Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) products as ingredients for reformulating frankfurters: Effects on quality properties and shelf-life.

Several strategies were examined for incorporating chia products (seeds, flour and a coproduct from cold-press oil extraction) in frankfurters. The nutritional composition, technological properties and sensory attributes of the resulting products were studied in relation to the formulation used and, lipid oxidation, pH, residual nitrite level and microbiological properties were evaluated during chilled storage. Application of these chia products (3%) was seen to enhance the nutritional composition of frankfurters, without adversely affecting the technological properties of the final product. In general, although differences were detected in the sensory attributes of the frankfurters reformulated with chia products (most of them when chia coproduct was added), all of them were judged acceptable. Besides the quality aspects, these reformulation strategies had beneficial effects on some technological properties during chilled storage: better resistance to oxidation (controlling the TBARS increase during storage) and lower residual nitrite levels than control (both effects presumably because the chia polyphenols content) and no effect on microbiological safety.

Milk Technological Properties as Affected by Including Artichoke By-Products Silages in the Diet of Dairy Goats.

Traditional farming practices include the use of local agricultural by-products in the diet of ruminants. Artichoke harvesting and transformation yield high amounts of by-products that, if properly used, may reduce farming costs and the environmental impact of farming. The present study tests the inclusion of silages from artichoke by-products (plant and outer bracts) in the diet of dairy goats (0%, 12.5% and 25% inclusion) on the technological and sensory properties of milk during a five-month study. Milk composition, color, stability, coagulation and fermentation properties remained unaffected by diet changes. Panelists were not able to differentiate among yogurts obtained from those milks by discriminant triangular sensory tests. Silages of artichoke by-products can be included in isoproteic and isoenergetic diets for dairy goats, up to a 25% (feed dry matter), without negatively affecting milk technological and sensory properties whereas reducing feeding costs.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from Organic Fennel, Parsley, and Lavender from Spain.

The aim of this work was to (i) determine the chemical composition of the essential oils of three spices widely cultivated in Spain from organic growth: Foeniculum vulgare, Petroselium crispum, and Lavandula officinalis; (ii) determine the total phenolic content; (iii) determine the antioxidant activity of the essentials oils by means of three different antioxidant tests and (iv) determine the effectiveness of these essentials oils on the inhibition of Listeria innocua CECT 910 and Pseudomonas fluorescens CECT 844. There is a great variability in the chemical composition of the essential oils. Parsley had the highest phenolic content. Overall, parsley presented the best antioxidant profile, given its highest % of inhibition of DPPH radical (64.28%) and FRAP (0.93 mmol/L Trolox), but had a pro-oxidative behavior by TBARS. Lavender essential oil showed the highest antibacterial activity against L. innocua (>13 mm of inhibition at 20-40 µL oil in the discs), followed by parsley with an inhibition zone of 10 mm (when more than 5 µL oil in the discs), and fennel 10 mm (when more than 40 µL oil in the discs). P. fluorescens was not inhibited by the tested essential oils.

Antimicrobial Active Packaging including Chitosan Films with Thymus vulgaris L. Essential Oil for Ready-to-Eat Meat.

An active packaging system has been designed for the shelf life extension of ready to eat meat products. The package included an inner surface coated with a chitosan film with thyme essential oil (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) not in direct contact with the meat. Our aim was to reduce the impact of thyme essential oil (EO) on meat sensory properties by using a chemotype with low odor intensity. The pH, color parameters, microbial populations, and sensory properties were assessed during 4 weeks of refrigerated storage. The presence of EO films reduced yeast populations, whereas aerobic mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and enterobacteria were not affected by the presence of the EO in the films. Meat color preservation (a *) was enhanced in the presence of EO, giving a better appearance to the packaged meat. The presence of the chitosan-EO layer reduced water condensation inside the package, whereas packages containing only chitosan had evident water droplets. Thyme odor was perceived as desirable in cooked meat, and the typical product odor intensity decreased by increasing the EO concentration. Further studies should point towards developing oil blends or combinations with natural antimicrobial agents to be incorporated into the film to improve its antimicrobial properties.

Preparation of dietary fiber powder from tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) milk ("Horchata") byproducts and its physicochemical properties.

"Horchata" is a vegetable milk obtained from tiger nuts. The solid waste from horchata production was analyzed for physicochemical and microbial properties, aiming to determine its potential use as a fiber source for the food industry. The solid waste contains a high proportion of total dietary fiber (59.71 g/100 g), composed mainly of insoluble dietary fiber (99.8%). It has a high water-holding capacity (8.01 g/g) and oil-holding capacity (6.92 g/g) and a low water absorption (1.79 g/g) and water adsorption (0.23 g/g) capacities, in comparison with other dietary fiber sources. The emulsifying ability was 70.33 mL/100 mL, and the wastes showed high emulsion stability (100 mL/100 mL). The physicochemical properties indicate that tiger nut byproducts are rich in fiber and may be considered a potential ingredient in a healthy diet. However, the microbial quality was poor, meaning that it must be pasteurized prior to its addition to any food product.

Shelf life of ostrich (Struthio camelus) liver stored under different packaging conditions.

Ostrich (Struthio camelus) liver is an important edible meat by-product. However, it has a low commercial value, and it is underutilized. The present study was conducted to establish the shelf life of ostrich liver, stored at 2 +/- 1 degrees C for 18 days, under different packing conditions. Fresh livers were sliced and packed under air exposure, vacuum, and modified atmosphere (MA: 80% CO2 plus 20% N2). Shelf-life evaluation was based on color, lipid and hemopigment oxidation, microbial counts, and sensory assessment of odor and color. Samples stored under air exposure showed the highest lipid and hemopigment oxidation rate, which was detected by higher thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values and metmyoglobin percentage and lower heme iron content than livers stored under vacuum or MA. On the basis of aerobic bacteria counts, the shelf life of ostrich liver stored under aerobic conditions would be 7 days, whereas under vacuum or MA, it would be 14 days. In livers stored under anaerobic conditions (vacuum or MA packed), lactic acid bacteria represented a significant proportion of the spoilage microbiota. Minimal changes in color perception were also obtained in vacuum-packed samples at the end of the storage period. In air-packed samples, high levels of off-odors were already perceived during the first 6 days of storage, whereas in livers stored under anaerobic conditions (vacuum and MA), these levels of off-odor were not yet perceived at that time.