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Special Issue "Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality"

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A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2023) | Viewed by 19303

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Danijela Bursać Kovačević

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: food technology; food chemistry; thermal/nonthermal processing; functional food; innovative/green extraction; biologically active compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Predrag Putnik

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Technology, University North, Trg Dr. Žarka Dolinara 1, 48000 Koprivnica, Croatia
Interests: general statistics; research methodology; experimental design; mathematical modeling; multivariate analysis; novel food processing and extraction technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Igor Tomasevic

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: meat quality; meat color; meat texture; meat safety; risk assessment; consumers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As a result of increasted demands for high-quality products from modern food markets, industry and policymakers have focused their efforts on the regulation and production of safe and nutritious foods. To this end, FAO identified five crucial factors for advancmenets of food quality, namely: (i) food safety and health benefits, (ii) corporate social responsibility, (iii) production systems and innovations, (iv) sustainability, and (v) food origins. In order to meet the abovementioned demands, current food innovations are mostly concerned with technical and scientific engineering focused on processing and new product designs (e.g., functional food). Not surprisingly, more and more advanced thermal (e.g., radio-frequency heating, microwave processing, infrared heating, and thermosonication) and non-thermal technologies (high pressure hydrostatic processing, pulsed electric fields, UV and pulsed light, etc.) have became increasingly applied during food manufacturing. Moreover, nanotechnology, additive technologies, and intelligent packaging systems have revealed promising results for the development of high-quality foods. Furthermore, particular emphasis has been given to digitalization and personalized nutrition for designing personalized products for supporting consumer health and wellbeing. However, there is still plenty of space for improvements in regulatory legal framework for improving worldwide consumer protection, as with probiotics or other food supplements/nutraceuticals.

This Special Issue welcomes papers with the aims and scopes of sustainable technological advancements for food quality. This includes advanced technologies in processing, design of personalized functional foods, (phyto)chemistry and quantification of bioactives, microbiological safety, probiotics, shelf-life, social responsibility, sustainability, and food authenticity.

Dr. Danijela Bursać Kovačević
Dr. Predrag Putnik
Dr. Igor Tomašević
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

food safety
food quality
advanced technologies in processing (e.g., nanotechnology and additive technologies)
design of personalized functional foods
(phyto)chemistry and quantification of bioactives
microbiological safety
nutraceuticals and probiotics
shelf-life and intelligent packaging
social responsibility and sustainability
food authenticity
chemometrics

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Modeling the Effects of Seed Maturity on Cooking Time of ‘Dimitra’ Lentils

Maria Svarna

Athanasios Mavromatis

Dimitrios N. Vlachostergios

and

Dimitrios Gerasopoulos

Foods 2023, 12(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12010042 - 22 Dec 2022

Viewed by 472

Abstract

The lentil is a valuable crop for human nutrition and is cooked to adequate softening prior to consumption. The objective of the study was to use a model to point out the effects of seed maturity on optimum cooking time (OCT). Two lentil seed samples (cv ‘Dimitra’) exhibiting short (SCT) and long (LCT) cooking times (CT) were visually separated into brown- and green-colored categories, corresponding to mature and immature seeds, respectively. The 1000-seed mass and the percentages of maturity categories were measured in samples before they were subjected to 20–60 min CT. Absolute positive force (APF)-based texture analysis parameters were monitored during CT. OCT thresholds were established by correlating the organoleptic with the texture analyzer parameters. The averaging and weighted averaging of the texture analysis parameters, or even their modeling, failed to produce a realistic OCT due to texture values exceeding the OCT threshold. However, the modeling of the percentage of cooked seeds during CT predicted a realistic OCT, which was also validated later. In this model, all seeds (overcooked or intact, mature or immature) were taken into account. Among the texture parameters, APF better described cooking. Mature seeds softened faster and produced more overcooked seeds than did the immature seeds. The different proportions of maturity categories within the SCT and LCT seeds greatly affected the sample OCT. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessArticle

Cocoa Spread with Grape Seed Oil and Encapsulated Grape Seed Extract: Impact on Physical Properties, Sensory Characteristics and Polyphenol Content

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Foods 2022, 11(18), 2730; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11182730 - 06 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 853

Abstract

The aim of this study was to utilize grape pomace, as a polyphenol-rich by-product of wine production, in the manufacture of enriched cocoa spread. The formulation of the cocoa spread has been modified by substitution of refined sunflower oil with cold-pressed grape seed oil. The spread with grape seed oil (Cg) was further enriched with grape seed extract encapsulated on maltodextrins (E), where 10% and 15% of E was added to Cg obtaining the samples Cg10 and Cg15. The results showed an increase in volume-weighted mean in spread samples, from 19.17 μm in Cg to 19.71 μm in Cg10 and 21.04 μm in Cg15. Casson yield stress and Casson viscosity significantly (p ˂ 0.05) increased from 16.41 Pa and 1.58 Pa·s in Cg to 29.45 Pa and 5.70 Pa·s in Cg15 due to the reduction of the fat-phase content in enriched spreads. The addition of E had no significant effect on the melting temperature (T_peak) of the enriched spreads, while increasing the amount of E significantly (p ˂ 0.05) increased their hardness. The incorporation of grape seed oil in the cocoa spread formulation contributed to an increase in total polyphenols and flavonoids. Moreover, the addition of 10% and 15% of E to Cg resulted in approximately 1.5× and 2× higher content of phenolic compounds in Cg10 and Cg15 compared to control spread with sunflower oil (Cs). Flavonoids increased from 0.43 mg CE/g in Cs to 0.74 mg CE/g in Cg 10 and 1.24 mg CE/g in Cg15. Encapsulates positively affected sensory characteristics of enriched spread samples by reducing their grape seed oil aroma and sweetness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessArticle

The Application and Optimization of HIPEF Technology in the Processing of Juice from Strawberries Harvested at Two Stages of Ripeness

Anica Bebek Markovinović

Tomislava Vukušić Pavičić

Zoran Herceg

and

Danijela Bursać Kovačević

Foods 2022, 11(14), 1997; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11141997 - 06 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1083

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of high intensity pulsed electric field (HIPEF) technology on the stability of total phenols, anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols, and condensed tannins in strawberry juices (Fragaria x ananassa Duch. cv. ‘Albion’) with different ripening stages (75% and 100%) and stored at +4 °C for 7 days. The HIPEF parameters studied were: (i) electric field strength (40 and 50 kV cm⁻¹), (ii) frequency (100 and 200 Hz), and (iii) treatment duration (3 and 6 min). Of the HIPEF parameters studied, electric field strength and frequency had a statistically significant effect on the content of all phenolic compounds. Treatment duration showed no statistically significant effects on phenolic compounds except for flavonols and condensed tannins. Storage had a positive effect on the stability of most of the phenolic compounds, with the exception of flavonols. Optimization of HIPEF processing showed that strawberry samples at both ripeness levels were suitable for HIPEF treatment to obtain functional fruit juices with a high content of polyphenols. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Environmental Impacts from Different Perspectives—Case Study of Egg Value Chain System in Serbia

Marija Mitrovic

Igor Tomasevic

and

Ilija Djekic

Foods 2022, 11(12), 1697; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11121697 - 09 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1080

Abstract

The environmental performance of various aspects of animal origin food supply chains has been the focus of research in recent years, and has provided useful information. However, there were no studies that covered the entire egg supply chain from different perspectives. The aim of this study was to analyze the majority of environmental impacts in the table egg supply chain comprising of three subsystems: farms, retail outlets and households, with quantification of each individual subsystem and the entire supply chain. All data were gathered from 30 farms, 50 retail stores and 300 households in Serbia. In parallel, the perception and ranking of environmental impacts along the supply chain were also evaluated. Finally, the quality function deployment for the environment was used to determine the degree of correlation between the set of environmental requirements and the identified environmental impacts. Results revealed that the greatest environmental impacts come from the production of feed for laying hens and the use of natural resources, and they contribute the most to the pollution of each individual environmental indicator. Additionally, the results show the differences in the environmental impacts of each individual subsystem and identify opportunities to mitigate them through the optimization of animal feed, energy consumption and household food waste management. The overall perspective of the egg supply chain points to climate change effects as the most important. The differences in the perceptions of environmental impacts along the entire egg supply chain suggest the need for promotion of mitigation strategies to all stakeholders that would encourage them to achieve sustainable development goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessArticle

Reformulation of Traditional Fermented Tea Sausage Utilizing Novel (Digital) Methods of Analysis

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Foods 2022, 11(8), 1090; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11081090 - 11 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1086

Abstract

The main objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of fat reduction on different quality traits of tea sausage. This study also aimed to deploy the following digital methods of analysis: three-dimensional (3D) laser imaging, computer vision system and oral processing. Three batches of tea sausage with different amounts of pork back fat were manufactured: control (25%), medium fat (17.5%) and low fat (10%). Samples for the analyses were taken on the production day and after 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of ripening. The fat level significantly influenced shrinkage, texture, pH, a_w, moisture and ash contents, peroxide value, acid number, number of chewing strokes, consumption time, eating rate and fat intake rate. Oxidative stability, colour and microbiological parameters were not affected by fat reduction. The results of the sensory analysis showed that the fat level can be reduced to 17.5% without negatively affecting the quality and sensory properties of the product. The ripening time of the fat-reduced tea sausage should be reduced to 28 days. A strong correlation between shrinkage and weight loss suggests the possibility of using 3D laser imaging in predicting weight loss and moisture content of dry sausages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessArticle

Chemometric Valorization of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cv. ‘Albion’ for the Production of Functional Juice: The Impact of Physicochemical, Toxicological, Sensory, and Bioactive Value

Anica Bebek Markovinović

and

Danijela Bursać Kovačević

Foods 2022, 11(5), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11050640 - 23 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2419

Abstract

Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duch. cv. ‘Albion’) were harvested at two stages of ripeness (75% vs. 100%) and their physicochemical, sensory, toxicological, and bioactive properties were evaluated before and after processing into juice. The fresh fruits and their by-products were also evaluated. During processing into juice, the color change was higher in the fully ripe fruits, confirming the encouraging prospects for using the less ripe strawberries for processing. The analysis of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, As, Cd, Pb) was carried out, and in juice and by-product samples of 100% maturity, only Pb was higher than the MDK. Of the 566 pesticides analyzed, only cyprodinil was found in the by-products of the strawberries at 75% maturity, while pyrimethanil was detected in all samples. Fresh strawberries of both ripeness levels were rated similarly to the corresponding juices for all sensory attributes studied, indicating that sensory perception was not affected by processing. However, ripeness was found to be an important factor influencing most sensory attributes. The by-products were the materials with the highest levels of all bioactive compounds. Considering all quality parameters evaluated, the chemometric evaluation confirms the suitability of 75% ripe strawberries for processing into functional juice, which could be important for the juice industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessArticle

Sodium Reduction by Partial and Total Replacement of NaCl with KCl in Serbian White Brined Cheese

Jelena Miocinovic

Zorana Miloradovic

Mira Radovanovic

Ivana Sredovic Ignjatovic

and

Foods 2022, 11(3), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030374 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1654

Abstract

Cheese has been listed as one of four priority food groups intended for salt reduction reformulation. The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of producing Serbian white brined cheese (Homoljski Sir) with half of NaCl, three quarters of NaCl and all NaCl replaced with KCl (Na50, Na25 and Na0, respectively). Basic composition, proteolysis and texture profile parameters were monitored during 60 days of ripening. At the end of ripening, an acceptance test was conducted by untrained consumers (N = 46). According to the cluster analysis based on hedonic scores, three clusters emerged: male consumers (47.8%), agreeable consumers (30.4%) and highly educated female consumers (21.8%). Both partial and a total salt replacement had no effect on the course of proteolytical changes, the texture and basic composition during ripening. Female consumers did not accept any level of salt substitution, while male consumers showed dislike only for the Na0 cheese. Almost 80% of all consumers liked moderately-to-very-much the Na25 cheese variant. It implies that it is worth considering the production of cheese with 50–75% of NaCl replaced with KCl. The addition of natural flavoring and clear labeling of the sodium reduction should accompany the salt replacement strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Extractions for Maximizing Content of Antioxidant Phytochemicals from Black and Red Currants

Anita Milić

Tatjana Daničić

Aleksandra Tepić Horecki

Zdravko Šumić

Nemanja Teslić

Danijela Bursać Kovačević

Predrag Putnik

and

Branimir Pavlić

Foods 2022, 11(3), 325; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030325 - 24 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1896

Abstract

Sustainable extraction techniques (ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and pressurized-liquid extraction (PLE)) were applied and compared with conventional solvent extraction to evaluate their efficiency in maximizing the bioactive compound content and antioxidant activity of black and red currants. The influence of ethanol concentrations (30%, 50%, 70%) were studied in all extraction methods, while different temperatures (30, 50, 70 °C/80, 100, 120 °C) were evaluated in UAE and PLE, respectively. Generally, higher total phenolics were determined in black currant extracts (1.93–3.41 g GAE/100 g) than in red currant extracts (1.27–2.63 g GAE/100 g). The results showed that MAE was the most efficient for the extraction of bioactives from black currants, with 3.41 g GAE/100 g and 0.7934 g CE/100 g, while PLE provided the highest TP and TF for black currant samples (2.63 g GAE/100 g and 0.77 g CE/100 g). Extracts obtained by MAE (10 min, 600 W, 30% ethanol) and PLE (50% ethanol, 10 min, 120 °C) had the highest antioxidant activity, as determined by various in vitro assays (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS). In conclusion, sustainable extraction techniques can be considered an efficient tool to maximize the content of bioactive antioxidants from black and red currants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessArticle

Chemometric Comparison of High-Pressure Processing and Thermal Pasteurization: The Nutritive, Sensory, and Microbial Quality of Smoothies

Marko Škegro

Predrag Putnik

Danijela Bursać Kovačević

and

Foods 2021, 10(6), 1167; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061167 - 23 May 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2250

Abstract

This study investigated the status of bioactive compounds (phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and vitamin C), changes in color performance, and microbiological quality in smoothies preserved by high-pressure processing (HP) and thermal pasteurization (P) during cold storage at 4 °C for 21 days. Chemometric tools were used to select relevant variables that represent the most useful information for the fast and accurate quality assessment of smoothies. HP was performed at 350 and 450 MPa for 5 and 15 min at room temperature, respectively, while P was performed at 85 °C for 7 min. Smoothies were prepared by blending juices of apple (50%, v/v), carrot (20%, v/v), chokeberry (5%, v/v), Indian banana puree (10%, w/v), and almond drink (15%, v/v). The results obtained indicated that lower pressures with a shorter duration of HP showed higher levels of bioactive compounds in the smoothies, compared to the control samples. Compared to P, the HP samples exhibited a greater stability of bioactive compounds during shelf life. HP was found to be highly effective in reducing the native microflora of the smoothies, without subsequent microbial activation during storage. This study demonstrated the usefulness of the chemometric approach in interpreting complex datasets for the effective quality assessment of smoothies treated with different preservation technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Quality Multiverse of Beef and Pork Meat in a Single Score

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Foods 2022, 11(8), 1154; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11081154 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1544

Abstract

The rationale behind this review is the potential of developing a single score tool for meat quality evaluation based on visual and sensorial assessments of fresh meat. Based on the known sensory wheel concept, the first step was to create quality wheels capturing most common intrinsic and extrinsic quality cues of pork and beef outlined in the latest scientific papers. This resulted in identifying meat color, sensory characteristics and fat content as the most important intrinsic quality cues of fresh beef and pork. Furthermore, the highest number of studies showed the importance of price, certification logos and brand for beef quality evaluation. According to recent articles, price, breed, animal welfare and a veterinary certificate are the most important extrinsic attributes for pork consumers. The second step was to develop a single-score tool named the “Meat quality index”. It has been developed in line with published approaches of different total quality index concepts used in the food sector, providing insights into its application in the meat sector. As a result, this review proposes a unique approach in using quality index application, through the consumer’s preferences aspect of fresh meat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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Open AccessReview

Unauthorized Food Manipulation as a Criminal Offense: Food Authenticity, Legal Frameworks, Analytical Tools and Cases

Karlo Jurica

Irena Brčić Karačonji

Dario Lasić

Danijela Bursać Kovačević

and

Predrag Putnik

Foods 2021, 10(11), 2570; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112570 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3546

Abstract

Food fraud is a criminal intent motivated by economic gain to adulterate or misrepresent food ingredients and packaging. The development of a reliable food supply system is at great risk under globalization, but Food Business Operators (FBOs) have a legal obligation to implement and maintain food traceability and quality at all stages of food production, processing, and distribution. Incidents of food fraud have a strong negative impact on consumer confidence in the food industry. Therefore, local and international regulatory mechanisms are established to prevent or mitigate food fraud. This review brings new perspectives linking EU and US legislation, as well as new definitions and descriptions of the criminal aspect of food fraud incidents. It also describes certain new insights into the application of state-of-the-art methods and techniques that provide valuable tools for geographic, botanical, or other chemical markers of food authenticity. The review also provides an overview of the most common cases of food fraud worldwide from 2010 to 2020. Further research is needed to support the development of predictive models for innovative approaches to adulteration, especially when some valuable nutrients are replaced by toxic ingredients. A possible solution to minimize food fraud incidents is to increase the level of risk-based inspections, establish more productive monitoring and implementation of food protection systems in the supply chain, and implement better ingredient control and certification. National and international (e.g., regional) police offices for food fraud should be introduced, possessing knowledge and skills in food, food safety, food processing, and food products, as initial positive results have emerged in some countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technological Advancements for Food Quality)

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