Cereal and Cereal Products: Quality, Functionality, Health Security and Application of New Technologies

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Grain".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 6352

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Food Technology in Novi Sad, Bulevar Cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: value-added cereal food product development; the application of new technologies and new scientific achievements in food processing to preserve the functional properties of processed foods based on cereals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Food Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar Cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: food quality and safety; mycotoxin occurrence related to weather conditions; mycotoxin mitigation measures (conventional and novel techniques); novel cereal-based product development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cereals are extremely important for human civilization. People have been using cereal grains in their diet since the dawn of time, and this is particularly true at present as, due to consumers’ returning to the natural sources of food, integral cereals have become the basis of proper nutrition. Cereals are rich in complex carbohydrates. which provide long-lasting energy, maintain stable blood sugar levels and contain B group vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium and zinc. Whole grains are particularly rich in dietary fiber, which improves digestion and maintains healthy intestinal flora. However, antinutrients present in grains can interfere with the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Nevertheless, these antinutrients can be broken down through soaking, sprouting and fermentation. Key targets for the production of cereals are producing high-nutritional-value organic cereals and preserving health safety in  response to climate change.

Three-dimensional food printing, as an additive technology, is currently being used to produce cereal-based products (3D printed snacks, 3D printed biscuits, etc.).

Consumers’ primarily demand a health-safe products made of health-safe raw materials, which can be achieved with modern techniques (cold plasmas, ozone treatment, etc.), which also contribute to the improvement of the techno-functional properties of cereals and cereal-based foods.

This Special Issue considers the quality, functionality, and health safety of cereals and cereal-based products, as well as the application of new technologies for producing health-safe and nutritionally valuable cereal-based products.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Quality of cereals and cereal products;
  • Health safety of cereals and cereal products;
  • Novel cereal processing technologies;
  • Methods of removing antinutrients from cereal products;
  • Functional cereal products;
  • Cereal waste management.

Dr. Olivera Šimurina
Dr. Elizabet Janić Hajnal
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • physicochemical properties
  • nutritional properties
  • sensory properties
  • cereals antinutrients
  • contaminants
  • health security
  • cereal waste
  • new cereal product and technology
  • bioactive compounds

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 2409 KiB  
Article
A Novel Non-Alcoholic Einkorn-Based Beverage Produced by Lactic Acid Fermentation: Microbiological, Chemical, and Sensory Assessment
by Antonietta Maoloni, Martina Cirlini, Lorenzo Del Vecchio, Raquel Torrijos, Eleonora Carini, Giorgia Rampanti, Federica Cardinali, Vesna Milanović, Cristiana Garofalo, Andrea Osimani and Lucia Aquilanti
Foods 2024, 13(23), 3923; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13233923 - 4 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1136
Abstract
Einkorn (Triticum monococcum L. ssp. monococcum) is gaining renewed interest for its high nutritional value and digestibility. Lactic acid fermentation could enhance these properties by improving micronutrient bioavailability, sensory properties, and shelf life. This study aimed to develop a novel non-alcoholic [...] Read more.
Einkorn (Triticum monococcum L. ssp. monococcum) is gaining renewed interest for its high nutritional value and digestibility. Lactic acid fermentation could enhance these properties by improving micronutrient bioavailability, sensory properties, and shelf life. This study aimed to develop a novel non-alcoholic einkorn-based beverage through lactic acid fermentation. A multiple-strain starter was selected based on acidifying properties and inoculated into an einkorn-based substrate to produce a yogurt-like beverage. Prototypes were evaluated through physico-chemical, chemical, and microbiological analyses and compared to uninoculated controls. A sensory analysis was also performed to assess flavor attributes before and after lactic acid fermentation. The inoculated starter culture reached a load of approximately 9 Log CFU g⁻¹ and remained viable throughout storage, leading to an increase in lactic acid concentration and high titratable acidity, corresponding to low pH values. Total polyphenol content increased during fermentation and remained stable during storage, whereas antioxidant activity did not show significant differences over time. An increase in monosaccharides, acids, and ketones was observed during fermentation and storage. The prototypes exhibited a distinctive proximate composition, along with yogurt and fruity aroma notes. These results suggest the feasibility of producing a safe and stable non-alcoholic einkorn-based fermented beverage with appealing sensory characteristics. Full article
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19 pages, 3477 KiB  
Article
Retention of Phytochemical Compounds and Antioxidative Activity in Traditional Baked Dish “proja” Made from Pigmented Maize
by Olivera Šimurina, Bojana Filipčev, Biljana Kiprovski, Zvonko Nježić, Elizabet Janić Hajnal and Ivica Đalović
Foods 2024, 13(17), 2799; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172799 - 3 Sep 2024
Viewed by 955
Abstract
Two genotypes of pigmented maize (black (BM) and red (RM)) were used as flour ingredients in several formulations of the traditional baked maize dish “proja”. This study investigated the stability of phytochemical compounds and antioxidant activity in proja as affected by baking and [...] Read more.
Two genotypes of pigmented maize (black (BM) and red (RM)) were used as flour ingredients in several formulations of the traditional baked maize dish “proja”. This study investigated the stability of phytochemical compounds and antioxidant activity in proja as affected by baking and different acidity degrees of dough formulations. Compared to RM proja, all BM proja formulations were significantly higher in antioxidant compounds and exhibited the highest inhibitory activity (73–85%) against DPPH. There was a strong significant correlation between DPPH inhibition and total phenolics (r2 = 0.95), flavonoids (r2 = 0.96), and anthocyanins (r2 = 0.97) in baked proja. After baking, 67–85% of total phenolics were retained. The fate of flavonoids and anthocyanins after baking was variable: from 70% degradation to liberation. Dough acidity significantly and positively affected the content of phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in BM proja (r2 = 0.70, 0.82, and 0.47, respectively). Baking increased antioxidant activity against DPPH, OH, and O2•− radicals in proja, except for ≈10% decline of DPPH inhibition in BM proja. In RM proja, retention of inhibitory capacity against O2•− was highly correlated to flavonoid retention (r2 = 0.71). Using pigmented maize flour in proja baking resulted in proja with appreciable content of total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and high antioxidant activity, confirming the significant improvement of the nutrient profile of this traditional food. Full article
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24 pages, 2052 KiB  
Article
Quality Optimization and Evaluation of New Cookie Product with Celery Root Powder Addition
by Milica Nićetin, Jelena Filipović, Ivica Djalović, Dragica Stanković, Goran Trivan, Milenko Košutić, Dragan Živančev and Vladimir Filipović
Foods 2024, 13(17), 2712; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172712 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 3547
Abstract
Combined drying, an energy-efficient method that includes osmotic pretreatment in molasses and shortened successive lyophilization, was used to obtain celery root powder and incorporate it in the formulation of cookies, with the aim of obtaining a new product. Wheat flour was substituted with [...] Read more.
Combined drying, an energy-efficient method that includes osmotic pretreatment in molasses and shortened successive lyophilization, was used to obtain celery root powder and incorporate it in the formulation of cookies, with the aim of obtaining a new product. Wheat flour was substituted with combinedly dehydrated celery root powder at levels from 0 to 30%, and optimization of the amount of wheat flour substitution regarding technological, sensory and nutritive characteristics was performed. The optimal level of 20% substitution was determined using Z-score analysis, from the aspect of the best nutritive improvement and the mildest adverse impact on the technological and sensory quality. In the second research phase, comparison of the cookies with the 20% celery root powder substitution, dehydrated by different methods, indicated that combined dehydration showed upgraded results in terms of the overall quality of the final product, for 28.85 percentile points higher than cookies with lyophilized and for 65.24 percentile points higher than cookies with the addition of convectively dried celery root powder. The cookie containing celery powder previously osmodehydrated in molasses had higher contents of analyzed minerals (1.2–3.3 times), total phenols (10.8%) and antioxidant activities (14% for DPPH and 4% for ABTS) compared to the cookie with lyophilized powder. Full article
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