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Design of Food Processing and Technologies: Studies on Physical Properties, Thermodynamics, Rheology and Emulsification

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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Process Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 6221

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Corrêa Basso

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Guest Editor

Institute of Science and Technology, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas 37715-400, Brazil
Interests: rheology; liquid – liquid equilibrium; extraction processes; membrane filtration; thermophysical properties; fat crystallization; solubility

Prof. Dr. Tiago Carregari Polachini

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Institute of Bioscience, Humanities and Exact Sciences (Ibilce), São Paulo State University (Unesp), São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
Interests: thermophysical properties; rheology; emulsification; emerging technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food production is based on the development and processing of extraordinarily complex systems. Thus, it is essential to understand how the physical, rheological, and thermodynamic properties related to the food matrix impact the resulting processing. The knowledge of those characteristics takes place by obtaining experimental data as well as by mathematical modeling of their behavior. The fundamental study of the thermophysical and thermodynamic properties, solubility, rheological behavior, and emulsion characterization play a key role in the adequate design not only of the production processes and technologies but also of the equipment used by food industries.

In this sense, this Special Issue entitled “Design of Food Processing and Technologies: Studies on Physical Properties, Thermodynamics, Rheology, and Emulsification” encompasses research that focuses on studies regarding rheological behavior, thermodynamic and physical properties of systems related to food products, and their processing. Moreover, this issue also covers studies aiming at obtaining and characterizing emulsion templates used in food formulations. Topics include, but are not limited to:

Thermodynamic equilibrium on separation and purification processes;
Thermodynamic properties;
Experimental data and modeling of physical properties;
Rheological behavior of foods;
Characterization and production of food emulsions.

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Corrêa Basso
Prof. Dr. Tiago Carregari Polachini
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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

physical properties
rheology
thermodynamic properties
food emulsions
solubility

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1457 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sugarcane Rapadura: Characteristics of the Oldest Historical Energy Food and Its Native Production Method

by Ricardo Santos, Renata Assis, Raquel Freitas, Isabele Barbosa and Vânia Ceccatto

Processes 2024, 12(3), 511; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12030511 - 01 Mar 2024

Viewed by 606

Abstract

Rapadura is a well-recognized sugar-cane-derived product with a sweet, characteristic flavor and hard texture. This product is a cultural Brazilian landmark, particularly in Ceará, Brazil, where it is usually produced by small family businesses and consumed locally. This feature contributes to the difficulties of rapadura production standardization, a requirement for the global market. Against this backdrop, this study focuses on analyzing the centesimal composition and mineral content of rapadura. Six samples from different cities in Ceará were analyzed for moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, energy value, and minerals. The results ranged from 6.42–11.74% for moisture, 0.23–1.12% for ash, 0.49–0.92% for protein, 85.18–89.12% for lipids, and 352.00–391.19 Kcal for energy value. Significant variations were observed between the samples, showing a lack of standardization in the production process. The analysis of micronutrients revealed low levels, with copper and iron standing out in sample D. It can be concluded that the rapadura analyzed meets the physical-chemical parameters established by national legislation and is a food rich in carbohydrates and energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Food Processing and Technologies: Studies on Physical Properties, Thermodynamics, Rheology and Emulsification)

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13 pages, 4887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Textural and Physical Characteristics of Red Radishes Based on a Puncture Test

by Mariana Lupu, Valentin Nedeff, Mirela Panainte-Lehadus, Emilian Mosnegutu, Claudia Tomozei, Dana Chitimus and Dragos-Ioan Rusu

Processes 2024, 12(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12020282 - 27 Jan 2024

Viewed by 571

Abstract

Texture is an important indication of the quality of food products, and the analysis of texture involves the measurement of their response when subjected to mechanical forces, such as cutting, scissoring, chewing, and compression or stretching. There is a close correlation between the texture of agri-food products and their mechanical properties. In this study, the textural characteristics of red radish roots were analyzed under different storage conditions using a penetration test. The physical parameters analyzed are the skin strength and elasticity, breaking point, ripening and softening profile, and flesh firmness. The results of the breaking point after the products’ storage at room temperature (tested after one, two, and three days, respectively) are: 184.96 N, 151.29 N, and 154.42 N, respectively; for radishes stored at a temperature of 2.8 °C, the breaking point is: 132.12 N, 109.76 N, and 141.16 N, respectively. The lowest value of firmness is recorded for the radishes tested fresh at 78.98 N, and the highest value of firmness is for the sample of specimens kept at laboratory temperature, that is, 103.96 N. The epidermal elasticity also undergoes significant changes during the experiment, starting from an epidermal elasticity of 2.14 mm (fresh sample) to a value of 4.15 mm (for the sample stored at laboratory temperature for three days). The experimental determinations indicated that the highest value of the penetration force of 184.1 N was obtained for the product stored at room temperature, and the lowest value of 109.76 N was obtained for the product stored at 2.8 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Food Processing and Technologies: Studies on Physical Properties, Thermodynamics, Rheology and Emulsification)

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15 pages, 5053 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Influence of Rapeseed Oil on Extruded Plant-Based Meat Analogues: Assessing Mechanical and Rheological Properties

by Gabriela Itziar Saavedra Isusi, Valerie Pietsch, Philipp Beutler, Sebastian Hoehne and Nico Leister

Processes 2023, 11(7), 1871; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11071871 - 21 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1248

Abstract

Successfully replacing meat with plant-based options will require not only replicating the texture of muscular fibres, but also imitating the taste, aroma, and juiciness of meat as closely and realistically as possible. This study examines the impact of rapeseed oil on the textural properties of meat analogues. Pea protein and soy protein are chosen as model systems to assess the effect of rapeseed oil. Optical, mechanical, and rheological characterisation tests are conducted to investigate the oil droplet distribution, the gel strength, Young’s modulus, and the length of the LVE region. The hypothesis is that oil droplets will act as active fillers in the protein matrix, and thus, diminish the strength of the protein gel network. The results of this study show that rapeseed oil droplets act as inactive fillers, as they are not bound to both examined protein matrices. Soy protein extrudates display minimal changes, while pea protein extrudates are significantly affected by the addition of oil. For example, oil addition decreased the G′ in the LVE region of pea protein meat analogues by 50%, while soy protein samples showed no significant changes. Despite the similar interfacial activities of the investigated proteins, the decreased encapsulation efficiency of pea protein was confirmed by the higher amount of extracted oil from the respective extrudates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Food Processing and Technologies: Studies on Physical Properties, Thermodynamics, Rheology and Emulsification)

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15 pages, 7349 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Storage Stability of Spray- and Freeze-Dried Chitosan-Based Pickering Emulsions Containing Roasted Coffee Oil: Color Evaluation, Lipid Oxidation, and Volatile Compounds

by Elisa Franco Ribeiro, Tiago Carregari Polachini, Adilson Roberto Locali-Pereira, Natália Soares Janzantti, Amparo Quiles, Isabel Hernando and Vânia Regina Nicoletti

Processes 2023, 11(4), 1048; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041048 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1455

Abstract

Drying Pickering o/w emulsions has been considered as a promising strategy to produce oil microcapsules, as long as their quality parameters can be preserved over storage. In this sense, it is shown as an interesting alternative to preserve the quality of roasted coffee oil, a valuable agroindustrial byproduct. Thus, freeze- and spray-dried chitosan-based Pickering emulsions of roasted coffee oil were evaluated over 30 days of storage at 25 °C together with the non-encapsulated oil as a control. Water sorption isotherms were determined, whereas color, oxidative stability (peroxide value and conjugated dienes) and volatile compounds were assessed over the storage period. Type II isotherms and Guggenheim–Anderson–Boer (GAB) model parameters showed that water binding was impaired by the surface oil in freeze-dried samples. Oxidation was maintained under acceptable values over the storage for all samples, with slightly higher protection also observed for volatile compounds in the spray-dried particles. The powdered emulsions were able to suitably preserve the oil’s quality over 30 days of storage, enabling its commercialization and application as a food ingredient and potential flavoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Food Processing and Technologies: Studies on Physical Properties, Thermodynamics, Rheology and Emulsification)

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Review

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26 pages, 1773 KiB

Open AccessReview

Physical Properties and Molecular Interactions Applied to Food Processing and Formulation

by Tiago Carregari Polachini, Sergio Andres Villalba Morales, Luís Roberto Peixoto Filho, Elisa Franco Ribeiro, Larissa Santos Saraiva and Rodrigo Corrêa Basso

Processes 2023, 11(7), 2181; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11072181 - 21 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1834

Abstract

Food processes have been requiring increasingly more accurately designed operations. Successful design results in products with high quality, in addition to offering energy and cost savings. To these ends, fundamental knowledge regarding the physical properties and thermodynamic mechanisms of the material is essential. The aim of this review was to highlight important concepts and applications of some thermophysical properties (density, specific heat, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity), as well as recent methods for their determination. The rheology of fluids and solids is widely discussed according to the concepts, classification, modeling and applications involved in food and equipment design. Herein, we report destructive and non-destructive assays for the evaluation of food properties. Due to the complexity of food systems, the effects of modifications of the structure and physicochemical reactions on the quality of the resulting food are addressed based on thermodynamic aspects. This analytical perspective was adopted in food systems rich in fats, proteins, polysaccharides and simple sugars. Using the information reported in this study, formulations and unit operations can be better designed. In addition, process failures become more predictable when fundamental knowledge is available. Therefore, food losses can be avoided, quality can be maintained and operations can be effectively resumed when deviations from ideal conditions are evidenced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Food Processing and Technologies: Studies on Physical Properties, Thermodynamics, Rheology and Emulsification)

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