Future foods: Alternative proteins, food architecture, sustainable packaging, and precision nutrition.

There are numerous challenges facing the modern food and agriculture industry that urgently need to be addressed, including feeding a growing global population, mitigating and adapting to climate change, decreasing pollution, waste, and biodiversity loss, and ensuring that people remain healthy. At the same time, foods should be safe, affordable, convenient, and delicious. The latest developments in science and technology are being deployed to address these issues. Some of the most important elements within this modern food design approach are encapsulated by the MATCHING model: Meat-reduced; Automation; Technology-driven; Consumer-centric; Healthy; Intelligent; Novel; and Globalization. In this review article, we focus on four key aspects that will be important for the creation of a new generation of healthier and more sustainable foods: emerging raw materials; structural design principles for creating innovative products; developments in eco-friendly packaging; and precision nutrition and customized production of foods. We also highlight some of the most important new developments in science and technology that are being used to create future foods, including food architecture, synthetic biology, nanoscience, and sensory perception.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2033683.

Zein-based nano-delivery systems for encapsulation and protection of hydrophobic bioactives: A review.

Zein is a kind of excellent carrier materials to construct nano-sized delivery systems for hydrophobic bioactives, owing to its unique interfacial behavior, such as self-assembly and packing into nanoparticles. In this article, the chemical basis and preparation methods of zein nanoparticles are firstly reviewed, including chemical crosslinking, emulsification/solvent evaporation, antisolvent, pH-driven method, etc., as well as the pros and cons of different preparation methods. Various strategies to improve their physicochemical properties are then summarized. Lastly, the encapsulation and protection effects of zein-based nano-sized delivery systems (e.g., nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanomicelles and nanogels) are discussed, using curcumin as a model bioactive ingredient. This review will provide guidance for the in-depth development of hydrophobic bioactives formulations and improve the application value of zein in the food industry.

Enzymatic and Nonenzymatic Conjugates of Lactoferrin and (-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate: Formation, Structure, Functionality, and Allergenicity.

The impact of covalent attachment of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) to lactoferrin (LF) on the structure, morphology, functionality, and allergenicity of the protein was studied. These polyphenol-protein conjugates were formed using various enzymatic (laccase- and tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation) and nonenzymatic (free radical grafting and alkali treatment) methods. The preparation conditions for forming the enzymatic conjugates were optimized by exploring the influence of order-of-addition effects: protein, polyphenols, and enzymes. The total phenol content of the LF-EGCG conjugates was quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The nature of the conjugates formed was determined using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses. These studies showed that enzymatic cross-linking was a highly effective means of forming LF-EGCG conjugates. Analysis of these conjugates using various spectroscopic methods showed that conjugation to EGCG changed the molecular structure of LF. Atomic force microscopy showed that the four covalent cross-linking methods affected the size and morphology of these LF-EGCG conjugates formed. The antioxidant activity and emulsifying stability of LF were significantly improved by conjugation to EGCG. Finally, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a western blot assay indicated that conjugation of EGCG reduced the binding capacity of LF to immunoglobulin E (IgE) and immunoglobulin G (IgG), which is consistent with a decrease in allergenicity. Overall, this study suggests that LF-EGCG conjugates formed using enzymatic or nonenzymatic methods have potential applications as functional ingredients in foods.

Design principles of oil-in-water emulsions with functionalized interfaces: Mixed, multilayer, and covalent complex structures.

Proteins and polysaccharides are widely used as ingredients in food emulsions due to their high biocompatibility, good biodegradability, and a broad range of techno-functionalities. In particular, they are used as emulsifiers, texture modifiers, and stabilizers in many emulsion-based foods. Moreover, the functionality of these biopolymers can be extended by forming protein-polysaccharide complexes that can be used to modulate the characteristics of the oil-water interface, thereby altering the stability and performance of food emulsions. This review highlights a number of approaches to modulate the interfacial properties of oil-in-water emulsions based on the utilization of protein-polysaccharide complexes: direct mixing, layer-by-layer assembly, and conjugation. Besides, the impact of altering the interfacial properties on emulsion performance is highlighted, including their formation, stability, and functional attributes. Interfacial engineering approaches can be used to tailor the properties of food emulsions to particular applications. For instance, they can be used to create emulsion-based delivery systems for bioactive agents, such as vitamins, nutraceuticals, antimicrobials, colors, flavors, and antioxidants. Moreover, they can be used to create emulsion-based foods with lower calorie contents and enhanced satiety responses. Nevertheless, it is important to account for various factors when developing successful interfacial engineering technologies, including safety concerns, production costs, environmental impact, sustainability, government regulations, and labeling issues.

The rainfall effect onto solidification and stabilization of heavy metal-polluted sediments.

Rainfall makes impacts on the process of solidification/stabilization (S/S) and the long-term safety of solidified matrix. In this study, the effect of rainfall on solidification/stabilization process was investigated by the rainfall test. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) were adopted to characterize the properties of S/S sediments before and after the rainfall test. The samples cured for 28 days were selected for semi-dynamic leaching tests with a simulated acidic leachant prepared at pH of 2.0, 4.0 and 7.0. The effectiveness of S/S treatment was evaluated by diffusion coefficient (De ) and leachability index (LX). The results indicated that UCS decreased at maximum deterioration rate of 34.23% after 7 days of curing, along with the minimum rate of 7.98% after 28 days by rainfall, with greater than 14 days referred. The rainfall had little effect on the leaching characteristics of heavy metals during the curing process. However, the simulated acid rain made significant impacts on the leaching behaviours of the heavy metals in the S/S materials. All the values of cumulative fraction of leached heavy metals were less than 2.0%, exhibition of good stabilization of cement. Furthermore, the calculated diffusion coefficient (De ) for Cu was 1.28 × 101 cm2 s-1, indicating its low mobility of heavy metal ions in S/S sediments. Furthermore, the calculated diffusion coefficients (Di ) for Cd, Cu and Pb were 7.44 × 10-11, 8.18 × 10-12 and 7.85 × 10-12 cm2 s-1, respectively, indicating their relatively low mobility of heavy metal in S/S sediments.

Physicochemical properties, phenolic profiles, antioxidant capacities, and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) fruit at different maturation stages.

Phenolic compounds are considered the main bioactive components in okra fruits. In order to well understand the accumulation pattern of phenolic compounds in okra fruits during maturation, and to obtain okra fruits with high level of health-beneficial phenolic compounds, physicochemical properties, phenolic profiles, antioxidant capacities, and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes of okra fruits at different maturation stages were investigated. Noticeable variations in physicochemical properties and phenolic profiles of okra were observed at different maturation stages. Phenolic compounds, including quercetin-3-O-gentiobioside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside (isoquercitrin), rutin, quercetin derivative, protocatechuic acid, and catechin derivative, were determined to be the major compounds in okra fruits, while quercetin-3-O-gentiobioside was the most abundant phenolic compound. Considering the accumulation patterns of fruit size, firmness, and total flavonoid content of okra fruits, the optimal harvest time of okra fruits with relatively high level of health-beneficial phenolic compounds was determined. Furthermore, okra fruits at different maturation stages exerted remarkable antioxidant capacities and inhibitory effects on the pancreatic lipase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase. The Pearson's correlation showed that quercetin-3-O-gentiobioside was one of the major contributors to the antioxidant capacities and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes. Results are beneficial for understanding of the accumulation pattern of phenolic compounds in okra fruits during maturation, and can aid in the targeting of specific maturation stages with an optimal phenolic profile for the production of health-beneficial products.