Search Results (5,224)

The present study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of Hermetia illucens (HI) and Tenebrio molitor (TM) larvae meals at 2% and 4% on growth performance, carcass yield, meat quality, blood parameters, and intestinal morphometry in broiler chickens. A total of 1750 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were assigned to five dietary treatments: a Control diet, or diets containing 2% or 4% of HI meal (HI2, HI4) or TM meal (TM2, TM4). Growth performance, feed intake (FI), feed conversation ratio (FCR), and mortality were unaffected by dietary treatments. Breast yield increased significantly in insect-fed groups (29.2–29.9%) compared with Control (27.6%). Birds fed HI4 exhibited lower breast pH (5.77 vs. 5.89) and increased cooking loss (29.2% vs. 27.3%), suggesting reduced WHC within acceptable ranges. Thigh meat showed dose-dependent lipid accumulation in insect-fed birds. Serum total cholesterol increased in TM-fed birds with elevated HDL-cholesterol, while LDL-cholesterol remained unaffected. TM meal specifically induced shorter ileal length compared with Control and HI-fed groups. Overall, both full-fat insect meals can be safely incorporated at low inclusion levels without adverse effects on broiler growth, health, or carcass quality. Full article

The influence of different gas compositions in modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) without and with chitooligosaccharide-EGCG (CE) conjugate on storage stability of Asian hard clam (HC) meat during storage at 4 °C was studied. Microbial load of HC meat was <5 log CFU/g when packaged under MAP, regardless of treatment, up to 18 days of storage, whereas control exceeded viable bacterial count (6 log CFU/g) on day 9. The lowest microbial load, volatile bases, and lipid oxidation were obtained in HC meat pretreated with 600 ppm of CE conjugate and MAP (80% CO₂/20% O₂) (MAP4-CE) (p < 0.05). Correlation heatmap analysis showed that a high-CO₂/low-O₂ atmosphere was the primary determinant of reduced Pseudomonas growth and lipid oxidation in HC meat, whereas the CE conjugate conferred only minor oxidation and nitrogenous spoilage indices. HC packed under MAP exhibited higher cooking and drip loss, along with increased toughness and firmness, irrespective of treatment. PUFA of MAP4-CE was retained during 18 days of storage. High-CO₂, with or without CE, redirected the microbial diversity toward CO₂-tolerant taxa. Overall, MAP4-CE had an extended shelf-life of at least 18 days while better preserving lipid quality and delayed growth of spoilage bacteria. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision (CV) offer promising avenues for automated quality control in food manufacturing, yet many prior works in that sector focused on agricultural primary production tasks. This study evaluates object detection for in-line quality monitoring on a real production line for ready-to-eat chicken-type products. Overhead cameras captured images at four processing steps: forming, coating, frying, and cooking. For each step, we labeled 2000 images containing multiple products with multiple classes of quality deviations. Separate YOLOv12x models (default and hyperparameter-tuned) were trained per step and evaluated using mAP50–95, F₁-curves, and confusion matrices. Step-specific models, i.e., models applicable solely for a specific processing step, achieved similar peak mAP50–95 (0.50–0.60), and hyperparameter tuning did not yield any major gains despite high computational cost. Performance was strongly tied to class frequency: common classes achieved high F₁-Scores, whereas rare classes were often misclassified. To mitigate imbalance and improve robustness, we trained a single model on a combined dataset spanning all steps, which attained a higher peak mAP50–95 of 0.7331 ± 0.0040 and produced more balanced F₁-curves, albeit with some loss of step-specific strengths, such as detection of certain deviations specific to that step. The results indicate that out-of-the-box detectors can add practical value to industrial CV-enhanced quality control in food processing, and that further improvements will primarily come from targeted data collection for minority classes, instance-centric datasets, higher-resolution or multi-scale training, and methods that address class imbalance. Full article

The gelatinization and pasting behavior of starch play a critical role in governing its suitability for various food and non-food applications. Although Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is the most-studied microalga, its starch gelatinization and pasting properties have remained elusive. In this study, we applied nitrogen limitation to promote the starch accumulation of C. reinhardtii and recovered the starch using high-pressure homogenization. The multiscale structure and properties of C. reinhardtii starch (CRS) were comprehensively analyzed and compared with those of commonly used terrestrial plant starch. Results showed that CRS possesses a unique multiscale structure characterized by an exceptionally high degree of branching (18.6%) and a thinner crystalline lamellae (9.29 nm). While maintaining an A-type crystalline pattern, CRS granules exhibited higher crystallinity compared with other microalgal starches. CRS had an irregular red blood cell-like morphology with a small size (~1 μm diameter). Physicochemical analysis revealed that CRS has an intermediate gelatinization temperature and a pasting profile defined by low viscosity and remarkable shear resistance, suggesting high stability during hydrothermal processing. Significantly, cooked CRS demonstrated a lower hydrolysis rate and higher resistant starch content than several common terrestrial starches. It is attributed to its higher degree of branching and superior thermostability. This study extends the fundamental knowledge of CRS and provides a critical scientific basis for its application as a novel, sustainable ingredient with special gel properties in the future food industry. Full article

This study evaluated the technological and sensory effects of incorporating oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) powder and sylvinite as strategies to reduce salt content in beef patties while maintaining product quality. A 4 × 4 full factorial design was implemented to develop sixteen distinct formulations, evaluating the interaction between four levels of mushroom powder (0, 3, 5, and 10% w/w) as a partial meat replacer and four levels of sylvinite (0, 0.5, 1, and 2% w/w) as a NaCl substitute. To establish a baseline for comparison, control samples were prepared without sylvinite, with a fixed concentration of 1% NaCl. Patties were produced with low-fat content (6%), formed into 100 g portions, and evaluated in raw and cooked states. Physicochemical analyses included color (CIE L*, a*, b*), cooking yield, shrinkage, and texture profile analysis, while sensory quality was assessed by an expert panel and complemented with consumer discriminative tests, specifically a triangle test. Multivariate analysis revealed that mushroom powder significantly influenced color parameters, increasing redness and yellowness, whereas sylvinite tended to reduce color intensity; however, their interaction mitigated these effects at intermediate inclusion levels. Mushroom incorporation improved cooking yield and reduced hardness, particularly at 3–5% inclusion, enhancing elasticity and cohesiveness. Sensory results indicated that formulations containing 3–5% mushroom powder and up to 2% sylvinite achieved high overall acceptability. Consumer tests confirmed that these formulations effectively modulated saltiness and texture perception. Overall, the combined use of oyster mushroom powder and sylvinite represents a viable approach for developing reduced-sodium beef patties with acceptable technological and sensory properties. Full article

The primary shelf life (PSL) of fresh vegan spinach gnocchi packaged under a modified atmosphere (MAP) was investigated. Microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory properties were monitored during storage at three temperatures (4, 8, and 12 °C). The microbial load remained below the limit considered safe (3 log CFU g⁻¹) in all samples during storage at all tested temperatures. Storage time significantly increased the hardness of uncooked gnocchi (p < 0.05) and the water absorption index (p < 0.05). Moreover, at higher storage temperatures, the kinetic rate of hardness decreased in uncooked gnocchi (0.29 N day⁻¹ at 12 °C vs. 0.35 N day⁻¹ at 4 °C). Conversely, in cooked gnocchi, as the storage temperature increased, the rate of hardness acceleration increased. The sensory analysis results varied according to storage temperature, and the Overall Quality Index (OQI), combined with principal component analysis (PCA), was used to determine PSL values. The Arrhenius relationship successfully described the temperature dependence of reaction rate constants, and the calculated Q₁₀ value (3.0) confirmed hardness as the quality attribute most affected by temperature. OQI showed a strong correlation with cooked-gnocchi hardness, and a sensory cutoff of 6.5 was established and confirmed by the sensory panel. The corresponding hardness rejection value was 12.1 N. The PSL was estimated based on sensory and texture criteria, as microbial quality was not a limiting factor. Under non-isothermal cold-chain conditions, PSL was predicted using the time–temperature tolerance (TTT) approach, yielding a value of 42 ± 3 days. Full article

Excessive sodium intake is a public health concern, although sodium chloride is technologically essential in comminuted meat systems due to its role in protein solubilization, water binding, and gel formation. This study evaluated the extent to which progressive sodium reduction combined with nutritional yeast supplementation preserves physicochemical stability, structural integrity, and sensory quality in cooked sausages. Four formulations were produced: a referent and three reduced-salt (NaCl) treatments (−15%, −25%, −35%) containing 2% nutritional yeast (1% in the referent). Water activity increased significantly with salt reduction (0.969–0.977; p < 0.05), accompanied by higher lightness (CIE L*) and yellowness (CIE b*), whereas instrumental redness (CIE a*) remained stable. Proximate composition was unaffected except for the expected decrease in ash and salt content (p < 0.05), while free glutamic acid increased significantly in reduced-salt treatments (0.67 vs. 0.87–0.91 g/kg; p < 0.05). Instrumental texture parameters indicated preserved cutting resistance, although repeated compression revealed reduced structural resilience at the 35% reduction level. Sensory evaluation showed that reductions up to 25% maintained overall typicality and balance, whereas 35% reduction decreased saltiness, slice coherence, aroma harmony, and texture typicality (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis confirmed a multivariate shift from a salt-stabilized structural domain to a softer, yeast-associated sensory domain at the highest reduction level. Moderate sodium reduction combined with nutritional yeast is therefore technologically and sensorially feasible in this product category. Full article

The cooking and eating quality (CEQ) of rice is primarily regulated by the Wx and SSIIa genes. Multiple allelic variations in these genes exist in rice, but the effect of allelic combination of Wx and SSIIa on rice CEQ was less understood. In this study, the Wx and SSIIa genes of 164 rice accessions were sequenced, and the effects of nucleotide variation, both individually and in combination, on physicochemical properties such as apparent amylose content (AAC), gelatinization temperature (GT), pasting viscosities and gel texture were analyzed. Six Wx alleles were identified, with the highest AAC found in the Wx^lv allele and the lowest in the wx allele. No significant difference in AAC for the same genotype harvested from two locations, Hangzhou and Sanya, was observed. Three SSIIa alleles were identified, i.e., G/GC, G/TT, and A/GC. The genotype with the G/GC exhibited significantly higher GT than those with G/TT and A/GC genotypes. However, the GT of the same genotype was higher in Hangzhou than in Sanya, suggesting an environmental effect. Under the same Wx^lv allele background, the gel hardness (HD) of G/TT allele of SSIIa was the highest among all combinations, and significantly higher than that of G/GC. Under the same wx allele background, the peak viscosity (PV), hot paste viscosity (HPV), and cold paste viscosity (CPV) of G/GC were significantly higher than that of G/TT and A/GC. Under the same G/GC allele of SSIIa background, Wx^lv had a slightly lower peak temperature (Tp) and a slightly higher enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔHg) than other allele combinations. Under the same G/TT allele of SSIIa background, Wx^b had a significantly lower onset temperature (To), Tp and conclusion temperature (Tc) than other combinations. This study indicated that variation in the Wx gene primarily affects AAC, viscosity and gel texture, with its interaction with SSIIa influencing GT, while variation in the SSIIa gene primarily affects GT, with its interaction with Wx influencing pasting viscosity. Full article

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is gaining interest in multiple industrial applications. BNC dehydration would improve its industrialization while affecting its techno-functional properties (water binding or gelling capacity). This work analyses this aspect in a representative food system where these are fundamental properties: low-fat sausages with pre-emulsified sunflower oil. Native (n-BNC) and freeze-dried (d-BNC) bacterial nanocelluloses were studied at different concentrations. During thermal processing, all batters exhibited the typical viscoelastic transition associated with protein gelation. Formulations containing d-BNC developed a higher final elastic moduli and a broader concentration range of structural reinforcement compared to n-BNC systems. In the cooked sausages, BNC incorporation enhanced hardness, cohesiveness, and water-holding capacity, particularly at intermediate concentrations. Micrographs showed that d-BNC led to a finer and more homogeneous microarchitecture, while n-BNC aggregated in hollows of the meat protein network. Additionally, the Pickering effect of dried BNC produced meat emulsions with smaller oil droplets in agreement with the differences in lightness detected. Results suggest that freeze-dried BNC could be a convenient and effective option for the food industry due to its low weight, longer storage period, and easy handling compared to native BNC. Full article

High-amylose Lueang Patew Chumphon (LPC) rice, a Thai geographical indication variety, represents an underutilized resource for functional food development. This study investigated sweet fermented LPC rice (SFLPC) compared to conventional sweet fermented glutinous rice (SFGR) through comprehensive microbial, chemical, and nutritional characterization. Starter cakes contained Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, and Pediococcus pentosaceus (>99% similarity by ITS/16S rRNA sequencing and MALDI Biotyper). Both varieties demonstrated comparable fermentation with pH reductions to ~3.5 and lactic acid production (~6 g/L). GC-MS analysis with mass spectral library matching and Linear Retention Index (LRI) comparison tentatively annotated twelve volatile compounds. Absolute peak area analysis revealed distinct variety-specific profiles: SFGR was characterized by significantly higher ethyl palmitate (75.89 ± 19.30 vs. 16.80 ± 7.21 × 10⁶, p = 0.008) and isobutyl alcohol (33.09 ± 3.56 vs. 23.53 ± 1.71 × 10⁶, p = 0.014), exclusive ethyl dodecanoate (44.87 ± 20.60 × 10⁶), and exclusive 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, while SFLPC showed exclusive ethyl acetate formation. Isoamyl alcohol was the dominant volatile in both varieties, with comparable absolute peak areas (273.91 ± 22.65 vs. 267.54 ± 28.78 × 10⁶, ns). SFLPC demonstrated superior mineral retention (2.1-fold phosphorus, 1.9-fold potassium and magnesium) and enhanced antioxidant capacity (IC₅₀: 3.30 vs. 5.20 μg/mL, representing 36% improvement). Degree of gelatinization analysis validated comparable starch gelatinization (32.5–40.1%) despite different cooking methods, confirming volatile differences arose from rice variety rather than processing. These findings demonstrate high-amylose LPC rice as a promising fermented food substrate offering enhanced nutritional properties and volatile compound profiles through traditional fermentation. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of various levels of intramuscular fat (IMF) and oleic acid (C18:1 cis-9) on retronasal aromas in Wagyu beef. Muscle samples were collected from 167 carcasses of Japanese Black. The chemical compositions were analyzed, and the cooked beef was evaluated by a trained sensory panel. Tenderness, juiciness, and fatty aroma were mainly related to the IMF content. Both sweet and Wagyu beef aromas were affected by the oleic acid and IMF contents. In marbled beef with low IMF content, both sweet and Wagyu beef aromas were stronger as the oleic acid composition increased (r = 0.401, 0.376); however, their relationships were weaker at the moderate IMF content (r = 0.278, 0.273). The effect of oleic acid on these aromas was hardly observed in beef with high IMF content (r = 0.030, 0.011). The oleic acid index [IMF content (%) × oleic acid composition (%)/100] could be fitted to the logarithmic curve for all the aromas determined (r = 0.526 to 0.565). These results indicated that the higher oleic acid composition could be better for the favorable aromas of Wagyu beef; however, the effect differs depending on the IMF content levels, and the phenomenon is relatively well explained by the oleic acid index. Full article

This study systematically investigated the effects of freeze-drying on chicken, pork, and beef by examining pH, moisture content, rehydration capacity, water distribution, color, and texture profile at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 h. The pH values of all meats remained relatively stable within 5.6–6.2 throughout the drying process. Moisture content followed a “rapid dehydration-slower drying-stabilization” pattern, with pork retaining higher moisture during the mid-drying phase, while chicken and beef lost water more rapidly. The rehydration capacity increased with prolonged drying, with chicken showing the highest rehydration efficiency. Color changes were species-dependent. Specifically, chicken initially brightened before slight darkening, beef lost lightness with a temporary increase in redness, and pork gradually yellowed. Texture profiles also varied, with chicken maintaining relative stability throughout the drying process, beef showing temporary mid-drying hardness, and pork experiencing rapid declines in springiness and cohesiveness alongside fluctuating hardness. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing freeze-drying protocols to preserve quality, functional performance, and sensory characteristics across different meat types. Full article

Instant noodle fortification with fish-derived proteins enhances nutritional value; however, the effects of catfish powder (CFP) combined with different drying methods and barrier packaging on prolonged storage stability remain unknown. This study incorporated 10% (w/w) CFP into wheat flour-based instant noodles processed by tray drying or deep-fat frying, yielding four treatments: control tray-dried (CD), control fried (CF), CFP tray-dried (TD), and CFP fried (TF). Samples were packed in metallized low-density polyethylene (M-LDPE) and evaluated every 15 days over 180 days. CFP fortification increased protein and mineral content, which remained stable throughout storage. CFP incorporation and frying elevated lipid oxidation, whereas tray drying improved oxidative stability. Drying methods influenced moisture attributes, product structure, rehydration behavior, and color; tray-dried noodles retained higher lightness and hardness, whereas fried noodles showed faster water uptake. Cooking performance remained largely stable, with gradual shifts noticed in CF and TF samples over time. Microbiological quality remained acceptable, with no pathogens detected. Multivariate analysis identified the drying method as the primary driver of quality differentiation, with storage time intensifying oxidation and color divergence. Overall, tray drying with M-LDPE packaging is recommended to optimize the nutritional and storage stability of CFP-fortified instant noodles. Full article

Improving grain quality alongside yield remains a primary objective in rice breeding, especially under irrigated systems in Thailand, where consumer demand for soft-textured, premium table rice continues to grow. This study evaluated physicochemical and pasting characteristics of ten advanced non-glutinous rice genotypes compared with high- and low-amylose checks across three irrigated environments during off-season 2024. Combined ANOVA revealed highly significant genotype, environment, and genotype × environment interaction effects, with genotypes contributing up to 94.30% of total variation for key quality traits. Grain breadth and elongation rate were predominantly influenced by environmental conditions. Principal component analysis showed that PC1 and PC2 explained 72.86% of total variance, separating genotypes based on amylose-driven starch properties and paste stability. High-amylose genotypes exhibited low peak viscosity and high setback, whereas low-amylose genotypes showed greater swelling, higher breakdown, and softer pasting behavior. Selected genotypes exhibited distinct quality profiles; specifically, DS24-Inter-8 and DS24-Inter-10 combined low-to-intermediate amylose (15.09–19.73%) with high gel consistency (84.78–96.22 mm). Interestingly, DS24-Inter-4 maintained high gel consistency (97.78 mm) despite a higher amylose content (26.39%), indicating a unique soft-cooking profile for high-amylose types. In contrast, DS24-Inter-7 and DS24-Inter-9 showed typical firmer, high-amylose characteristics. These contrasting quality profiles indicate that the genotypes were suitable for different utilization purposes depending on the desired physicochemical and textural attributes. Therefore, the advanced genotypes demonstrated stable and diverse quality profiles under irrigated conditions, warranting further multi-location and multi-season evaluation. Full article

In the study, the effects of adding sour cheery seed powder at different concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) on the pH, water content, lipid oxidation, cooking loss, color, TPC, antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS), texture, and acrylamide contents of meatballs cooked at 150 °C, 200 °C, and 250 °C were investigated. The sour cherry seed powder significantly affected the pH, cooking loss, a*, b*, C*, h°, TBARS, acrylamide, hardness, and springiness, while no significant effect was found on the moisture, L*, cohesiveness, gumminess, or chewiness. The cooking temperature had a significant effect on all the parameters except cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness. The addition of 1% sour cherry seed powder resulted in the lowest acrylamide and TBARS values. The sour cherry seed powder increased the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of the meatballs. These results indicate that sour cherry seed powder can be used as a sustainable food ingredient in meatball production, reducing acrylamide and lipid oxidation while improving the antioxidant capacity, color, and texture properties. Full article