Foods — Open Access Journal of Food Science

Salmonella enterica is one of the most ubiquitous enteropathogenic bacterial species on earth, and comprises more than 2500 serovars. Widely known for causing non-typhoidal foodborne infections (95%), and enteric (typhoid) fever in humans, Salmonella colonizes almost all warm- and cold-blooded animals, in addition to its extra-animal environmental strongholds. The last few decades have witnessed the emergence of highly virulent and antibiotic-resistant Salmonella, causing greater morbidity and mortality in humans. The emergence of several Salmonella serotypes resistant to multiple antibiotics in food animals underscores a significant food safety hazard. In this review, we discuss the various antibiotic-resistant Salmonella serotypes in food animals and the food supply, factors that contributed to their emergence, their antibiotic resistance mechanisms, the public health implications of their spread through the food supply, and the potential antibiotic alternatives for controlling them. Full article

Fractionation of the bovine glycomacropeptide (GMP) from the other proteins in cheese whey was examined using ultrafiltration membranes surface modified to contain positively charged polymer brushes made of polyhexamethylene biguanide. By placing a strong positive charge on a 1000 kDa ultrafiltration membrane and adjusting the pH of whey close to the isoelectric point of GMP, a 14-fold increase in selectivity was observed compared to unmodified membranes. A one stage membrane system gave 90% pure GMP and a three-stage rectification system gave 97% pure GMP. The charged membrane was salt-tolerant up to 40 mS cm⁻¹ conductivity, allowing fractionation of GMP directly from cheese whey without first lowering the whey conductivity by water dilution. Thus, similarly sized proteins that differed somewhat in isoelectric points and were 50–100 fold smaller than the membrane molecular weight cut-off (MWCO), were cleanly fractionated using charged ultrafiltration membranes without water addition. This is the first study to report on the use of salt-tolerant charged ultrafiltration membranes to produce chromatographically pure protein fractions from whey, making ultrafiltration an attractive alternative to chromatography for dairy protein fractionation. Full article

Several studies have explored in depth the biochemistry and genetics of the pigments present in Fusarium graminearum, but there is a need to discuss their relationship with the mold’s observable surface color pattern variation throughout its lifecycle. Furthermore, they require basic cataloguing, including a description of their major features known so far. Colors are a viable alternative to size measurement in growth studies. When grown on yeast extract agar (YEA) at 25 °C, F. graminearum initially exhibits a whitish mycelium, developing into a yellow-orange mold by the sixth day and then turning into wine-red. The colors are likely due to accumulation of the golden yellow polyketide aurofusarin and the red rubrofusarin, but the carotenoid neurosporaxanthin also possibly plays a major role in the yellow or orange coloration. Torulene might contribute to red tones, but it perhaps ends up being converted into neurosporaxanthin. Culmorin is also present, but it does not contribute to the color, though it was initially isolated in pigment studies. Additionally, there is the 5-deoxybostrycoidin-based melanin, but it mostly occurs in the teleomorph’s perithecium. There is still a need to chemically quantify the pigments throughout the lifecycle, and analyze their relationships and how much each impacts F. graminearum’s surface color. Full article

Ultrasound is composed of mechanical sound waves that originate from molecular movements that oscillate in a propagation medium. The waves have a very high frequency, equal to approximately 20 kHz, are divided into two categories (i.e., low-intensity and high-intensity waves) and cannot be perceived by the human ear. Nature has created the first ultrasound applications. Bats use ultrasound to navigate in the dark, and many cetaceans use echolocation to detect prey or obstacles using ultrasound produced by their vocal system. Ultrasound is commonly associated with the biomedical field. Today, ultrasound-based methods and equipment are available to detect organs, motion, tumour masses, and pre/post-natal handicaps, and for kidney stone removal, physiotherapy, and aesthetic cures. However, ultrasound has found multiple applications in many other fields as well. In particular, ultrasound has recently been used in the food industry to develop various effective and reliable food processing applications. Therefore, this review summarizes the major applications of ultrasound in the food industry. The most common applications in the food industry include cell destruction and extraction of intracellular material. Depending on its intensity, ultrasound is used for the activation or deactivation of enzymes, mixing and homogenization, emulsification, dispersion, preservation, stabilization, dissolution and crystallization, hydrogenation, tenderization of meat, ripening, ageing and oxidation, and as an adjuvant for solid-liquid extraction for maceration to accelerate and to improve the extraction of active ingredients from different matrices, as well as the degassing and atomization of food preparations. Full article

Recipes have a great impact on consumers’ behavior in the kitchen; building a recipe requires the understanding of the potential user. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate different recipe styles for the preparation of doughs by understanding people’s descriptions of these. Two qualitative studies were performed (43 wheat and 50 corn dough preparers). During interviews, participants described the preparation process of the doughs using the Think Aloud technique. Finished doughs were described as not sticky, soft, and pliable. Based on these descriptions, five recipes were created: not detailed, detailed, very detailed, paragraph-form, and ‘with images’. Recipes were validated in two online surveys (total n = 600), where respondents evaluated the easiness, likeability, likelihood of using, helpfulness, and amount of information. Respondents considered the recipe with images as easier and more helpful. The very detailed recipe was considered more difficult, less helpful, and was liked less than the other recipes. Understanding and identifying the terms and techniques people use is a good way to communicate how to prepare a food product and can be used to develop and improve recipes. However, the format in which the recipe is presented is an important factor considered by users when following recipes. Full article

Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum has been recognized as a rich source of secondary metabolites, including phenolic acids, flavonoids and flavonoid polymers (proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins), with related health benefits. Both parts of Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum (white bulb and pseudostem) are traditionally consumed either as a vegetable or as a condiment in many Mediterranean countries. The aim of the present study was to optimize the extraction conditions of polyphenols from white leek stem and green leek leaf by implementing a Box-Behnken design (BBD). The optimization considered basic factors affecting extraction efficiency, including extraction time, solvent to plant material ratio and solvent mixture composition. Maximum polyphenol yield was achieved at an extraction time of 80 and 100 min for white leek stem and green leek leaf extracts respectively, solvent to plant material ratio of 5:1 (v/w) and methanol to water ratio of 40:60 (v/v), for both leek extracts. Interestingly, higher total phenolic content was found in green leek leaf extracts compared to white leek stem extracts, due to a possible relationship between polyphenol production and sunlight radiation. High correlation values were also observed between total phenolic content and antioxidant-antiradical activity of optimized leek extracts. Full article

During the production of a traditional drink produced from the tubers of Cyperus esculentus L. also known as “horchata de chufa,” a high quantity of by-products are generated. These by-products are rich with valuable biological compounds, hence, there is a need to report their extraction conditions for further use in food production as raw materials. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate and improve the conventional extraction process, applied for recovery of phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and total antioxidant capacity from the by-products. Independent variables for extraction were: (i) Solvent type (mixtures of ethanol-water (v/v) at 0%, 25% and 50%); (ii) temperature (40, 50 and 60 °C), and (iii) extraction time (1, 2 and 3 h). The obtained results showed that solvent type, temperature, and time significantly influenced (p < 0.05) all investigated parameters. The highest content of total polyphenols (16.02 mg GAE/100 g of dry matter; d.m.), and total flavonoids (30.09 mg CE/100 g d.m.) was achieved by ethanol at 25% (v/v), after 3 h of extraction with temperatures of 60 °C and 50 °C, respectively. The highest value of antioxidant capacity (1759.81 µM Trolox equivalents/g d.m.) was observed with 50% aqueous ethanol (v/v), at 60 °C, and 3 h of extraction. From the obtained results, it can be concluded that the by-products of “Horchata de Chufa” are an important source of antioxidant bioactive compounds. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of rearing managements applied during a heifers’ whole life on the carcass and flank steak (rectus abdominis) meat traits. For this study, rearing managements applied on 96 heifers were identified by conducting surveys in farms. A heifers’ whole life was divided into three key periods: Pre-weaning, growth, and fattening. The combination of the rearing factors applied during the heifers’ whole life allowed us to characterize several rearing managements. Among them, four have been studied in depth. The main results displayed that the carcass traits were more sensitive to the rearing managements than the flank steak traits. The different managements considered had an impact on the weight, the dressing percentage and the conformation score of the carcass. Whereas, they had no impact on the sensory descriptors, the sheer force and the color of the flank steak. This study showed that the variations observed for carcass and meat traits could not be explained by the variation of only one rearing factor but could be explained by many rearing factors characterizing the rearing management applied. Finally, this study demonstrated that it was possible to improve carcass traits without deteriorating meat traits. Full article

Hom Nil (Oryza sativa), a Thai black rice, contains polyphenolic compounds which have antioxidant properties. The objective of this study was to investigate physicochemical properties of Hom Nil rice flour (HN) and its application in gluten free bread by using Hom Mali 105 rice flour (HM) as the reference. The results demonstrated that HN flour had significantly higher average particle sizes (150 ± 0.58 µm), whereas the content of amylose (17.6 ± 0.2%) was lower than HM flour (particle sizes = 140 ± 0.58 µm; amylose content = 21.3 ± 0.6%). Furthermore, HN contained higher total phenolic compounds (TPC) (2.68 ± 0.2 mg GAE/g flour), total anthocyanins (293 ± 30 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/g flour), and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (73.5 ± 1.5 mM FeSO₄/g) than HM flour (TPC = 0.15 mg GAE/g flour and FRAP = 2.24 mM FeSO₄/g flour). In thermal properties, the onset temperature (T_o), the peak temperature (T_p) and the conclusion (T_c) temperature of HN flour were similar to the values of HM flour. However, HN flour had lower enthalpy change (ΔH) than HM flour. The results showed that HN flour had lower swelling power and higher solubility than HM flour at the temperature between 55 °C and 95 °C. In pasting properties, HN flour also showed lower peak, trough and breakdown viscosity than HM flour. In addition, the bread samples prepared by HN flour had higher value of hardness and lower value of cohesiveness than the bread prepared from HM flour. Taken together, the findings suggest that HN flour could be used as an alternative gluten-free ingredient for bread product. Full article

Complexity is generally perceived to be a desirable attribute as far as the design/delivery of food and beverage experiences is concerned. However, that said, there are many different kinds of complexity, or at least people use the term when talking about quite different things, and not all of them are relevant to the design of food and drink experiences nor are they all necessarily perceptible within the tasting experience (either in the moment or over time). Consequently, the consumer often needs to infer the complexity of a tasting experience that is unlikely to be perceptible (in its entirety) in the moment. This paper outlines a number of different routes by which the chef, mixologist, and/or blender can both design and signal the complexity in the tasting experience. Full article

A risk assessment of histamine was conducted for different categories of fishery products in the market. Risk estimates were assessed using the Risk Ranger tool. The estimated risks associated with the consumption of canned, semi-preserved and frozen fish are lower than those associated with fresh fish. According to the hypotheses of application or not of the histamine control measures, two risk levels were calculated for each product. The highest risk is associated to sardine with a score of 35 (equivalent to 39 patients per year). With the application of control measures, the score decreases to 20 (equivalent to one patient per year) with a reduction of 38 patients estimated per year. The risk ranking for frozen fish varies between zero (1 patient for 1000 years) and 11 (three patients for 1000 years). For semi-preserved fish, it ranges from zero to 21. For canned fish, the risk ranking varies between 12 (five patients for 1000 years) and 21 (15 patients for 100 years). As a result, most Moroccan seafood products are classified as “low risk”. However, it is recommended that risk managers maintain the adopted measures, strengthen interventions upstream in the food chain and that professionals maintain the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system effectively. Full article

Over 40 million day-old layer line cockerels are culled in Germany each year, due to economic reasons, leading to a recently instigated research focus on the potential of dual-purpose breeds as an alternative to conventional poultry husbandry, especially the practice of culling. This paper aims to explore and assess the dual-purpose chicken breed “Lohmann Dual” (LD) performance (n = 30) and sensory characteristics (n = 48). Carcass and meat quality traits are evaluated, and descriptive sensory analysis of breast muscles is conducted. To define the scope of characteristics, a market sample of “Ross” Line (n = 35) is adducted. LD carcasses are characterized by higher leg than breast yield; carcass, breast and leg weights are higher in Ross. LD meat has a lower pH, differs in color, has higher drip and thawing losses, but lower cooking loss. LD breast muscles are firmer as indicated by shear force measurements, which is confirmed through the sensory analysis. Appearance, odor and flavor differ between the lines. Overall, distinguishable differences are found between both breeds. Further research should focus on the marketing aspect of the dual-purpose line, as some characteristics could draw consumers to this product. Animal welfare and ethical concerns should further be considered when considering dual-purpose breeds as a feasible alternative to culling. Full article

Chitosan coating is a promising method for food preservation. This study aims to fill the data gap regarding the application of chitosan (1% and 2%) on vacuum-packed fresh pork stored at 4 °C for 28 days, with particular attention on the effect on Listeria monocytogenes, inoculated as a cocktail of three strains. Chitosan at both concentrations was able to significantly reduce L. monocytogenes counts by more than 1.5 Log CFU/g with respect to control; moreover, it inhibited the growth of mesophilic bacteria and was particularly effective on lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. The beneficial effects on shelf life were demonstrated by both panel test and pH evolution. In fact, panellists did not detect any sensory difference between samples treated with 1% chitosan and control up to 14 days of storage, while after 28 days, a pungent flesh odour was perceived in control samples only. Interestingly, at a_w values of fresh meat (0.984), the chitosan coating exhibited a liquid behaviour, with a dynamic viscosity of 229.4 ± 4.2 mPa/s. Chitosan coating applied on vacuum-packed pork loins contained L. monocytogenes growth and improved the microbiological characteristics of the product, with a beneficial effect on product shelf life. Full article

The color of food is important for flavor perception and food selection. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the visual color perception of liquid samples among Finnish adult consumers by their background variables. Participants (n = 205) ranked six different colored solutions just by looking according to four attributes: from most to least pleasant, healthy, sweet and sour. The color sample rated most frequently as the most pleasant was red (37%), the most healthy white (57%), the most sweet red and orange (34% both) and the most sour yellow (54%). Ratings of certain colors differed between gender, age, body mass index (BMI) and education groups. Females regarded the red color as the sweetest more often than males (p = 0.013) while overweight subjects rated the orange as the sweetest more often than normal weight subjects (p = 0.029). Personal characteristics may be associated with some differences in color associations. Full article

Chihuahua cheese is a traditional cheese produced in Northwest Mexico that is consumed shortly after production. Cheeses prepared during autumn, winter and summer were collected from five dairies, and analyzed to determine seasonal influence on proximate analysis, texture profile and the microbiological dynamic during a ripening period of 270 days. Coliforms, coagulase-positive staphylococci, molds, yeast, as well as presumptive mesophilic lactobacilli, thermophilic lactobacilli, lactococci, thermophilic cocci and enterococci, were enumerated by plate count on selective agar. Manufacturing dairy had an effect on Chihuahua cheese composition and texture profile. Seasonality influence on the microbial dynamic was observed, since the highest initial counts of coliforms (5.14 log CFU/g), coagulase-positive staphylococci (4.13 log CFU/g) and mesophilic lactobacilli (7.86 log CFU/g) were detected on summer samples. Also, ripening time affected the survival of coliforms and presumptive lactococci after 270 days (1.24 and 5.89 log CFU/g respectively) while from day 90th, coagulase-positive staphylococci were absent. Microbial changes and seasonal influence provide information on the microbiota that can influence the sensorial characteristics of Chihuahua cheese. Full article

The implementation of fast and nondestructive methods in meat products and colds cuts have become increasingly important to evaluate their quality in relation to different factors such as origin, type of processing, freshness, adulteration, and authenticity. In this study, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), colorimetric, and image-analysis methods were implemented to characterize and classify ham cold cuts in terms of meat type, processing, and shelf life during refrigerated storage. Two types of commercial hams (made from pork and turkey) and three types of processing (boiled, smoked, and roasted) were selected. By using the most appropriate color parameters, a*, h, and C*, as well as the textural features’ angular second moment, long-running emphasis, and standard deviation of image intensity from the hams’ images, high-classification values for the different ham samples were achieved. The FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of absorbance bands of proteins, triglycerides, fatty acids, and carbohydrates with different intensities according to meat type and processing. Refrigeration storage caused significant alterations of color parameters and a partial degradation of triglycerides and proteins. Moreover, the image-analysis findings indicated that storage period caused significant degradation of ham images relating to local linearity, and structural and textural continuum. Full article

The position of design elements on product packaging has been shown to exert a measurable impact on consumer perception across a number of different studies and product categories. Design elements previously found to influence the consumer through their positioning on the front of pack include product imagery, brand logos, text-based claims, and basic shapes. However, as yet, no empirical research has focused specifically on the relative position of transparent windows; despite the latter being an increasingly prevalent element of many modern packaging designs. This exploratory online study details an experimental investigation of how manipulating the position of a transparent window on a range of visually-presented, novel packaging designs influences consumer evaluations and judgements of the product seen within. Specifically, 110 participants rated 24 different packaging designs (across four product categories: granola, boxed chocolates, pasta, and lemon mousse; each with six window positions: in one of the four quadrants, the top half, or the bottom half) in a within-participants experimental design. Analyses were conducted using Friedman’s tests and Hochberg procedure-adjusted Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests. Window position was found to be a non-trivial element of design, with a general preference for windows on the right-hand side being evidenced. Significantly higher scores for expected product tastiness and design attractiveness were consistently identified across all product categories when windows were positioned on the right- vs. left-hand side of the packaging. Effects on the perception of powerfulness, overall liking, quality, and willingness to purchase were identified, but were inconsistent across the different product categories. Very few effects of window verticality were identified, with expected weight of the product not being significantly influenced by window position. The implications of these findings for academics, designers, and brand managers are discussed, with future research directions highlighted. Full article

This study is based on the influence of consumers’ health consciousness (HC), perceived knowledge (PK) and beliefs affecting the attitude and purchase intent (PI) of the consumers. The outcome of this study is obtained through an exclusive survey conducted on a randomly selected sample of 712 households who purchase liquid milk (LM) in the cities of Dhaka and Chittagong in Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire is used to interview these participants to obtain data which are analysed employing descriptive statistics, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling. The results of the analyses corroborate that consumers’ health consciousness has a positive impact on perceived knowledge, belief, and attitude, but not on purchase intent. In addition, belief affects both the attitude and PI positively. Although consumers’ perceived knowledge is too low to constitute their attitude towards LM, it has a positive, significant impact on the PI. The results also reveal that more than a third of the respondents consume LM several times per month, followed by more than a quarter of the sampled respondents who consume LM several times per week, and these consumption patterns have a positive and significant influence on the PI. Moreover, the monthly income of the family, age, and labelling preference are significantly correlated with PI. Full article

The ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of oleuropein (OLE), verbascoside (VER), and luteolin-4′-O-glucoside (L4OG), as the major phenolics from olive leaves, was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). A Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used to monitor the effect of different modes of ultrasound operation (pulsed and continuous), liquid–solid (L–S) ratio, and sonication time on each phenolic yield. The yield of UAE and conventional solid extraction (CSE) was determined after performing ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector (UHPLC-DAD) analysis on the extracts. The results suggested that, under optimal conditions, the concentrations of OLE, VER, and L4OG were 13.386, 0.363, and 0.527 mg/g of dry powdered olive leaves (DPOL), respectively. Verification of experiments was carried out under the modified optimal conditions and the relative errors between the predicted and experimental values were dependent on the examined phenolic compound (OLE 8.63%, VER 11.3%, and L4OG 22.48%). In comparison with CSE, UAE improved the yields of OLE, VER, and L4OG (32.6%, 41.8%, and 47.5%, respectively, after 1 min) at a temperature of 60 °C, an L–S ratio of 15 (v/w), and in the continuous mode of UAE. We demonstrated that the UAE technique is an efficient method for enhancing yields of OLE, VER, and L4OG in olive-leaf extracts, while the chosen model was adequate to optimize the extraction of major phenolic compounds from olive leaves. Full article