Search Results (185)

Food and beverage contamination by microbial and chemical hazards during product processing and handling has significant risks to quality, public health, and regulatory compliance. Cleaning and sanitation practices are essential components of food safety management systems, with their effectiveness dependent on factors such as product characteristics, residue composition, surface properties, biofilm formation, and environmental conditions during production and processing. A comprehensive analysis of cleaning agents and sanitizers, including alkaline, acidic, enzymatic, surfactants, and oxidizing compounds, as well as emerging and sustainable approaches (e.g., organic acid-based formulations, bio-based surfactants, electrolyzed water, and ozone), and their roles during the processing and handling of products, is key to minimizing risks but also to creating resilience in the entire food chain. This review highlights the importance of understanding food-soil composition when selecting appropriate cleaning solutions and methods, particularly for removing carbohydrate-, protein-, fat-, and mineral-based residues, as well as biofilms from food-contact surfaces. Sector-specific challenges, such as biofilm persistence in seafood processing, fouling in dairy operations, moisture control in low-moisture food facilities, and microbial contamination in fresh produce, meat, poultry, cereal grain, and beverage processing, are also discussed. The overall goal is to support researchers, food industry professionals, and regulatory stakeholders in selecting and optimizing cleaning and sanitizing protocols that ensure food safety and regulatory compliance across diverse food industries. Full article

Against the backdrop of increasing global uncertainty and the growing acceptance of sustainable development principles, enhancing supply chain resilience has become a core issue for enterprises in managing risks and ensuring operational security. Based on a review of the literature and theoretical analysis, this study constructs an evaluation system comprising 12 third-level indicators across three dimensions: proactive defense capability, green operational capability, and collaborative recovery capability. When determining whether there are interdependent relationships among the indicators, this study introduces an extended Bayesian fusion method based on trapezoidal fuzzy numbers to evaluate and confirm these relationships, thereby reducing biases arising from subjective judgments. By quantifying experts’ assessments of the relationship strength and confidence levels between indicators using trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, this method effectively integrates the opinions of multiple experts, reducing the randomness and subjectivity associated with individual judgments. During the ANP weight calculation stage, to overcome the ambiguity and uncertainty inherent in traditional pairwise expert comparisons, trapezoidal fuzzy numbers were similarly used to quantify the comparison results. These were then defuzzified using the mean area metric to construct a precise judgment matrix. Finally, using the publicly available annual reports and ESG disclosure data from three multinational corporations—one in the semiconductor manufacturing sector (Company T), one in industrial digital manufacturing (Company S), and one in the food and beverage industry (Company N)—as empirical samples, the cross-industry applicability and validity of the constructed evaluation system were verified. The results demonstrate that this method can systematically reflect the key factors influencing sustainable supply chain resilience and their weighting structure. Full article

Energy efficiency interventions are typically evaluated and implemented at the single-firm level, yet energy use and savings are shaped by interdependent decisions distributed across the supply chain, spanning sourcing, production, inventory, logistics, and financing. A foundational observation motivating this paper is that some energy efficiency actions are only possible through inter-firm cooperation: they require changes to partners’ processes or technologies, create benefits that accrue to different actors than those bearing the investment costs, and demand governance mechanisms (e.g., cost-sharing contract, buyer-financed supplier development, supply chain finance instruments) to be financially viable. This paper proposes CHAIN-EE (Collaborative Holistic Approach for Integrated Network Energy Efficiency), an action-oriented framework that operationalizes systems thinking into a practical roadmap for supply chain decision-makers. CHAIN-EE integrates three interconnected phases: (A) supply-chain energy diagnosis, covering boundary definition, baseline construction, and hotspot identification across nodes and flows; (B) action portfolio design, structured around a six-lever intervention taxonomy and multi-criteria evaluation embedding a cost–benefit alignment map that makes governance feasibility an explicit selection criterion; and (C) governance and continuous improvement, including incentive alignment, investment architecture and ISO 50001-compatible performance management. Evidence from four European research projects spanning the food cold chain, dairy, food-and-beverage/transport value chains, and HORECA illustrates how each phase operates in practice across different sectors and governance contexts. The paper contributes an integrative, sector-adaptable structure for supply chain energy efficiency programmes, grounded in both analytical research and applied project experience, and a targeted research agenda on cross-node rebound effects, data-enabled energy flow mapping, and multi-tier coordination mechanisms. Full article

The growing global population has increased energy and food demand, leading to a higher production of waste streams such as fly ash from the energy sector and wastewater from food and beverage industries. Without proper treatment, these wastes pose significant environmental concerns. One promising strategy is to repurpose industrial byproducts for wastewater treatment. Winery wastewater, for instance, contains acidic organic compounds and alcohol that are difficult to remove using conventional methods, while large amounts of fly ash remain underutilized. This study, therefore, examines a hybrid system that combines fly ash-assisted Fenton oxidation with membrane filtration for winery wastewater treatment. The process involved sequential Fenton pre-treatment followed by lab-scale nanofiltration using a 1 kg/mol ceramic membrane (13.1 cm²). A Design of Experiments approach was applied to evaluate system performance under varying H₂O₂ dosages (10–30 mL/L), fly ash loadings (1–3 g/L), and membrane fluxes (40–80 LMH). Filtration was performed through multiple constant-flux cycles, with energy requirements ranging from 400 to 800 kWh/m³ for the flux variations calculated from the lab-scale pump operating at a constant power supply. The hybrid method showed strong performance, achieving 70% TOC removal and 90% reduction of color and iron. However, considerable membrane fouling was observed, likely due to increased retention and deposition of organic matter, iron, and fly ash during filtration. Full article

Chitosan, produced through deacetylation of chitin from crustacean byproducts and, increasingly, fungal biomass and insects, is attracting food-sector interest because it combines antimicrobial activity, antioxidant capacity, biodegradability, and film-forming behavior in a single polymer. This review discusses how source, molecular weight (MW), degree of deacetylation, solubility, and charge density shape its performance in food systems. The paper then follows the main technological routes now tested or used: edible films and coatings, hydrogels, cryogels, nanoparticles, microcapsules, and hybrid matrices. These formats can protect fresh produce, meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and dairy foods, while also supporting beverage clarification, emulsion control, release of natural antimicrobials or antioxidants, and freshness monitoring in active or intelligent packaging. The evidence indicates strong promise, especially where microbial growth, lipid oxidation, moisture transfer, and short shelf life remain limiting factors. Yet, wider industrial use is still slowed by water sensitivity, sensory effects, raw-material variation, cost, process scale-up, and regulatory alignment. Future work should move beyond laboratory efficacy and address reproducible production, food-specific validation, and consumer acceptance. Full article

Changes in consumer behavior have intensified the demand for alternative protein sources, driving changes in food consumption patterns. At the same time, the increasing consumer awareness considering the health and environmental impacts in food systems, has stimulated interest in more functional and sustainable products. In this context, plant-based beverages (PBBs) have gained attention as potential alternatives to milk. This study was aimed at evaluating plant-based beverages as alternatives to cow’s milk, focusing on their nutritional composition, environmental impact, and technological challenges. Although cow’s milk has a high biological value and nutritional density, plant-based beverages present variable compositions, generally with lower levels of protein and minerals. However, they stand out for the presence of bioactive compounds and have a nutritional quality which can be improved through fortification strategies. From an environmental perspective, their production is associated with a substantially lower carbon footprint compared to dairy farming. Despite these advantages, the sector still faces technological challenges related to physicochemical stability and sensory acceptance due to complex residual flavors. This review highlights the need for improvements in terms of manufacturing processes and regulatory frameworks to establish these beverages as safe, nutritious, and sustainable options in the global market. Full article

Industrial processes consume large amounts of thermal energy, while many recoverable heat streams remain unused because heat sources and sinks differ in time, temperature level, power demand, and operating schedule. Thermal energy storage (TES) can decouple heat supply from heat demand and support waste heat recovery, peak-load reduction, process heat electrification, and flexible operation of continuous, batch, and intermittent processes. This narrative review assesses industrial TES from a process integration perspective rather than from a storage-material perspective alone. Sensible, latent, thermochemical, sorption-based, hybrid, and steam-based storage systems are compared with respect to delivery temperature, storage duration, charging and discharging power, response time, heat losses, reliability, integration complexity, and techno-economic feasibility. Sector-specific opportunities are discussed for the iron and steel, cement, ceramics, chemical and petrochemical, pulp and paper, and food and beverage industries. The review shows that deployment is constrained less by the availability of storage concepts than by heat exchanger limitations, inconsistent Key Performance Indicator (KPI) definitions, unclear system boundaries, scarce long-term operating data, and insufficient coupling with pinch analysis, heat exchanger network design, control, and safety requirements. A practical technology-selection workflow and a research roadmap are proposed for scalable, reliable, and economically viable industrial TES deployment. Full article

This paper examines how value-added tax (VAT) reforms affected recorded point-of-sale (POS) spending in Saudi Arabia’s restaurant, café, and food service sector during a period of rapid payment digitalization. Two policy shocks are analyzed: the introduction of a 5% VAT in January 2018 and the increase to 15% in July 2020. Using monthly official POS data from January 2016 to January 2024, the study applies an interrupted time-series framework. Baseline estimates are obtained using Generalized Least Squares (GLS) with AR (1) correction. In contrast, seasonal SARIMAX and Error Correction Model (ECM) specifications are used as robustness checks and to distinguish short-run from long-run dynamics. Controls include food and beverage price indices, headline inflation, and COVID-19 disruptions. Results show statistically significant positive level shifts in recorded POS sales after both VAT reforms, with larger measured effects after the 2020 increase. However, the evidence suggests that these changes primarily reflect formalization of transactions, migration toward electronic payments, improved reporting compliance, and intertemporal expenditure timing rather than persistent growth in real demand. Post-reform trend coefficients indicate gradual normalization in subsequent months. ECM estimates suggest that approximately 56% of short-run disequilibrium is corrected within one month. Findings are robust across alternative specifications. The paper contributes new evidence from the Gulf region by showing that retail transaction indicators may overstate real consumption responses when tax reforms coincide with rapid financial digitalization. From a sustainability perspective, the findings highlight the role of digital financial systems and modern tax administration in improving economic transparency, strengthening fiscal sustainability, enhancing formal-sector integration, and supporting the institutional transformation objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. The results imply that fiscal-policy evaluations should jointly account for tax administration reforms and changes in payment technology. Full article

Assessing the level of circularity in the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering (HoReCa) sector is a significant challenge due to the lack of standardized quantification methods and the absence of structured environmental and material accounting systems, features that are typical of a sector largely composed of micro-enterprises. The technical standard UNI/TS 11820:2024 has developed a set of 71 indicators for the circular economy, structured across six domains (material resources and components; energy and water; waste and emissions; logistics; products and services; and human resources, assets, policies, and sustainability), allowing the assessment of circularity levels in a replicable and comparable manner. The present research measures circularity in a table-service restaurant micro-enterprise, which has voluntarily adopted circular economy practices since its foundation. The purpose is to test the applicability of UNI/TS 11820:2024 in the HoReCa context, improve knowledge about this technical standard, and highlight its strengths and weaknesses from the managerial, methodological and public authorities’ perspective. The overall organization’s circularity score achieved is 31.88%, with performance ranging from 14.40% for “material resources and components” to 56.25% for “human resources, assets and policies”. Although UNI/TS 11820:2024 aims at bridging theoretical and practical gaps towards a harmonized set of measurement tools, sector-specific indicators for the foodservice context remain underrepresented, and public authorities and universities should promote both basic and advanced education in the field of circular economy measurement to support wider adoption. Full article

Metal packaging materials remain fundamental across food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and technical sectors owing to their combination of mechanical robustness, total light and gas barrier performance, thermal resistance, and established recyclability. Aluminum alloys, tinplate, tin-free steel (TFS/ECCS), stainless steels, metal–matrix composites (MMCs), and metal–polymer or metal–paper laminates define distinct metal-based packaging architectures whose metallurgical and interfacial design governs forming behaviour, corrosion and migration pathways, coating integrity, and mechanical reliability. In this review, these architectures are examined from a materials- and systems-oriented perspective, linking composition, microstructure, processing routes, and surface engineering to functional performance across rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible formats. The analysis also considers the ongoing transition from bisphenol A (BPA)-based epoxy linings to BPA-free and hybrid coating chemistries, the use of nano-structured metallic and metal-oxide surfaces, and the role of composite laminates in which thin metallic foils are combined with polymeric or paper-based structural layers. These material and architectural aspects are discussed together with safety, regulatory, and circularity considerations that increasingly influence the design and selection of metal-based packaging. Ion migration, coating degradation, and corrosion under realistic storage environments are considered in relation to EU, FDA, ISO, and sector-specific requirements, while attention is also paid to the contrast between well-established closed-loop recycling infrastructures for aluminum and steel and the more complex end-of-life management of coated metals and multilayer laminates. The review provides a unified framework connecting materials selection, metallurgical design, processing, performance, regulatory compliance, and sustainability in metal-based packaging systems. Applications spanning consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and advanced electronics are integrated to support an overall understanding of how metallic and hybrid metal-based architectures underpin functional reliability and life-cycle sustainability. Full article

Bio-CO₂ is part of the natural carbon cycle and represents a sustainable carbon source for the production of Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBOs), such as synthetic methanol. This study addresses the critical knowledge gap in aligning diverse biogenic CO₂ sources with e-methanol requirements in the EU by providing harmonized mapping, based on datasets, literature sources, and reported industrial statistics at the sectoral and country level. Bio-CO₂ streams from biogas and biogas upgrading, biomass combustion, pulp and paper, bioethanol production, and the food and beverage sector are evaluated for total emissions, CO₂ concentrations and purity, the geographical distribution, seasonality, and impurity profiles. Results show that approximately 350 Mtpa of bio-CO₂ are emitted across the EU, with highly heterogeneous characteristics. Biogas upgrading and fermentation-based processes generate highly pure CO₂ streams (>98–99%), yet their small and dispersed nature complicates logistics. In contrast, biomass-combustion and pulp and paper sectors provide large volumes (around 214.6–298.2 Mtpa and 73.9 Mtpa CO₂, respectively), but in diluted streams (typically 3–15% and 10–20%). Replacing just 10% of the EU maritime fuel demand with e-methanol would require 53.6 Mtpa of bio-CO₂ and 58 GW of electrolyzer capacity, a stark contrast to the current operational 385 MW. The findings highlight the need for infrastructure planning and aggregation hubs to enable the large-scale deployment of RFNBO methanol in the maritime sector. Full article

Digital skills play a central role in the ongoing transformation of tourism and hospitality. This study analyzes several issues, such as the structure of digital competencies and workforce segmentation, within the tourism sector in Albania areas where empirical evidence remains scarce. The motivation for inclusion in this study focuses on the void between advanced technologies and the skills gap, while identifying opportunities for change in this direction. The quantitative design considers a sample composed of owners, managers, and operational staff. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, heatmap visualization, cluster analysis, and workforce segmentation. The data processing reveals that while foundational digital literacy is well-evidenced, a significant gap exists in advanced analytical competencies and emerging technologies. The findings regarding workforce segmentation into three distinct groups: Digital Pioneers, Functional Users, and Digital Laggards are of high importance. Equally significant are the findings concerning disparities in digital maturity across sectors. Sectoral analysis reveals higher advanced digital skill levels in accommodation and destination management, while food and beverage businesses show lower digital proficiency. This study contributes by providing an empirical framework that links digital skill structures, workforce segmentation, and sectoral differences, offering evidence-based insights for targeted digital upskilling in tourism and hospitality. The findings highlight the need for differentiated digital training strategies tailored to workforce segments, organizational roles, and tourism subsectors. Full article

After numerous false starts, the global microalgae industry is re-emerging, driven by its potential to address critical challenges in food and nutrition, sustainable energy, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and climate change mitigation. Although technical advances in microalgae production show value adding potential, progressing from innovation to product launch and competitiveness is complex. It requires an integrated understanding of technology readiness, regulatory compliance, financial necessities, and market competition. This study presents a novel analytical framework underpinning a data-enabled, evidence-based approach to navigating the innovation pathways to market and beyond. The framework integrates value-add opportunities, identifying key stages faced in pre-competitive (including Technology Readiness Level (TRL), R&D spend, and patent trends), and competitive market stages (including product launches, product claims, market size, market share, growth/maturity, international markets, distribution channels, sectoral profile, and competitive landscape), aligned with regulatory requirements. Although not without limitations, such as incomplete data for emerging products, as well as reliance on secondary sources for product stage determination and market size estimates which can influence the accuracy of TRL classification and market potential estimates. This integration of multiple analyses can help in identifying market opportunities and business competitiveness via product, business, and industry level analyses in the pre-competitive (pre-market launch) and competitive (on market) landscapes. Building on the team’s interdisciplinary experience of developing interactive dashboards for food and beverage industries, and microalga processes, this paper provides an overview of the framework, which was designed to guide businesses and researchers in an emerging microalgae industry through the complex landscape of product development along regulatory and commercial pathways. Full article

Microbial biosurfactants have emerged as natural and sustainable alternatives to synthetic surfactants used in the food industry, due to the growing demand for biodegradable and safe ingredients. Produced by bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, these compounds exhibit important physicochemical properties, such as emulsifying capacity, surface tension reduction, foam stabilization, and favorable interaction with different food matrices. In addition to their technological function, they exhibit relevant biological activities, including antioxidant and antimicrobial action, which contribute to the control of lipid oxidation and microbiological deterioration. These characteristics make biosurfactants attractive for applications in emulsions, fermented beverages, aerated products, probiotic systems, and bioactive packaging. The objective of this work is to provide a narrative literature review that integrates recent advances in the production, functionality, safety, sustainability, and application perspectives of biosurfactants in the food sector. In the field of production, biotechnological advances have made it possible to overcome historical limitations such as high cost and low yield. Strategies such as the use of agro-industrial waste, metabolic engineering, microbial co-cultures, continuous fermentations, and in situ removal techniques have increased efficiency and reduced environmental impacts. Despite the advances, significant challenges remain. Future prospects and advances tend to facilitate industrial adoption and consolidate biosurfactants as strategic ingredients for the development of more sustainable, functional, and technologically advanced foods. Full article

Financialisation has an increasing influence on the functioning of non-financial enterprises. It is therefore important to examine whether and to what extent food sector enterprises are subject to the process of financialisation. The research objective was to determine the level of financialisation of food industry enterprises in Poland in relation to the whole industry sector. To achieve this objective, the following research hypothesis was formulated: the process of financialisation of food industry enterprises proceeds similarly to the analogous process undergoing in industrial enterprises but varies across different sectors of the food industry. The research was conducted on the basis of statistical data from Statistics Poland (SP) published in various statistical studies. Financial data from 2010 to 2023 were analysed. For this purpose, research tools used in the paper are referred to in the literature as measures of the level of financialisation, so-called balance sheet indicators. The main limitation of the research is that the results can only be applied to countries with similar economic conditions, especially post-communist countries, and that balance sheet indicators are used to measure financialisation, which, although widely used, are limited in their effectiveness because they focus only on balance sheet data. The results support the research hypothesis. The companies in the analysed industries are characterised by a low level of financialisation. The process of financialisation of food industry companies is similar to the one in industrial companies and is more intense in beverage production than in other food industry sectors. There is room for a sustainable financing policy. The results indicate that there is room for higher financing of food industry enterprises in Poland, but excessive financing may lead to excessive concentration and monopolisation of enterprises and even to speculation on agricultural markets. To maintain financial stability, it will be important to pursue a stable monetary policy, limit the risk of food price volatility, improve communication and coordination in international monetary policy, and increase national food self-sufficiency. This study fills a research gap in understanding the process of financialisation, assessing its degree of advancement and diversity in the main sectors of food processing enterprises. Full article