Search Results (5,741)

Microstructured optical sensors (MOS) have emerged as transformative photonic devices offering unprecedented sensitivity, miniaturization, and multiplexing capability. This review synthesizes the state of the field for specialists in photonics and optics, covering principal design architectures—photonic crystal fibers, microresonators, plasmonic nanostructures, and integrated waveguide platforms—alongside the fabrication methodologies underpinning their realization. We examine four high-impact application domains: environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, structural health monitoring, and food safety. A central argument runs through the review: the dominant bottleneck constraining MOS adoption has shifted from sensitivity—where many platforms now approach the physical detection limit—to the engineering triad of packaging difficulty, calibration drift, and manufacturing reproducibility. Against this backdrop, we provide frank comparative assessments of platform readiness for each application domain, distinguishing proof-of-concept demonstrations from deployable systems. A dedicated Critical Perspective section addresses the translation of laboratory sensitivity figures to field performance, the genuine and overstated contributions of machine learning, and a commercialization-readiness assessment for principal MOS platform families. Full article

This study develops a multi-criteria decision-support approach that integrates spatial, functional, and managerial dimensions to assess the suitability potential of accommodation facilities in Istanbul for building-integrated greenhouse applications within the context of sustainable food systems and sustainable tourism. The dataset, comprising 688 lodging facilities affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, was analyzed in accordance with a hierarchical evaluation framework that includes categories, criteria, and subcriteria. In this context, the distribution of facilities across each criterion was first examined to assess the current situation; subsequently, the criterion weights were determined using the Best–Worst Method (BWM) based on expert opinions, and the Greenhouse Integration Suitability Scores (GISSs) were calculated using the Weighted Linear Cumulative (WLC) method. Facilities were ranked according to their continuous GISSs; under the Jenks Natural Breaks classification, only 13.4% of the sites (92 out of 688) fell into the high and very high classes. The six-dimensional sensitivity analysis showed that facility rankings remained largely stable under different data, weighting, and method scenarios, whereas class boundaries were more sensitive to the classification method used. Spatial statistical analyses revealed that GISS values exhibited significant and positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I = 0.2478, p < 0.001); Beşiktaş, Pendik, and Ümraniye emerged as the top-priority districts. The findings reveal that physical and spatial conditions are the key determinants of greenhouse integration potential, while functional and managerial variables play a significant role in the varying levels of suitability of the facilities. The framework developed extends the assessment of building-integrated greenhouse applications from the individual building scale to the urban scale, offering a transferable decision-support approach for public institutions, planners, and facility managers. In this regard, the study establishes a data-driven and adaptable prioritization tool that can guide decisions on urban food production, sustainable tourism, and investment. Full article

Background/Objectives: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is related to insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and oxidative stress. Vitamin E and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) may be involved, but evidence remains limited. This study compared dietary vitamin E intake and LRP5 rs4988321 genotype distributions between adults with and without MASLD. Methods: This single-center case–control study included 59 adults with ultrasonographically confirmed MASLD and 47 controls. Vitamin E intake was assessed using two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls and a vitamin E-focused food frequency questionnaire. The rs4988321 variant was genotyped using a TaqMan assay. Group comparisons and multivariable models were used. Results: Vitamin E intake did not differ between groups using 24-h recalls (11.81 vs. 9.35 mg/day; p = 0.246) or the FFQ (16.47 vs. 17.58 mg/day; p = 0.834); only the recall-derived estimate was energy-adjusted and remained unassociated with MASLD. The rs4988321 genotype distributions were similar (p = 0.548). After adjustment for age, sex, genotype, and BMI, ALT, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were nominally higher in participants with MASLD. However, only ALT remained significant after false discovery rate correction (q = 0.021). In the BMI-adjusted logistic model, higher TyG index (OR = 2.360; 95% CI: 1.067–5.218; p = 0.034) and BMI (OR = 1.304; 95% CI: 1.108–1.535; p = 0.001) were associated with greater odds of MASLD. Conclusions: Dietary vitamin E intake and the rs4988321 genotype were not associated with MASLD status in this sample. ALT remained higher after multivariable adjustment, whereas the TyG and BMI associations were specific to the BMI-adjusted model. Full article

Sour jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa) is an ecologically and economically important fruit widely utilized in the functional food industry. However, the geographical variation in its volatile flavor profile and the potential odor relevance of individual volatile features remain insufficiently understood. In this study, volatile profiles of commercial sour jujube pulp samples labeled as originating from eight representative geographical regions across China were characterized using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). A total of 1296 putative volatile annotations were obtained, including esters, aldehydes, alcohols, acids, ketones, terpenoids, hydrocarbons, and other compounds. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed distinct distribution patterns among several sample groups. The OPLS-DA model showed acceptable internal validation performance, with cumulative R²X, R²Y, and Q² values of 0.967, 0.891, and 0.811, respectively. Medium-chain fatty acid ethyl esters, including ethyl dodecanoate, ethyl decanoate, and ethyl octanoate, contributed strongly to the multivariate differentiation of SDDY samples. Odor activity value (OAV) analysis further indicated that volatile abundance was not necessarily proportional to predicted odor contribution. Several trace volatile features with low reported odor thresholds, such as 1-nonen-3-one, 2-methoxy-3-(2-methylpropyl)pyrazine, and benzenemethanethiol, showed high calculated OAVs and may be important aroma-relevant candidates. Overall, this study provides an integrated volatile-profiling and OAV-based approach for characterizing compositional differences among commercial sour jujube pulp samples from different reported origins. Because the samples were commercially sourced and no independent external validation or direct sensory evaluation was performed, the results should be interpreted as exploratory evidence of origin-associated differentiation rather than as a validated geographical authentication system. Full article

Mycotoxins, including sterigmatocystin (STC), aflatoxicol (AFL), aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), and its metabolite aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁), represent a major food safety concern in the dairy industry due to their high toxicity and thermal stability. While AFM₁ in milk is strictly regulated, there is a substantial lack of specific guidelines and scientific data regarding its behavior and enrichment factors (EFs) in buffalo-derived products. Furthermore, knowledge gaps persist regarding the transfer and stability of co-occurring molecules like STC and AFL. This study evaluated the distribution and fate of AFM₁, STC, and AFL during traditional, laboratory-scale cheesemaking of buffalo mozzarella and ricotta. Fourteen trials were conducted using bulk tank milk naturally contaminated with AFM₁, alongside an exploratory trial utilizing toxin-free milk artificially spiked with all three targets. Mass balance and specific EFs were calculated across all processing streams. AFM₁ was detected in all raw milk samples, showing a strong affinity for caseins. Approximately half of the initial milk AFM₁ content was retained in mozzarella (50.3 ± 3.3%), whereas ricotta retained only a minor fraction (6.9 ± 0.7%), with the majority lost in the second whey (30.7 ± 1.3%). The mean EFs were 2.3 ± 0.3 for mozzarella and 1.1 ± 0.2 for ricotta. AFL was never detected in milk samples while STC was mainly present at concentrations < 1 ng/kg. In the spiked trial, AFL demonstrated stability with an EF of 1.5 in mozzarella, while STC displayed potential degradation within the milk matrix and during sample storage. The experimental EFs determined for buffalo mozzarella and ricotta are lower than the standard factors currently applied by Italian regulations for non-bovine dairy products. These accurate, matrix-specific estimations are essential to prevent the under-reporting of non-compliant samples and to refine international consumer risk assessment models. Full article

The kombucha symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) is a multispecies microbial consortium distributed between cell-containing fermentation liquid and a cellulose-rich pellicle. Here, “kombucha SCOBY” denotes the viable consortium delivered through either compartment or both compartments. Dominated by fermentative yeasts and acetic acid bacteria, the consortium produces ethanol and organic acids and biotransforms phenolic compounds, enabling fermentation beyond conventional sweetened teas. This review critically evaluates studies in which viable consortia directly fermented food matrices. In dairy systems, kombucha-derived inocula acidify milk and induce casein gelation, although more slowly than yogurt starters, and kombucha broth has also supported fresh cheese production. In soy-based matrices, fermentation converts isoflavone glucosides to aglycones, and fermented soy whey can coagulate tofu. Applications have also been reported in fruit and vegetable juices, agro-industrial by-products, botanical infusions and breadmaking. However, microbial composition and performance vary with the inoculum source, propagation history, and storage. Strain-defined preserved starters remain unvalidated in non-tea matrices, and potential hazards include mycotoxin formation and post-production ethanol accumulation. Therefore, standardized, comprehensively characterized, and matrix-specific starters are required for safe and reproducible translation across food matrices. Full article

A growing body of research is identifying and quantifying environmental, health and social externalities in agrifood systems and proposing measures to address these. However, relatively little empirical attention has been given to the factors that influence stakeholders’ willingness to adopt and implement such measures in practice. This exploratory qualitative study addresses this gap between identifying externalities and understanding what drives and constrains stakeholder adoption of internalization measures in Malawi’s commercializing groundnut value chain. Groundnut are commonly perceived as environmentally beneficial because of their low-input production requirements and nitrogen-fixing properties. However, commercialization can create new externalities and responsibilities and willingness to act depends partly on how these responsibilities are distributed across the value chain. Stakeholders’ stated willingness to adopt internalization measures was shaped by expected economic benefits, implementation costs, resource availability, value-chain position and the institutional conditions supporting adoption. Although multiple measures were identified to address the related externalities, willingness to adopt the practices depended on how implementation responsibilities, costs and benefits were distributed among actors, as well as on institutions’ ability to coordinate collective action across the value chain. The findings suggest that willingness to address environmental, health and social externalities is shaped by many of the same factors that drive adoption of new agricultural technologies and practices more generally. Although grounded in Malawi’s groundnut value chain, these findings have broader relevance for discussions on food-system transformation, sustainability transitions and the internalization of environmental, health and social externalities. Stakeholder perspectives should form a central component of food-system transformation planning, sustainability policy design and externality-internalization strategies. Without understanding who is willing to act, under what conditions and why, even technically effective interventions may struggle to achieve meaningful implementation or impact. Full article

Cadmium pollution severely suppresses potato growth, impairs photosynthesis, and disrupts cellular redox balance, threatening crop yield and food safety. Exogenous small-molecule regulators represent low-cost strategies to alleviate heavy-metal phytotoxicity, yet systematic comparisons of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), L-tryptophan (Trp), and melatonin (MT) on Cd-stressed potatoes remain insufficient. In this study, two rounds of concentration-gradient screening using morphological and physiological assays identified 5 μM of melatonin as the optimal treatment to alleviate cadmium-induced damage in potato seedlings. This concentration significantly restored shoot height, root length, fresh weight, and chlorophyll content. Relative to the Cd-only control, 5 μM of MT reduced MDA and cadmium accumulation by 51.88% and 49.26%, respectively, while increasing proline content by 40.99%. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that MT reversed Cd-induced suppression of photosynthesis and carbon fixation pathways and activated carbohydrate metabolism. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified four key modules significantly correlated with Cd tolerance and MT-mediated recovery. Eight hub genes, including StANNAT1 (Ca²⁺-ROS homeostasis), StNRT1.1 (nitrogen transport), StSWEET10 (carbon allocation), and StHMG1 (MVA pathway), were validated by qPCR, confirming their involvement in Ca²⁺-ROS signaling, membrane integrity, and photosynthetic recovery. Mechanistically, MT rebalanced cellular redox status, promoted Cd sequestration, optimized carbon–nitrogen distribution, and enhanced antioxidant defense. These findings demonstrate that exogenous MT alleviates Cd toxicity through coordinated regulation of multiple pathways, providing a practical strategy for safe potato cultivation in Cd-contaminated soils and establishing a molecular framework for understanding MT-mediated heavy-metal tolerance in crops. Full article

Traditional intercropping systems represent an economically feasible and sustainable strategy for the safe utilization of cadmium (Cd) contaminated farmland. To assess the safe production potential of a maize potato intercropping system in high-heological-Cd background agricultural areas, four planting patterns were set up in the Chongqing karst area, China: maize monoculture (T1), maize–potato intercropping with a 1:1 row ratio (T2), maize–potato intercropping with a 2:2 row ratio (T3), and potato monoculture (T4). We systematically compared soil pH, total Cd, and available Cd across the different planting patterns. Cd concentrations were determined in multiple organs of the two crops: roots, stems, nodes, leaves, husks, cobs, and grains for maize; and roots, stems, leaves, and tubers for potato. Furthermore, Cd bioconcentration factors (BCF), translocation factors (TF), dietary health risks posed by edible organs, and economic benefits under each cropping system were analyzed. The results revealed that: (1) Maize and potato cultivation modified the microenvironment of the soil surrounding the roots. Total and available Cd concentrations in the soil surrounding potato roots were lower than those in the soil surrounding maize roots, although the difference was not significant (p < 0.05). (2) Compared with potato monoculture, 1:1 and 2:2 row ratios of maize–potato intercropping significantly reduced Cd concentrations in fresh potato tubers by 38.81% and 38.01%, respectively; tuber Cd concentrations complied with the national food safety limit. (3) Marked interspecific differences were observed in Cd accumulation and translocation traits between maize and potato. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of all maize organs was below 1, and Cd concentration and accumulation capacity exhibited a decreasing gradient trend following the order: roots > leaves > nodes > husks ≈ stems > cobs > grains. For potato, the BCF values of roots, stems, leaves, and tubers were all greater than 1, and their Cd accumulation capacities were 9.13-, 67.33-, 20.84-, and 37.67-fold higher than the respective organs of maize, respectively. (4) Based on health risk assessment and economic benefit evaluation, the two maize potato intercropping systems (T2 and T3) achieved substantially higher combined economic returns than maize monoculture (T1), while presenting markedly lower dietary health risks than potato monoculture (T4). This case study validates the hypothesis that maize–potato intercropping alters cadmium translocation and distribution responses within the soil–crop system, and demonstrates its potential to improve farmland economic benefits while guaranteeing agricultural product safety. Consequently, these intercropping patterns represent a promising strategy for promoting safe and green production on High-Geological-Cd background farmland. Full article

Food quality and safety inspection increasingly requires advanced solutions because conventional methods are challenged by the complexity of modern food systems. Effective inspection must address product quality, authenticity, and safety, together with process-related risks arising during production, storage, transportation, and distribution. However, existing analytical approaches and deep learning studies often focus on individual food attributes or sensing modalities, providing limited guidance for selecting appropriate models and sensing strategies for specific inspection objectives. This review systematically compares CNNs, RNNs/LSTMs, Transformers, GNNs, GANs, and hybrid architectures, as well as transfer learning, self-supervised learning, contrastive learning, few-shot learning, lightweight networks, edge computing, and multimodal fusion. Beyond predictive performance, we evaluate dataset size and representativeness, sample- and batch-level validation, external validation, data-leakage risks, interpretability, computational requirements, and the maturity of food-specific evidence. The principal contribution is an application-oriented framework linking inspection objectives and food matrices with sensing modalities, model architectures, validation evidence, and deployment conditions. Although Transformer-, GNN-, GAN-, multimodal-, and few-shot-learning-based approaches show substantial potential, many remain at developing, emerging, or prototype stages in food-specific applications. For high-risk targets, including toxicants, allergens, adulterants, and foodborne pathogens, deep learning systems should primarily support rapid screening and decision-making, while safety-critical results require confirmation using validated reference methods. Overall, this review provides a systematic perspective on deep learning for food quality and safety inspection and identifies key priorities for future research and industrial deployment. Full article

The growing interest in functional foods, such as kefir, has encouraged the investigation of green-synthesized nanoparticles as bioactive ingredients. This study investigated green-synthesized Artemisia absinthium L.-derived zinc oxide nanoparticles (Artemisia-ZnO NPs) incorporated into kefir at 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75% (w/w), with plain kefir and 0.25% chemically synthesized ZnO NPs as comparison formulations. Microbiological, physicochemical, and antioxidant properties were evaluated during 28 days of refrigerated storage at 4 °C. Structural characteristics of kefir samples were assessed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), particle size distribution analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Sensory properties were evaluated at the end of storage using a nine-point hedonic scale. Artemisia-ZnO NPs significantly affected the microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory characteristics of kefir (p < 0.05). The 0.25% Artemisia-ZnO NP formulation exhibited higher DPPH radical-scavenging activity than plain kefir and 0.25% chemically synthesized ZnO NPs. This higher DPPH activity may reflect the combined effects of the Artemisia-ZnO NP system and the kefir matrix; however, the specific contribution of Artemisia-derived phytochemicals could not be established because their concentrations were not quantified in the final kefir, and differences in sample pH may also have influenced the DPPH response. Sensory evaluation showed that plain kefir received the highest scores, while higher Artemisia-ZnO NP concentrations reduced flavor and overall acceptability. Overall, the 0.25% Artemisia-ZnO NP formulation provided the most favorable balance of probiotic viability, physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability. However, further studies are required to evaluate zinc exposure, bioavailability, in vivo safety, and thujone content before its suitability as a functional ingredient can be established. Full article

Amid rising authoritarianism, the criminalization of dissent, and the erasure of indigenous expertise from policy discourse, this paper examines community-engaged research as critical public scholarship through the Deccan Development Society’s (DDS) four-decade-plus collaboration with approximately 5000 Dalit and indigenous women farmers in Telangana, India. Against a backdrop of shrinking civic space and technocratic development agendas that delegitimize marginalized knowledge, DDS women’s sanghams have consolidated village-level assemblies into organs of local governance that claim autonomy over land, seed, food, and knowledge—positioning marginalized women as producers of evidence and theory rather than mere data sources. Drawing on complexity theory and participatory action research (PAR), this paper theorizes a community-based inquiry model where marginalized women operate as co-researchers, knowledge producers, and media creators within an emergent system characterized by distributed agency and non-hierarchical information flows. The paper interrogates key methodological, ethical, and political dynamics of critical community-based inquiry for justice and animates the concept of “autonomy as counter-policy” as a contribution to engaged scholarship and epistemic justice. Full article

Micronutrient deficiencies remain a major public health challenge in Indonesia, and mandatory food fortification has been implemented to improve population micronutrient intake. However, the potential reach of fortification vehicles depends not only on regulatory compliance but also on household consumption patterns and demand responsiveness. This study analyzed consumption patterns and estimated the price and expenditure elasticities of mandatory fortification vehicles—wheat flour and its derivatives, palm cooking oil, and salt—using data from the March 2024 National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas), covering 343,479 households. Demand elasticities were estimated using the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS), with prices proxied by unit values adjusted for quality effects. All three commodities were widely consumed, with national participation rates of 99.3% for wheat flour and its derivatives, 96.2% for palm cooking oil, and 97.5% for salt. The national own-price elasticities were −0.848 for wheat flour and its derivatives, −0.499 for palm cooking oil, and −0.844 for salt, indicating generally price-inelastic demand. However, demand responsiveness varied across expenditure groups and urban–rural settings. Wheat flour showed greater price sensitivity among lower-expenditure households, while palm cooking oil and salt exhibited more heterogeneous patterns. Expenditure elasticities were positive for all three commodities, although their magnitude varied across population groups. These findings indicate that fortification vehicles differ in consumption distribution and demand responsiveness and that participation rates should be interpreted as potential reach rather than actual coverage of fortified products. Consideration of consumption patterns, affordability, and demand responsiveness can inform a complementary multi-vehicle approach to food fortification in Indonesia. Full article

Salmonella remains a leading global foodborne pathogen, whereas low-water-activity foods are often underestimated as transmission vehicles. Here, whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic analyses were performed on 59 Salmonella strains isolated from low-water-activity foods (2017–2025) to investigate their genomic traits, antimicrobial resistance profiles, virulence genes, and mobile genetic elements. The isolates were mainly recovered from dried meat (44.07%) and dried soybean products (33.90%), covering 33 serovars and 36 sequence types. Salmonella Agona (ST13), S. Senftenberg (ST14), and S. Idikan (ST1561) predominated. Forty antimicrobial resistance genes across ten categories were detected. Notably, one S. Schwarzengrund isolate harbored the IncHI2 plasmid pWW013_mcr-9.2 carrying the mcr-9.2 gene, as well as various antibiotic resistance genes and heavy metal resistance operons. Comparative genomics revealed a conserved plasmid backbone and a distinctive resistance island. This study documents the first detection of an mcr-9.2-carrying Salmonella in low-water-activity foods in Beijing. Our findings demonstrate high genomic diversity, widespread resistance determinants, and the emergence of an mcr-9.2-carrying plasmid, supplying key genomic evidence for risk assessment and targeted control of Salmonella in low-water-activity foods. Full article

Oats are a rich source of bioactive polysaccharides, particularly β-glucan, while selenium is an essential trace element involved in various physiological functions. This study investigated the effects of sodium selenite supplementation during oat germination on selenium accumulation and polysaccharide characteristics, followed by optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Germination with 150 ppm sodium selenite resulted in a higher extraction yield (10.22%), polysaccharide content (951.04 mg/g extract), and total selenium content in the crude polysaccharide extract (2.91 mg Se/g extract). Response surface methodology identified the optimal UAE conditions as an ultrasonic power of 520 W, an extraction time of 29 min, and a solid-to-liquid ratio of 7.35% (w/v). FTIR analysis indicated changes in the infrared spectral features of the polysaccharide fraction following selenium enrichment, while the major structural characteristics were generally retained. Selenium enrichment in polysaccharide from germinated oats showed no significant cytotoxicity toward RAW264.7 macrophages. Fractionation using DEAE-52 cellulose chromatography revealed that selenium was unevenly distributed among the polysaccharide fractions, with OP150-3 containing the highest selenium content (0.12 mg Se/g polysaccharide) and exhibiting higher antioxidant activity than the corresponding non-enriched fraction. Overall, selenium-enriched germinated oats show potential as a source of selenium-associated bioactive polysaccharides for functional food and nutraceutical applications. Full article