Search Results (1,830)

The present study aimed to optimize the fabrication conditions of walnut oil–fructooligosaccharide emulsion and evaluate its efficacy in improving the quality of cooked rice. Three food-grade emulsifiers, namely sucrose fatty acid ester (SE), polyglycerol fatty acid esters (PGEs), and diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides (DATEM), were adopted to investigate the influences of water–oil ratio, emulsifier dosage, and high-pressure microfluidization (HPM) pressure on emulsion indicators including the emulsion stability index (ESI), particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, micromorphology, and storage stability. The results reveal that SE exhibited the superior emulsifying capacity, with the optimal water–oil ratio and SE dosage determined to be 6:4 and 4% (w/w, based on oil mass), respectively. HPM treatment further reduced droplet size and elevated the ESI, and 150 MPa was identified as the optimal homogenization pressure. Subsequently, the optimized emulsion was applied during rice cooking, with water, pure walnut oil, pure fructooligosaccharide (FOS), simple physical mixture of the two raw materials and crude emulsion set as parallel control groups. Compared with all control treatments, rice cooked with 150 MPa homogenized emulsion possessed the minimum hardness value of 3297.22 and the maximum springiness of 0.74, accompanied by the optimal water retention capacity, luminosity, and the most abundant volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In conclusion, walnut oil–fructooligosaccharide emulsion fabricated via HPM exerted synergistic improvements on the texture and flavor of cooked rice, which could provide a technical reference for the functional modification of staple foods. Full article

The effects of household cooking on mercury speciation in whole small pelagic fish remain insufficiently understood. To address this gap, total mercury (T-Hg), methylmercury (MeHg), and Hg(II) were determined in wet whole-fish homogenates, including viscera, of sardines and sprats before and after boiling, steaming, baking, and frying. T-Hg was determined by AMA-254 and mercury species by HPLC-ICP-MS; results were expressed on wet-weight (ww), dry-weight (dw), and 100 g reference-portion bases. Frying yielded the highest dry matter, underscoring moisture-related differences among reporting bases. T-Hg concentrations ranged from 0.0518 to 0.1322 µg/g dw and MeHg from 0.0273 to 0.0624 µg/g dw. MeHg was detected in all samples, whereas Hg(II) exceeded the method detection limit only in baked and steamed sardines. MeHg amounts per 100 g ranged from 1.38 to 2.35 µg in sardines and from 0.95 to 1.79 µg in sprats. Within the tested batch, no treatment consistently reduced T-Hg or MeHg across both species. By combining analysis of the complete fish matrix with direct mercury speciation and multiple reporting bases, this study provides a food-relevant framework for interpreting mercury in processed small pelagic fish. Full article

Modern smart kitchen automation requires reliable vision-based tools to provide user-advisory decision support during domestic culinary processes. However, standard deep learning models utilizing closed-set Softmax classifiers typically misclassify unknown or Out-of-Distribution (OOD) kitchen objects with high confidence, posing safety and reliability risks. To address this problem without clous dependency, this study introduces a localized open-set metric learning framework based on a modified MobileNetV2 architecture. The conventional Softmax classification layer is replaced with a feature embedding layer evaluated via Cosine Similarity and a calibrated decision threshold. This architecture tracks targeted food items across four operational stages—counter-raw, in-oven-raw, in-oven-cooked, and counter-cooked—while identifying and rejecting OOD objects. To ensure reproducibility, comprehensive experimental validations were conducted on a dedicated internal dataset, providing direct baseline comparisons against mainstream backbones (ResNet50, EfficientNet-B0, and Vision Transformers) stripped of their Softmax layers and evaluated under identical metric constraints. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework achieves a Macro F1-score 92.6% and ultra-low inference latency of 11.5 ms, ensuring an optimized trade-off between Macro $F_1$-score and inference speed on edge computing environments. This framework establishes a robust, self-contained solution for open-set object recognition in localized smart home appliances. Full article

Background: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption may be associated not only with nutrition knowledge but also with individuals’ practical food-related competencies and overall dietary patterns. Aim: This study investigated how cooking and food skills, dietary literacy, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet were related to UPF consumption among adults in İstanbul, Türkiye. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 293 (85.7% female, mean age of 22.63 ± 4.66 years) adults residing in Istanbul, Türkiye between 1 January 2026 and 30 June 2026. Data were collected through an online questionnaire comprising sociodemographic and food-related characteristics, the Cooking Skills and Food Skills Measure, the e-Healthy Diet Literacy Scale (e-HDL), the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), and the Short Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF). Validated Turkish versions of all instruments were used; no measurement tool was developed specifically for this study. Results: 57.0% of participants were classified as having a high level of UPF consumption. The high level of UPF consumption group was younger, cooked at home less frequently, ordered food more frequently, and had lower cooking skills, food skills, and MEDAS scores compared to the low level of UPF consumption group (all p < 0.05). UPF consumption was negatively correlated with food skills (r: −0.33), MEDAS (r = −0.28), cooking skills (r = −0.27), age (r = −0.21), and home-cooking frequency (r = −0.18) and positively correlated with food-ordering frequency (r = 0.18). In the final regression model, younger age (β = −0.144, p = 0.009), lower food skills (β = −0.325, p < 0.001), and lower MEDAS scores (β = −0.252, p < 0.001) were independently associated with higher UPF consumption. E-HDL was not independently associated with UPF consumption. The final model explained 18.4% of the adjusted variance. Conclusions: Among this predominantly young and female sample of adults residing in Istanbul, lower food skills and lower Mediterranean diet adherence co-occurred with higher UPF consumption. Although the direction of these associations cannot be determined, the findings may inform future strategies that integrate nutrition education with practical food preparation support and the promotion of Mediterranean-style food choices. Full article

Pumpkin leaves (Cucurbita maxima L.) are an underutilized leafy vegetable that represents a rich source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. This study assessed the effects of four common household cooking methods—boiling, steaming, microwaving, and stir-frying—on the nutrient composition, amino acid profile, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, antioxidant potential, antinutritional factors, and α-amylase inhibitory activity of young pumpkin leaves. Steaming resulted in the highest apparent retention of phenolics, flavonoids, and carotenoids. Microwave treatment also maintained relatively high levels of phytochemicals, whereas boiling caused the greatest losses of bioactive compounds. Steaming also showed the strongest α-amylase inhibitory activity. Boiling, on the other hand, was the most effective method for reducing antinutritional compounds. The results demonstrate that culinary processing significantly affects the nutritional and functional quality of pumpkin leaves. Collectively, the results suggest that steaming was the most effective method for preserving nutrients and bioactive compounds, whereas boiling was more effective in reducing antinutritional compounds. These findings provide practical evidence-based recommendations for optimizing household cooking methods according to specific nutritional objectives. Full article

Background: Lead (Pb) exposure remains a significant public health concern, particularly among women of childbearing age, because of its adverse effects on maternal–child health. Although lead-glazed ceramics (LGC) for cooking or storing food are a well-recognized source of Pb exposure in Mexico, other environmental and household sources remain insufficiently characterized. Objective: To identify environmental and household factors associated with elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) among women of childbearing age participating in a community-based screening in Mexico City. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 158 women aged 18–40 years. Capillary BLLs were measured using the LeadCare^® II system. Participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing potential Pb sources of exposure. Elevated BLL was defined as ≥3.5 µg/dL. Associations between exposure sources and elevated BLL were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Shapley decomposition was used to estimate the relative contribution of each exposure source to the model. Results: The prevalence of elevated BLLs was 31%. Women reporting both past and current use of LGC had higher odds of elevated BLLs than women who had never used LGC (adjusted OR = 9.43; 95% CI: 1.85–48.15). Living in or regularly visiting a recently remodeled home (adjusted OR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.45–7.11) and living near a highway (adjusted OR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.07–5.48) were also independently associated with elevated BLLs. LGC use was the largest contributor to the model performance (47.46%), followed by home remodeling (31.78%) and proximity to highways (20.76%). Conclusions: Our findings support LGC as an important source of Pb exposure while identify home remodeling and residential proximity to highways as additional sources associated with elevated BLLs. Together, these findings broaden the understanding of Pb exposure pathways among women of childbearing age and support the need for prevention and screening strategies. Full article

Rice cooking is a time-consuming process, and conventional heating methods often suffer from low heating efficiency and non-uniform heat transfer, which may compromise cooking quality. Although pulsed ohmic heating (OH) has shown potential for accelerating food heating, its effects on the quality formation and structural evolution of cooked rice remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study applied OH technology to improve the cooking efficiency and quality of indica rice. Through single-factor and response surface methods, the optimal OH parameters were determined: 18 min treatment time, 9.4 μs pulse width, 0.52 kV/cm electric field strength, and 265 Hz frequency. Under these conditions, the cooking time was significantly reduced by 28% compared to traditional rice cookers, achieving a comprehensive quality score of 88.42 points. Optimized OH treatment improved water absorption and volume expansion ratio, reduced hardness, and enhanced the overall flavor characteristics, accompanied by changes in the microstructure and starch organization. Multi-scale structural analyses indicated that OH treatment was associated with accelerated starch gelatinization, reduced starch crystallinity, enhanced moisture migration, and possible alterations in starch–protein interactions, which were consistent with the observed improvements in rice texture. Importantly, at the 18 min maturation point, the estimated glycemic index of OH-treated rice showed no significant difference compared with traditionally cooked rice (83.69 vs. 82.88, p > 0.05), ensuring nutritional quality. These findings suggest that OH is a promising technology for improving rice cooking efficiency and quality while maintaining nutritional properties. Full article

The sustainable management and valorization of agri-food by-products is a key challenge in the development of circular and resource-efficient food systems. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of incorporating varying amounts of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) pomace, a fruit-processing by-product, on the quality of beef burgers. Pomace was incorporated at levels of 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, and 3.0%. The burgers were baked, vacuum-packed, and stored at 4 °C for 14 days. On the production day, cooking properties and chemical composition were determined, while during storage, pH, shear force, color parameters (CIEL*a*b*), organoleptic attributes, and microbiological quality were assessed. The results showed that increasing the pomace level from 0% to 3.0% increased (p < 0.05) the thermal loss and diameter shrinkage by 5.6 and 2.9 percentage points, respectively. In contrast, shear force was lower in burgers containing 3.0% pomace than in the control burgers, by 3.76 N on day 1 and by 5.11 N on day 14. Burgers supplemented with chokeberry pomace were significantly (p < 0.05) darker and exhibited lower redness and yellowness values than the control samples. Organoleptic evaluation showed that burgers containing 0.5–1.0% pomace achieved scores comparable to those of the control group across most evaluated attributes, indicating that 1.0% was the highest inclusion level that maintained acceptable organoleptic characteristics under the conditions of this study. Furthermore, chokeberry pomace supplementation did not adversely affect the microbiological quality of the burgers during storage, with mesophilic aerobic microorganism counts remaining below 5 log CFU/g in all treatments throughout the 14-day storage period. These findings demonstrate that low levels of shredded black chokeberry pomace, particularly 1.0%, can be incorporated into beef burger formulations without substantial deterioration of quality attributes, suggesting that the valorization of this fruit-processing by-product may offer opportunities to support more sustainable food production practices. Full article

Dietary pesticide exposure is a growing public health concern, particularly for children in agricultural regions. This study assessed the occurrence and concentration of neonicotinoids and other pesticide residues in foods frequently consumed by preschool children (4–5 years) in an agroindustrial zone of Jalisco, Mexico, and estimated their weekly dietary exposure (DE). Thirty-one food samples representing 18 items were collected from retail sites identified through seven-day dietary records completed by 23 families. Samples were analyzed by LC/ESI-MS/MS covering 236 compounds; exposure was estimated considering raw and cooked consumption patterns and processing factors. Residues were detected in 87% of samples, yielding 34 distinct compounds, including 5 neonicotinoids; imidacloprid was the most frequently detected. Strawberry, raspberry, apple, grape, and tomato showed the highest residue loads; seven samples exceeded MRLs set by the EU, USA, or Mexico. Raw food consumption accounted for 96% of total estimated exposure, with pyrimethanil, boscalid, propamocarb, and imidacloprid as principal contributors. These findings confirm that children in this population face repeated, simultaneous exposure to multiple pesticides through diet, underscoring the need for stronger food safety monitoring, harmonized regulatory limits, and cumulative risk assessment frameworks for vulnerable populations. Full article

Waste cooking oil is generated in large quantities during food-waste processing, and its complex composition may pose environmental and public-health risks if it is improperly managed. Lipase-mediated conversion of waste cooking oil into biodiesel offers a promising strategy for both waste-oil valorization and greener fuel production. To expand the available microbial sources of lipases, this study isolated a strain with strong lipase-producing capacity from composted food-waste samples. The isolate was identified using molecular biological methods, the enzymatic properties of the extracellular lipase were characterized, and fermentation conditions for enzyme production were optimized by response surface methodology. The strain was identified as Trichosporon asahii. The lipase showed optimal catalytic activity at 40 °C and pH 8.0. Na⁺ and K⁺ enhanced lipase activity, whereas Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Fe³⁺ inhibited the enzyme. Response surface optimization showed that a maximum lipase activity of 70.816 U/mL was obtained at a fermentation temperature of 31 °C, an initial pH of 6.33, an inoculum size of 6.843%, and a fermentation time of 120 h, representing an approximately 10-fold increase compared with the non-optimized condition. These findings provide a useful basis for developing food-waste-derived oils as biodiesel feedstocks through lipase-based fermentation and support the resource-oriented utilization of food waste. Full article

Current thermal validation in food engineering commonly depends on rigid, temperature-only endpoints that generate thermal stress and the associated energy cost in the case of high-caliber matrices. To overcome this, this study provides a proof of concept for post-heating cooling inertia as the main kinetic driver of cumulative integrated lethality in mass-transfer-limited geometries (p value framework), followed by separate enzymatic and not microbial (or, e.g., oxidative) degradation following product heat transfer. Time-series and multi-spatial thermodynamic profiling was performed for the commercial validation runs of three pasteurization processes of large-diameter (90 mm) finely minced cooked chicken emulsions packed in polyamide casing. When active heating was stopped at a lower core limit of 71 °C, the thermal cooling inertia led total integrated lethality to increase by more than 216%, leading to an ultimate core p value of 76.87–89.56 min. It systematically exceeded the mandatory food safety limit (p ≥ 40 min) in all spatial coordinates in the forced convection chamber, confirming absolute thermal homogeneity. In a subsequent cold-chain stability challenge at around 70 days (0–4 °C), foodborne pathogens were not detected in the product, and saprophytic microflora was limited below critical spoilage bounds (total viable counts (TVC) and dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) progressively increased to 3.7 and 3.5 log10 CFU/g on day 70). The autoxidation pathways for primary and secondary lipids remained low (peroxide at 0.00 mmol/kg and malondialdehyde at less than 0.15 mg MDA/kg). On the other hand, a linear progression of free fatty acids (R² = 0.9673) determined that the single enzymatic lipid hydrolysis is responsible for the final biochemical limiting effect of the sensory lifespan. Shelf life evaluation via rigorous quantitative descriptive analysis showed that all organoleptic attributes remained well above market acceptance criteria until day 70. At the same time, this study supports a scalable, prediction-based thermodynamic paradigm that ensures biological safety and fundamentally optimizes industrial energy use. Full article

Broccoli processing generates large quantities of leaves that remain underutilized despite being rich in bioactive compounds. Their valorization as a functional ingredient aligns with sustainable food production and offers an opportunity to enhance the nutritional quality of cereal-based foods. This study evaluated the impact of broccoli leaf powder (BLP) fortification (2.5 and 5%) on the phytochemical composition and functional properties of durum pasta under three drying regimes. BLP introduced glucosinolates, flavonols, carotenoids, and chlorophylls that were absent in the control samples, and their contents increased proportionally with the fortification level. The drying regime modulated compound stability, with low-temperature drying generally favoring retention, whereas cooking caused up to a 50% loss of glucosinolate, depending on the processing conditions. Functional properties were markedly enhanced by BLP addition. The 5% fortification level showed the greatest improvement, resulting in the highest antioxidant activity, antiglycation potential, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity compared to the control pasta. Antioxidant, antiglycation, and ACE-inhibitory activities increased proportionally with the fortification level, and although drying reduced some activities, the fortified pasta consistently outperformed the control. Among the tested formulations, pasta enriched with 5% BLP showed the most favorable overall functional and bioactive compound profiles. Overall, broccoli leaves represent a valuable by-product for developing nutritionally enriched pasta, and the processing conditions play a key role in shaping the stability and bioactivity of the incorporated compounds. Full article

This study investigated pure extruded sugar beet pulp (ESBP), a by-product containing 58.0% dietary fiber, 6.2% protein, and 18.0% sugars as a novel functional ingredient for conventional and high-protein (HP) gluten-free pasta. The analysis of cooking quality showed that cooking losses increased with enrichment, reaching a 2.9-fold increase in the HP_15% variant. In terms of texture, ESBP addition increased cutting work to 9.65 N·s in HP_15%, suggesting improved matrix cohesion while maintaining stable instrumental firmness. Enrichment also caused noticeable darkening; in the conventional system, lightness (L*) decreased from 70.8 to 56.2 after cooking at the 15% addition level. Although 15% ESBP resulted in the greatest bioactive enrichment, including a 72% increase in phenolic content and significantly enhanced ABTS antioxidant activity, HPLC-DAD analysis confirmed that the phenolic profile was dominated by hydroxybenzoic acids, particularly gallic and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids, whose contents increased by up to 48% and 44%, respectively. Consumer acceptance testing revealed that ESBP levels above 10% markedly reduced acceptability, including a 35% lower overall acceptability score in the HP system, due to a pronounced earthy aroma and excessive cooking losses. The results indicate that ESBP functionality is highly matrix-dependent and that a 10% substitution level represents the optimal compromise between improved bioactive properties and acceptable technological and sensory quality. These findings highlight the potential of pure ESBP for the development of specialized foods with high nutritional and health-promoting value, while future research should focus on the gastrointestinal bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and overcoming the technological limitations associated with their use. Full article

Rice and rice-derived products are staple foods worldwide, creating an urgent demand for green processing technologies that ensure safety, preserve quality, and extend shelf life. Ionizing irradiation, characterized by high efficiency, non-thermal processing, and the absence of chemical residues, has been increasingly utilized in the storage, preservation, and quality control of rice and rice-based products. As the principal component of rice, starch exhibits a multiscale structural organization spanning molecular to macroscopic levels, which fundamentally determines cooking performance, eating quality, and storage stability. Through modulation of the multiscale structure of starch, ionizing irradiation can achieve targeted quality improvement and stabilization of rice products. This review summarizes the effects of three common types of ionizing irradiation on the structural evolution of rice starch. With a focus on practical applications, it further elucidates the intrinsic relationships between irradiation-induced starch structural modifications and the physicochemical properties, sensory quality, and storage stability of rice products. In addition, current industrial applications and existing technical limitations are critically discussed, and targeted optimization strategies. Finally, based on the fundamental mechanisms underlying starch “structure–quality” regulation, future application-oriented research directions are highlighted. Full article

Given the increasing need to reduce food losses and implement circular economy strategies, plant-based processing byproducts represent a promising source of functional ingredients. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the potential of pumpkin peels as a raw material for enriching cereal products, as a value-added ingredient for wheat pasta, and to analyze their nutritional and technological properties. Pumpkin peels were dried, ground, and thoroughly analyzed for chemical composition, bioactive compound content, and functional properties. Model pastas were developed with a 5–15% addition of pumpkin peel powder and assessed for their chemical composition, cooking quality, rheological behavior, antioxidant properties, starch digestibility, texture, oxidative stability, and in vitro prebiotic potential, as well as their health-promoting potential. The results demonstrated that pumpkin peel powder was a rich source of dietary fiber, polyphenols, and carotenoids, which translates into high antioxidant activity. Enriching the pasta with this raw material significantly increased the content of bioactive components and fiber, while having a moderate impact on technological properties. The most beneficial effects were achieved with a 10–15% addition, although higher levels may affect texture and cooking parameters. Pumpkin peels can therefore be a valuable ingredient in functional foods, supporting waste valorization and circular bioeconomy strategies. Full article