity and protect the odor. Color is improved with microbes or colored food ingredients like carrots. Using Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. microbes, probiotic soy cheese types have been developed with improved nutritional quality. Production of soymilk using sprouted and frozen seeds has resulted in nutritionally improved soy cheeses. Soy cheeses and their analogs act as functional foods and improvements to these cheeses upgrade their values and consumer acceptance.

Peptide Analysis and the Bioactivity of Whey Protein Hydrolysates from Cheese Whey with Several Enzymes.

The aim of this study was identifying a suitable food grade enzymes to hydrolyze whey protein concentrates (WPCs), to give the highest bioactivity. WPCs from ultrafiltration retentate were adjusted to 35% protein (WPC-35) and hydrolyzed by enzymes, alcalase, α-chymotrypsin, pepsin, protease M, protease S, and trypsin at different hydrolysis times (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h). These 36 types of hydrolysates were analyzed for their prominent peptides ß-lactoglobulin (ß-Lg) and α-lactalbumin (α-La), to identify the proteolytic activity of each enzyme. Protease S showed the highest proteolytic activity and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity of IC50, 0.099 mg/mL (91.55%) while trypsin showed the weakest effect. Antihypertensive and antioxidative peptides associated with ß-Lg hydrolysates were identified in WPC-35 hydrolysates (WPH-35) that hydrolyzed by the enzymes, trypsin and protease S. WPH-35 treated with protease S in 0.5 h, responded positively to usage as a bioactive component in different applications of pharmaceutical or related industries.

Comparative analysis of mozzarella cheeses fortified with whey protein hydrolysates, diverse in hydrolysis time and concentrations.

The objective of the present study was to improve the quality of mozzarella cheese using whey protein concentrates (WPCs) hydrolyzed for varying lengths of time (1 and 3 h). Four types of cheeses were made incorporating hydrolyzed WPCs in milk 3 and 6 % level and evaluated for nutritional, structural, and functional properties during 28 days storage at 4 °C. Whey protein hydrolysates (WPHs) incorporation increased protein, lactose, minerals, water-soluble-protein, non-protein-nitrogen. Mozzarella incorporated with WPHs hydrolyzed for 3 h had higher fat contents, favorable meltability and lower browning effect, stretchability, brittleness, springiness, and cohesiveness compared to mozzarella fortified with WPHs hydrolyzed for 1 h. The incorporation of hydrolyzed WPCs significantly influenced rheological and functional characteristics of mozzarella cheese. The cheeses made with hydrolyzed WPCs showed fewer changes in whiteness than control during storage. It was observed that both extent of hydrolysis and levels of WPHs incorporation had significant effect on the characteristics of mozzarella cheeses.

Physicochemical Characteristics and Antioxidant Capacity in Yogurt Fortified with Red Ginseng Extract.

The objective of this study was to investigate characteristics and functionality of yogurt applied red ginseng extract. Yogurts added with red ginseng extract (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2%) were produced using Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus thermophilus and stored at refrigerated temperature. During fermentation, pH was decreased whereas titratable aicidity and viable cell counts of L. acidophilus and S. thermophilus were increased. The composition of yogurt samples was measured on day 1, an increase of red ginseng extract content in yogurt resulted in an increase in lactose, protein, total solids, and ash content, whereas fat and moisture content decreased. The pH value and cell counts of L. acidophilus and S. thermophilus were declined, however titratable acidity was increased during storage period. The antioxidant capacity was measured as diverse methods. During refrigerated storage time, the value of antioxidant effect was decreased, however, yogurt fortified with red ginseng extract had higher capacity than plain yogurt. The antioxidant effect was improved in proportion to concentration of red ginseng extract. These data suggests that red ginseng extract could affect to reduce fermentation time of yogurt and enhance antioxidant capacity.

Characterization of Lactobacillus plantarum Lb41, an isolate from kimchi and its application as a probiotic in cottage cheese.

Lactobacillus plantarum Lb41 was determined probiotic properties and applied to cottage cheese. L. plantarum Lb41 showed high viability (>80%) in artificial gastric (pH 2.5, 0.3% pepsin for 3 h) and bile (0.3% oxgall for 24 h) acids, and adhered strongly to HT-29 cells (7.5% adhesion). It did not produce ß-glucuronidase and was resistant to several antibiotics. L. plantarum Lb41 did not inhibit proliferation of normal MRC-5 cells, but showed antiproliferative effects on AGS, HT-29, and LoVo cells, based on 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays. In addition, L. plantarum Lb41 reduced nitric oxide production by macrophages. Cottage cheese containing this strain did not show significant differences in physicochemical properties, but the number of lactic acid bacteria was maintained longer than that in control cheese. These results indicate that L. plantarum Lb41 could potentially be used as a probiotic in foods.

Comparative analysis of improved soy-mozzarella cheeses made of ultrafiltrated and partly skimmed soy blends with other mozzarella types.

The objective of this study was to improve the physicochemical properties and functional qualities of soy based mozzarella cheeses by ultrafiltration (UF) of soy milk blends, adding skim milk instead of cow's milk or increasing the soy milk proportions in cheese milk. Eight types of mozzarella cheeses made using soy milk and analyzed for nutritional, structural, and functional characteristics for 4 weeks at 4 °C. Cheeses made with cow milk, 10, 20, and 30 % soy milk in cow milk, skim milk, 10 % soy milk in skim milk, and ultrafiltrated 10 % soy milk in cow milk for first and second volume concentrations. Refrigerated storage of the soy-mozzarella led to a decrease in total solid, mineral, protein, fat, and lactose contents and rheological characteristics after 2 weeks. The nutritive quality of the mozzarella tended to increase proportionally to soy milk content, but the physical and functional qualities decreased. The UF-fortified soy-mozzarella showed more improved qualities among the other soy cheeses like long shelf life, improved nutritional, structural and functional qualities. Blends of 10-20 % soy milk and UF soy milk blends can be used to achieve good quality, nutritive mozzarella cheese, even with skim milk instead of cow milk in a milk shortage.

Physicochemical and Microbiological Properties of Yogurt-cheese Manufactured with Ultrafiltrated Cow's Milk and Soy Milk Blends.

The objective of this study was to develop yogurt-cheese using cow's milk, ultrafiltrated cow's milk, and soy milk. The addition of soy milk and ultrafiltrated milk increased the amount of protein in the yogurt-cheese. Yogurt-cheeses were made using cheese base using 10% and 20% soy milk with raw and ultrafiltrated cow's milk, and stored at 4℃ during 2 wk. The yield of yogurt-cheeses made with added soy milk was decreased and the cutting point was delayed compared to yogurt-cheese made without soy milk. Yogurt-cheese made using ultrafiltrated cow's milk showed the highest yield. However, yogurt-cheese made with added soy milk had higher protein content and titratable acidity than yogurt-cheese made using raw and ultrafiltrated cow's milk. Fat and lactose contents in the yogurt-cheese made with added soy milk were lower. Yogurt-cheeses made with added soy milk contained several soy protein bands corresponding to the sizes of α2-, ß-, and κ-casein band. Yogurt-cheese made with added soy milk had similar elasticity to yogurt-cheese made without soy milk but had lower cohesiveness. There was no significant difference in the number of lactic acid bacteria in the different cheeses, as all had over 8.0 Log CFU/g. Considering these data and the fact that proteins and fats of vegetable origin with high biological value were observed as well as unsaturated fats, yogurt-cheese made with added soy milk can be considered to be a functional food.

Improved Functional Characteristics of Whey Protein Hydrolysates in Food Industry.

This review focuses on the enhanced functional characteristics of enzymatic hydrolysates of whey proteins (WPHs) in food applications compared to intact whey proteins (WPs). WPs are applied in foods as whey protein concentrates (WPCs), whey protein isolates (WPIs), and WPHs. WPs are byproducts of cheese production, used in a wide range of food applications due to their nutritional validity, functional activities, and cost effectiveness. Enzymatic hydrolysis yields improved functional and nutritional benefits in contrast to heat denaturation or native applications. WPHs improve solubility over a wide range of pH, create viscosity through water binding, and promote cohesion, adhesion, and elasticity. WPHs form stronger but more flexible edible films than WPC or WPI. WPHs enhance emulsification, bind fat, and facilitate whipping, compared to intact WPs. Extensive hydrolyzed WPHs with proper heat applications are the best emulsifiers and addition of polysaccharides improves the emulsification ability of WPHs. Also, WPHs improve the sensorial properties like color, flavor, and texture but impart a bitter taste in case where extensive hydrolysis (degree of hydrolysis greater than 8%). It is important to consider the type of enzyme, hydrolysis conditions, and WPHs production method based on the nature of food application.