Stabilization and valorization of tomato byproduct: A case study for the bakery industry.

Worldwide, tomato production is estimated at 180 million tons per year, which generates a byproduct with highly variable characteristics and volumes. According to the principles of the circular economy, a semi-industrial method for the integral use of the tomato byproduct as an ingredient in the bakery industry is proposed. Using two different dehydration processes (convection or freeze-drying), a tomato byproduct formed by peels and seeds was stabilized and ground into flours that were used as ingredients in focaccia-type flatbread elaboration through a wheat flour partial substitution trial (from 0% to 20% w/w). Based on the kinetics of convection drying and remaining lycopene content results, conditioning of the byproduct at 60°C was proposed. The higher the percentage of substitution, the greater the firmness of the flatbread. However, the cutting force was maximum with 15% replacement. The flatbreads with 5%-15% replacement were rated positively according to consumer acceptance studies. Substitution of up to 15% tomato byproduct is suggested for the formulation, as the higher the byproduct flour content, the lower the volume, the higher the firmness, and reddish-brown tones. Realistically, for the industrial setting, this processing proposal reached the whole food chain, from field to fork. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Based on the circular economy and considering the whole food chain, a case study is proposed to prove the usefulness of tomato byproduct flour implementation in bakery with consumers' acceptance. Once the tomato byproduct was dehydrated by convection drying and ground, the flour was used to make focaccia-type flatbread. Up to 15% of tomato byproduct flour addition was accepted by consumers. Considering the tons of tomato byproducts generated worldwide and the overall bakery possibilities, this case shows industrial steps toward sustainable food production practices.

Effect of high-hydrostatic pressure processing and sous-vide cooking on physicochemical traits of Biceps femoris veal patties.

The effects of non-thermal, high-hydrostatic-pressure processing (HPP) and its combination with sous vide cooking technique (HPP-SVCOOK) on physicochemical traits of veal patties elaborated with top sirloin caps (Biceps femoris) derived from local Pyrenean bullocks, were investigated. The patties were subjected to 13 treatment combinations of three HPP pressures (350, 475, or 600 MPa) for 5, 10, or 15 min, followed by 20 treatment combinations with subsequent SVCOOK at three cooking temperatures (55, 60 or 65 °C). Significant changes in color and texture parameters were observed in HPP and HPP-SVCOOK patties. Also, there was a significant effect of processing parameters on cooking loss. HPP-SVCOOK processing conditions dealt with several changes in texture and color of patties. For yielding the optimum processing results in terms of reduced hardness and cooking loss, veal patties should be HPP-treated at 350 MPa for 10 min., and sous-vide cooked at 55 °C.

Effects of Gaseous Ozone on Microbiological Quality of Andean Blackberries (Rubus glaucus Benth).

Andean blackberries are highly perishable due to their susceptibility to water loss, softening, mechanical injuries, and postharvest diseases. In this study, the antimicrobial efficacy of gaseous ozone against spoilage (mesophiles, psychrotrophs, and yeasts and molds) and pathogenic (E. coli, S. enterica, and B. cinerea) microorganisms was evaluated during 10 days of storage at 6 ± 1 °C. Respiration rate and mass loss were also determined. Ozone was applied prior to storage at 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 ppm, for 3 min. The best results were observed with the higher ozone dose, with initial maximum reductions of ~0.5, 1.09, and 0.46 log units for E. coli, S. enterica, and B. cinerea, respectively. For the native microflora, maximum reductions of 1.85, 1.89, and 2.24 log units were achieved on day 1 for the mesophiles, psychrotrophs, and yeasts and molds, respectively, and this effect was maintained throughout storage. In addition, the lower respiration rate and mass loss of the blackberries ozonated at 0.7 ppm indicate that this treatment did not induce physiological damage to the fruit. Gaseous O3 could be effective in maintaining the postharvest quality of blackberries throughout refrigerated storage but higher doses could be advisable to enhance its antimicrobial activity.

Intra-laboratory validation of microplate methods for total phenolic content and antioxidant activity on polyphenolic extracts, and comparison with conventional spectrophotometric methods.

BACKGROUND: Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA) assays in microplates save resources and time, therefore they can be useful to overcome the fact that the conventional methods are time-consuming, labour intensive and use large amounts of reagents. An intra-laboratory validation of the Folin-Ciocalteu microplate method to measure TPC and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) microplate method to measure AA was performed and compared with conventional spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS: To compare the TPC methods, the confidence intervals of a linear regression were used. In the range of 10-70 mg L(-1) of gallic acid equivalents (GAE), both methods were equivalent. To compare the AA methodologies, the F-test and t-test were used in a range from 220 to 320 µmol L(-1) of Trolox equivalents. Both methods had homogeneous variances, and the means were not significantively different. The limits of detection and quantification for the TPC microplate method were 0.74 and 2.24 mg L(-1) GAE and for the DPPH 12.07 and 36.58 µmol L(-1) of Trolox equivalents. The relative standard deviation of the repeatability and reproducibility for both microplate methods were ≤ 6.1%. The accuracy ranged from 88% to 100%. CONCLUSION: The microplate and the conventional methods are equals in a 95% confidence level.