Freeze-Dried Cooked Chickpeas: Considering a Suitable Alternative to Prepare Tasty Reconstituted Dishes.

The current trend in food consumption is toward convenience, i.e., fast food. The present work aims to study the potential of incorporating freeze-dried cooked chickpeas into a complex and traditional dish in Spanish gastronomy, such as Cocido, which has this legume as the main ingredient. Cocido is a two-course meal: a thin-noodle soup and a mix of chickpeas, several vegetables, and meat portions. The textural properties, sensory qualities, and rehydration kinetics of chickpeas of three Spanish varieties were investigated to select the most suitable cooking conditions to obtain freeze-dried chickpeas of easy rehydration whilst maintaining an adequate sensory quality for the preparation of the traditional dish. The sensory quality of various vegetables and meat portions, cooked under different conditions, was evaluated after freeze-drying and rehydration. It was possible to reproduce the sensory quality of the traditional dish after rehydration with water, heating to boiling in a microwave oven for 5 min, and resting for 10 min. Therefore, it is possible to commercialize complex dishes based on pulses and other cooked and freeze-dried ingredients as reconstituted meals with a wide nutrient profile. Nevertheless, additional research is required on the shelf life, together with other economic and marketing issues such as design of a proper packaging, that would allow consumption as a two-course meal.

Platos olvidados o de consumo ocasional en la gastronomía española: Castilla y León / Forgotten dishes or occasional consumption in Spanish gastronomy: Castilla y León

La gastronomía de Castilla y León tiene su base en los cocidos y los asados, además de un gran surtido de dulces. Destacan los asados de cordero, y de cochinillo. También destacan el cerdo y los embutidos como la morcilla, el jamón o los chorizos. Las legumbres (alubia de Saldaña, judías de El Barco de Ávila, judiones de La Granja, lentejas de la Armuña, garbanzos de Fuentesaúco, etcétera) son protagonistas de los cocidos y las humildes y excelentes sopas de ajo. El pan es un elemento imprescindible en esta tierra cerealista. (AU)

The gastronomy of Castilla y León is based on stews and roasts, as well as a wide assortment of sweets. The roast lamb and suckling pig stand out. The pork and sausages such as black pudding, ham or chorizos also stand out. Legumes (beans from Saldaña, beans from El Barco de Ávila, kidney beans from La Granja, lentils from La Armuña, chickpeas from Fuentesaúco, etc.) are the protagonists of the stews and the humble and excellent garlic soups. Bread is an essential element in this cereal land. (AU)

Platos olvidados o de consumo ocasional en la gastronomía española: Madrid / Forgotten dishes or occasional consumption in Spanish gastronomy: Madrid

La gastronomía y comida típica de Madrid se compone de platos compuestos principalmente por productos frescos la región como sus verduras o carnes para los platos de cuchara, guisos o frituras, pero incorpora una amplia variedad de productos. Una de las características de la gastronomía madrileña es su capacidad de adaptar platos provenientes de otras zonas geográficas. La gastronomía de Madrid es originaria de las costumbres culinarias manchegas, influenciada desde sus orígenes con los métodos e ingredientes de la cocina del al-Ándalus. El establecimiento de la Corte en el siglo XVI hizo que existiesen dos gastronomías: la cortesana, que incorporaba los alimentos del nuevo mundo, y la popular, humilde y sencilla, y así se mantuvo hasta el siglo XIX. En la actualidad, un gran número de establecimientos mantiene viva la peculiar identidad de la gastronomía madrileña, combinación de tradición con las influencias más heterodoxas. (AU)

The gastronomy and typical food of Madrid is madeup of dishes composed mainly of fresh regional products such as vegetables or meat for spoon dishes, stewsor fried foods, but it incorporates a wide variety of products. One of the characteristics of Madrid gastronomyis its ability to adapt dishes from other geographical areas. The gastronomy of Madrid sources from the culinary customs of La Mancha, influenced from its origins by the methods and ingredients of the Al-Andalus cuisine. The establishment of the Court in the 16th century gave rise to two cuisines: the courtly one, which incorporated food from the new world, and the popular, humble and simple one, and remained so until the 19th century. Currently, a large number of establishment skeep alive the peculiar identity of Madrid gastronomy, a combination of tradition with the most heterodox influences. (AU)

Modelo de predicción probabilística de deterioro en jamón de cerdo cocido / Probabilistic prediction model of deterioration of pork cooked ham

Antecedentes: el deterioro del jamón cocido es un proceso complejo que puede manifestarse por alteraciones de tipo microbiológico, fisicoquímico y sensorial, que hasta hoy han sido determinadas por metodologías tradicionales que incluyen largos periodos de seguimiento y un número importante de muestras. Objetivos: en el presente estudio se propuso un modelo para la predicción probabilística del deterioro de jamón cocido, por medio de análisis de componentes principales (ACP) y regresión logística con aproximación bayesiana. Métodos: para realizar el análisis, se evaluaron muestras provenientes de 300 lotes independientes de jamón de cerdo cocido, los cuales se conservaron en cámaras de almacenamiento a temperaturas de 12±1°C. Se determinaron experimentalmente tres tipos de variables: fisicoquímicas (pH, sinéresis, nitritos residuales, porcentaje de ácido láctico), de textura (adhesividad, dureza, trabajo de punción y firmeza instrumental) y microbiológicas (mesófilos aerobios y bacterias acidolácticas) en dos tiempos de medición: 3 y 40 días. Para realizar la creación del modelo se seleccionaron aleatoriamente el 60% de los datos y para la validación el 40% restante. Los datos obtenidos fueron procesados con el paquete estadístico R Core Team 2012. Resultados: los nitritos residuales y la sinéresis fueron las variables más representativas, ya que su distribución, correlación y carga, fueron las más significativas, con mayor poder discriminante del fenómeno de deterioro en los dos momentos de medición. El modelo desarrollado permitió correlacionar los parámetros estudiados y predecir la probabilidad de deterioro del jamón, además de clasificarlo de acuerdo a su estado de calidad. La primera componente principal (CP1) (variables bioquímicas) explicó el 73,3 % de la variación total de los datos, siendo los nitritos residuales y la sinéresis los factores más relacionados con el deterioro. Conclusión: el modelo logístico con aproximación bayesiana permitió obtener la probabilidad de deterioro del jamón cocido, almacenado a 12°C usando parámetros fisicoquímicos. La aplicación del ACP permitió correlacionar y clasificar los factores de deterioro del producto.

Background: the spoilage of cooked ham is a complex process that may be manifested by alterations of microbiological, physicochemical and sensory type, which has been determined by traditional methodologies including long periods of monitoring with a significant number of samples. Objective: in the present study a model for probabilistic prediction of spoilage of cooked ham was proposed by principal component analysis (PCA) and logistic regression with Bayesian approach. Methods: to perform the analysis, independent samples from 300 batches of cooked pork ham were evaluated, which were stored in cold at temperatures 12 ± 1°C. Three types of variables were experimentally determined: physicochemical (pH, syneresis, residual nitrite, lactic acid percentage), texture (adhesiveness, toughness, puncture and instrumental firmness) and microbiological (aerobic mesophilic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria) in two times: 3 and 40 days. To make this model were randomly selected 60% of the data and to validate it the remaining 40%. The obtained data were processed with statistical package R package statistical Core Team 2012. Results: residual nitrite and syneresis were the most representative variables, since its distribution, correlation and loadings were the most significant, more discriminant of the phenomenon of spoilage in the two times of measurement. The developed model allowed correlating the parameters and predicting the spoilage probability of cooked ham, and classifying them according to their quality status. The first principal component (PC1) (biochemical variables) explained 73.3 % of the total variation, the residual nitrite and syneresis were the factors that related the spoilage. Conclusions: the logistic regression model with Bayesian approach allowed obtaining the probability of deterioration of cooked ham, stored at 12°C using physicochemical parameters. Applying the PCA permited to correlate and classify the factors of spoilage.

Artisanal Sonoran cheese (Cocido cheese): an exploration of its production process, chemical composition and microbiological quality.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to explore and document the production process of artisanal Cocido cheese and to determine its chemical composition and microbiological quality, considering samples from six dairies and four retailers. RESULTS: Cocido cheese is a semi-hard (506-555 g kg-1 of moisture), medium fat (178.3-219.1 g kg-1 ), pasta filata-type cheese made from raw whole cow's milk. The production process is not standardized and therefore the chemical and microbiological components of the sampled cheeses varied. Indicator microorganisms significantly decreased (P < 0.05) during the processing of Cocido cheese. Salmonella spp. were not found during the production process, and both Listeria monocytogenes and staphylococcal enterotoxin were absent in the final cheeses. CONCLUSION: This study provides more information on one of the most popular artisanal cheeses with high cultural value and economic impact in northwestern Mexico. In view of the foregoing, good manufacturing practices need to be implemented for the manufacture of Cocido cheese. Also, it is of utmost importance to make sure that the heat treatment applied for cooking the curd ensures a phosphatase-negative test, otherwise it would be necessary to pasteurize milk. Nevertheless, since Cocido cheese is a non-ripened, high-moisture product, it is a highly perishable product that could present a health risk if not properly handled. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prevalence of lactic acid bacteria in sliced cooked ham as an indicator of its shelf life / Prevalencia de bacterias de ácido láctico en jamón cocido friccionado como indicador de su vida útil

Background: Ready to eat sliced-cooked-meat-products (RTE) are popular convenience foods. Slicing of such products at retail point is a common practice in supermarkets. Due to handling, as well as the supermarket environment, it has been suggested that the counts and presence of specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in these products may be associated with their rapid deterioration and short shelf life. Objectives: The aim was to quantify and identify LAB in commercial sliced cooked ham. Methods: Thirty samples of sliced cooked ham were collected from five supermarkets. Each sample was analyzed in terms of: Lactobacillus on De Man Rogosa, Sharpe agar (30°C), mesophilic (30°C) and thermophilic (37ºC) Streptococcus on M17 agar containing 1% lactose, Lactococcus on LM17 agar containing 100 µg per liter of cycloheximide (25°C) and Enterococci on Kanamicin Aesculin Azide agar containing kanamycin (37°C), all under anaerobic conditions (Gas-Pack System®, BBL) for 48-72h. Twenty-one colonies were randomly picked and physiologically and biochemically characterized. Results: No difference was observed in genuses between supermarkets; however, significant differences were observed between microbial genuses. Enterococci showed the lowest count (2.34 ± 0.05 log10 CFU/g) and Lactobacilli had the highest counts (5.98 ± 0.04 log10 CFU/g). Of the strains isolated 23.8% were identified as thermophillic Lactobacillus, 23.8% mesophilic Lactobacillus, 28.6% Enterococcus, 14.3% Lactococcus and 9.5% Streptococcus. From these, only six could be characterized to species level; one was L.lactis subsp. lactis and five were L. amylolyticus. Conclusions: High LAB counts are a common cause of spoilage in RTE meat products, since these are commonly found in meat environments. Therefore a study on the processing, distribution and in-site handling of RTE meat products at supermarkets may be necessary in order to increase its shelf life.

Antecedentes: Los productos cárnicos rebanados cocidos listos para el consumo (RTE) son alimentos populares de conveniencia. El rebanado de este tipo de productos es una práctica común en los supermercados. Debido a la manipulación, así como al entorno del supermercado, se ha sugerido que los recuentos y la presencia de bacterias ácido lácticas (LAB) en estos productos pueden estar asociados con su rápido deterioro y corta vida en anaquel. Objetivo: El objetivo de este trabajo fue cuantificar e identificar LAB en jamón cocido rebanado en el supermercado. Métodos: se recolectaron 30 muestras de jamón cocido rebanado de cinco supermercados. Cada muestra se analizó en términos de: Lactobacillus en agar De Man Rogosa, Sharpe (30°C), Streptococcus mesofílicos (30°C) y termofílicos (37°C) en agar M17 conteniendo 1% de lactosa, Lactococcus en agar LM17 contiendo 100 µg por litro de ciclohexamida (25°C), y Enterococci en agar Kanamicin Aesculin Azide conteniendo kanamicina (37°C), todos bajo condiciones anaeróbicas (Gas-Pack System®, BBL) por 48-72h. Veintiún colonias seleccionadas al azar fueron fisiológica y bioquímicamente caracterizadas. Resultados: No se observaron diferencias en el género entre los supermercados; sin embargo, se observaron diferencias significativas entre género microbiano. Los enterococos mostraron los recuentos más bajos (2,34 ± 0,05 log10 CFU/g) y los lactobacilos los más altos (5,98 ± 0,04 log10 CFU/g). De las cepas aisladas 23,8% fueron identificados como Lactobacillus termófilos, 23,8% Lactobacillus mesófilos, 28,6% Enterococcus, 14,3% Lactococcus y 9,5% Streptococcus. De éstos, sólo seis pudieron caracterizarse a nivel de especie; uno fue L.lactis subsp lactis y cinco fueron L. amylolyticus. Conclusiones: Conteos altos de LAB son una causa común del deterioro de los productos cárnicos listos para el consumo, ya que estos se encuentran comúnmente en los entornos donde se maneja carne. Por lo tanto, es necesario llevar a cabo un estudio sobre el procesamiento, distribución y manejo de productos cárnicos listos para el consumo en los supermercados con el fin de aumentar su vida en anaquel.

Microbiota de jamones de cerdo cocidos asociada al deterioro por abombamiento del empaque / Microbial of cooked pork hams associated of blown pack spoilage

Sanitary evaluation of different brands of cooked pork ham stunned naturally and not stunned set in several supermarkets of Bogotá D.C. Materials and methods. Were analyzed 10 brands of cooked pork ham during 45 days, refreshed in fridge low the same conditions of the consumer, from three different supermarkets. Recounts in plate of important microorganism in the industry of food and of innocuousness were done to sample with or without blown pack and the isolated strains were identified by biochemical tests and molecular biology (PCR) to determine microbial diversity present of the samples and also food-borne-pathogens. Additionally biofilm formation by strains isolated from surfaces in a food industry was tested. Results. 139 strains were isolated from finished product, which 99% (137 strains) belong are classified into lactic acid bacteria group (LAB), the remaining 1% corresponding to yeasts. From 31 strains isolated from surfaces in the sliced zone, 97% (30 strains) presented biofilm formation. Food-borne pathogens were not isolated from finished product or environmental samples. Conclusions. The spoilage caused for blown pack was associated with presence of LAB, due the fact they were isolated from collected samples in the sliced zone and finished product, of this one only LAB were isolated specially Lactobacillus sp.