Search Results (5,643)

The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) is widely appreciated for its high nutritional value and characteristic volatile profile, making it an important raw material for the food industry, particularly in the sector of minimally processed products. However, thermal processing may significantly alter its volatile composition, leading to aroma losses and degradation of product quality. Therefore, understanding the impact of processing conditions on aroma stability is essential for developing new post-harvest technologies that preserve the volatile profiles of processed fruit products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of thermal treatment and protein matrix modification on the volatile organic compound (VOC) profile of fresh-cut cranberry fruit. Samples were heated at 50, 100, and 200 °C, with and without gelatin addition as a protein-based matrix modifier. VOCs were analysed using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME–GC–MS). High-temperature treatment (200 °C) resulted in substantial changes in the volatile composition of the reference cranberry fruit and contributed to the complete loss of characteristic native terpenoids. The addition of gelatin significantly improved the retention of hydrophobic volatiles under thermal stress, maintaining D-limonene at 20.3% of the total volatile fraction, whereas this compound was absent in samples processed without the modifier. Furthermore, gelatin successfully altered the course of thermally induced reactions, reducing undesirable furfural formation from 23.95% to 7.28%. These changes indicate that protein-assisted matrix modification can effectively limit aroma degradation and preserve the volatile profile during thermal processing. The findings demonstrate the potential of this approach as a novel technological strategy for enhancing aroma stability, reducing processing-related quality losses, and supporting the development of fresh-cut cranberry products with enhanced volatile compound retention. Full article

Physical treatment can improve the quality and overall characteristics of insoluble dietary fiber (IDF). This study investigated the effects of microjet homogenization treatment (MT), ultra-high-pressure treatment (HP), and ultrasonic treatment (UT) on the compositional profile, microstructure, basic properties, and bioactivity of IDF from okara. The modification processes increased IDF yield (unmodified IDF: 65.55%; MT-IDF: 70.51%; HP-IDF: 75.29%; UT-IDF: 79.09%). The mechanical action disrupted the compact structure, refined the particles, and increased the specific surface area (SSA). Compared with unmodified IDF (0.18 m²/g), the SSA values of MT-IDF, HP-IDF and UT-IDF increased by 83.33%, 50.00%, and 72.22%, respectively, thereby improving the overall hydration characteristics and adsorption performance of IDF. UT-IDF exhibited excellent water-holding capacity (8.11 g/g), yet its thermal stability ((mass loss: unmodified IDF (36.50%), MT-IDF (23.59%), HP-IDF (26.11%), and UT-IDF (33.74%)) and rheological properties (shear rate range of 35–40 s⁻¹: unmodified IDF (1.77 Pa·s), MT-IDF (15.86 Pa·s), HP-IDF (21.11 Pa·s), UT-IDF (5.36 Pa·s)) were relatively inferior to those of MT-IDF and HP-IDF. Notably, MT-IDF exhibited superior modification effects, including a loose, porous microstructure, enhanced adsorption performance, and favorable prebiotic potential (Lactobacillus acidophilus 36h-OD₆₀₀: 0.594; Bifidobacterium longum 36h-OD₆₀₀: 0.509). Among the three physical modification methods, MT offers significant advantages in enhancing the quality of IDF from okara, improving its processing suitability, and facilitating its high-value utilization. However, this study still has certain limitations: the evaluation of the correlation between fiber digestion rate and probiotic potential was based only on in vitro models and has not been systematically evaluated using real food matrices. Full article

Laser marking technology employs a high-energy-density laser beam to irradiate material surfaces along a predefined path. Through photothermal, photochemical, or photomechanical effects, it can generate clear and machine-readable surface marks without physical contact. Previous studies have indicated that this technology has considerable potential for identification, quality and safety management, and traceability in agriculture. This review systematically summarizes the core components of agricultural laser marking systems, including lasers, beam delivery systems, and modulation units. It explains the principal laser–material interaction mechanisms and classifies the resulting marking forms. In addition, it comprehensively examines research progress and applications of laser marking technology in plant systems, animal systems, processed foods, and food packaging. Finally, this review analyzes the key advantages and current challenges of this technology. It also proposes future directions for applying laser marking in agricultural production. Full article

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a widely cultivated C4 cereal crop in tropical and subtropical regions, serving as a food and feed source in developing countries across Africa and Asia. Despite its agronomic importance, research efforts aimed at developing improved millet varieties under the current climatic changes remain limited, particularly in Africa, including Egypt. This study aimed to establish an efficient regeneration system for the “Shandaweel-1” Egyptian pearl millet variety using immature inflorescences as explants. Six different callus induction media (CIM) treatments were evaluated for their effects on somatic embryogenesis, callus type, vitrification rate, and regeneration efficiency. Among the tested treatments, Murashige and Skoog (MS) media additionally supplemented with 1.0 mg L⁻¹ of l-proline, 1.0 mg L⁻¹ of l-asparagine, 10 mg L⁻¹ of silver nitrate (AgNO₃), 0.32 mg L⁻¹ of copper sulfate (CuSO₄), 1.0 mg L⁻¹ of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and 0.5 mg L⁻¹ of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) produced a high callogenesis rate (93%) and the highest regeneration efficiency (47.6%). The combination of l-proline and l-asparagine enhanced the callus quality and regeneration potential more effectively than casein hydrolysate alone, whereas AgNO₃ addition did not have any significant impact on the vitrification or callogenesis rates. This study represents the first successful establishment of an in vitro regeneration system for an Egyptian pearl millet variety, providing a valuable platform for future genetic modification aimed at enhancing stress resilience and crop productivity. Full article

Intelligent food packaging (IFP) is among the key technologies for overcoming global challenges of food safety and food resource waste. Its core lies in monitoring the quality of food in real-time without damage. Sodium alginate (SA), a natural polysaccharide characterized by biodegradability and excellent biocompatibility, can form hydrogels with a 3D network structure, high water content, and functional modification capability, making it an ideal matrix for developing IFP sensing and indicator platforms. Based on the gel chemistry fundamentals of SA, this paper deeply analyzes the structure-activity relationship between sensing mechanism and material structure, and summarizes the existing modification strategies and functional integration paths. The paper also provides a detailed discussion on the application principles and latest advancements of SA-based hydrogels in colorimetric/visual sensing, gas sensing, time-temperature indicator (TTI), and controlled-release carriers for active substances. The current research results show that the detection limit of SA hydrogel beads loaded with anthocyanins for volatile amines can reach 15–25 ppm, and the color difference ΔE can reach 34.2 after 7 days of storage at 4 °C, which is strongly correlated with microbial indicators, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), pH, etc. The color difference value (ΔE) response of Co-Imd microcrystalline functionalized SA film to ammonia gas reached 23.7 within 60 min, and it had antibacterial activity. The activation energy of Immobilization of laccase on sodium alginate/soluble starch microcapsules to develop a TTI (27.32–61.13 kJ/mol) was highly matched with the activation energy of Agaricus bisporus. The hydrogel microspheres loaded with Cur@Se reduced the total oxidation value of the oils by 53%. The G/SA/nZnOs cryogel pad extended the shelf life of shrimp from 4 days to 6 days at 4 °C. In addition, this paper also discusses the challenges faced by SA-based hydrogels in large-scale production and long-term stability evaluation, and looks forward to future development trends such as integration with artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and multi-functional integration, in order to provide theoretical support for in-depth research and industrial application in this field. Full article

Accurate detection of grain pests is important for ensuring food security. The existing detection algorithms still face challenges such as low precision, high false positives, and missed detection when identifying storage pests due to the small size, complex backgrounds, and limited data availability. For this reason, this paper proposes a solution jointly driven by generative AI and analytical AI, named REGAN-BS-YOLOv8. Specifically, on the one hand, an image-generative AI method of Real_ESRGAN and the mosaic data augmentation method is introduced to improve the quality, resolution and number of grain pest images. On the other hand, a novel recognition algorithm is proposed by introducing Swin Transformer and BiFPN to YOLOv8n to obtain better perception ability, positioning accuracy, detail retention and edge clarity, improving the recognition accuracy, robustness, and generalization of stored-grain pest and the anti-interference capability in complex environments. In addition, a new dataset including 5818 images of nine types of grain pests at various scales and under diverse backgrounds was collected in this study. The experimental results show that the mAP@0.5, Precision and Recall are 97.7%, 96.2% and 95.4% respectively using the method proposed in this study, outperforming the other nine models. The performance of the model we proposed is excellent for different types of storage pests under different backgrounds, and the model identifies grain pests of different sizes in different environments with high precision and provides an important theoretical basis for the management of grain silos. Full article

Postbiotics—defined by the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) as preparations of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confer a health benefit to the host—are attractive from a stability perspective compared to live probiotics. They withstand thermal processing and room-temperature transport and storage and are compatible with low-pH or low-water-activity food products. Despite the promise, the literature is scattered, with no review that integrates evidence from the development pipeline. This review fills that gap. The ISAPP 2021 definition is reviewed, including the practical difficulty resulting from the exclusion of cell-free supernatant (CFS)-based products that represent most of the experimental evidence. Fermentation-based production systems and non-thermal inactivation technologies—high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultrasound, cold plasma, and supercritical CO₂—are compared; non-thermal inactivation preserves the activity of thermolabile bacteriocins and phenolic fractions. Delivery systems such as spray-drying, alginate hydrogel microencapsulation, liposomal nanoencapsulation, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) active packaging are assessed for gastrointestinal survival and food system compatibility. Biopreservation potential is reviewed in meat, seafood, dairy, fresh produce, and fermented foods. The regulatory framework for the United States, European Union, Japan, and India is critically reviewed; “postbiotic” is not an explicitly defined term in 2025. Three priority translational bottlenecks are identified: the absence of standardized potency assays, the lack of cross-class quality benchmarks, and the unresolved conflict between heat-inactivated dairy postbiotics and the Codex Alimentarius live-culture standard. Harmonized regulations and characterization standards are critical needs for postbiotic functional food development. Full article

Colorimetric sensor array (CSA) technology has been increasingly applied in food quality and safety analysis due to its advantages of low cost, visual readout, high sensitivity and suitability for on-site monitoring. However, a dedicated review that systematically integrates advances in sensing materials, application scenarios, analytical strategies and practical implementation of CSA technology for real food matrices is still lacking. This review summarizes the fundamental characteristics of CSA technology from the relevant studies published during the past 5 years. The literature was retrieved using keywords such as “colorimetric sensor array” and “food quality detection,” and was filtered by predefined criteria prioritizing original research with verified sensing performance and practical validation in food applications. Emphasis is placed on the design and performance of sensitive materials. Furthermore, using a task-oriented framework, representative studies on CSA applications in food spoilage detection, adulteration identification, food composition analysis, contamination monitoring, food storage monitoring and volatile compound detection are discussed. In addition, the integration of CSA systems with portable devices, machine learning algorithms and intelligent detection platforms is critically analyzed. Finally, the detection characteristics, current challenges and future development prospects of CSA technology in food quality and safety analysis are highlighted. This review is expected to provide valuable insights for further development, optimization and practical implementation of intelligent CSA-based sensing systems in the food industry. Full article

Due to limitations in stability, solubility, and functional properties, natural proteins often fail to meet the demands of industrial production. Traditional chemical or enzymatic methods for protein modification suffer from high costs and the generation of numerous byproducts. In contrast, physical techniques offer a new approach to the green modification of macromolecules by inducing structural changes in proteins. Based on these techniques, the construction of protein–polyphenol composite systems is considered an effective strategy for enhancing food quality. This article systematically reviews the molecular mechanisms by which physical fields regulate protein–polyphenol interactions, summarizes how physical techniques improve the functional properties of composite systems and their applications in food, and aims to provide theoretical support for the development of novel functional food ingredients and their industrial applications. Full article

To address the low efficiency of manual quality grading for Pleurotus ostreatus in factory-scale production and the difficulty existing computer vision models face in balancing high localization accuracy with real-time edge deployment for food processing, a lightweight non-destructive detection model named POC-DETR-Prune is proposed. Based on an improved RTDETR framework, FasterNet is introduced to optimize feature extraction, reducing memory access latency while ensuring deep feature representation for complex food morphologies. A Small Object Enhancement Pyramid (SOEP) module is designed to mitigate the loss of subtle features caused by dense mushroom clustering. Furthermore, the Inner-MPDIoU loss function is proposed to significantly improve bounding box localization accuracy in highly overlapped food sorting scenarios. To adapt to industrial hardware constraints, a Random channel pruning strategy compresses computational overhead. Experimental results demonstrate that POC-DETR-Prune achieves a mAP@0.5:0.95 of 83.7% with a computation load of only 38.2 GFLOPs. Deployment testing on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super edge computing platform achieves a real-time detection rate of 30.2 FPS. This emerging technology provides a certain level of visual algorithm support for automated quality grading equipment in the edible fungi industry. Full article

Accurate discrimination of multiple heavy metal ions is essential for environmental monitoring. This study developed a simple fluorescent sensing array utilizing carbon dots derived from black plum peels (PCDs) for the precise identification of metal ions in environmental waters. Three structurally distinct PCDs were hydrothermally synthesized using phenylenediamine isomers as nitrogen dopants, exhibiting distinct fluorescence response patterns to target ions. Pattern recognition was performed using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). The optimized system (pH 5–7) achieved high discrimination accuracy for eight metal ions (Sn²⁺, Ag⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe³⁺, Cr³⁺, Pb²⁺, Sb³⁺, and Cu²⁺) at 5–400 μM concentrations. The array effectively identified the binary and ternary mixtures of Hg²⁺/Cu²⁺/Cr³⁺ and successfully detected target ions in river water samples. This cost-effective and scalable approach demonstrates strong potential for applications in water quality monitoring and food safety. Full article

Vitamin B6 is a coenzyme involved in more than 150 biochemical reactions in the body. Its intake has favorable effects for many diseases like Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma, and endometriosis. Vitamin B6 can be obtained from tablets, aqua vitamin, and a variety of food sources, including meat, fish, and vegetables. There is a need for process analytical control for fast, ultrasensitive, and selective methods of determination of vitamin B6 in order to produce drugs of high pharmaceutical purity. Also, the on-site determination of vitamin B6 in vegetables can contribute to the fast, real-time control of the quality of vegetables. Therefore, a fast ultrasensitive sensing strip based on the immobilization of heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin on a matrix containing single-walled carbon nanotubes was constructed and used for on-site pharmaceutical process control of vitamin B6, as well as for on-site quality control of food. The sensing strip provided two linear concentration ranges: the first one between 1.69 × 10⁻¹⁵ and 1.69 × 10⁻⁵ g mL⁻¹ with a sensitivity of 6.96 × 10⁴ s⁻¹ g⁻¹ mL, and the second one between 1.69 × 10⁻⁵ and 1.69 × 10⁻³ g mL⁻¹ with a sensitivity of 3.65 × 10² s⁻¹ g⁻¹ mL. The limit of quantification was 1.69 fg mL⁻¹. A % recovery higher than 94.50% was determined for Vitamin B6 in tablets, aqua vitamin, and avocado, with % relative standard deviations lower than 1.00%. A lower determination limit was obtained when the sensing strip was used for the assay of vitamin B6 in different samples compared with other methods used to date for its assay. Also, the results of the analysis were obtained faster, in real time, compared with other methods for which a long sample processing time is needed before analysis. Full article

Honey is a high-value food product that is vulnerable to adulteration with exogenous sugars, posing challenges for food authenticity and consumer protection. This study applied Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis (SIRA) to assess the authenticity of honey collected from three major honey-producing regions of Ghana (Volta, Bono and Bono East). A total of 28 honey samples were analysed by elemental analysis–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) to obtain carbon (δ¹³C), nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and sulphur (δ³⁴S) isotope composition. Honey authenticity was evaluated according to AOAC Official Method 998.12 by comparing δ¹³C values of bulk honey and the corresponding protein fraction. The δ¹⁵N and δ³⁴S values in honey protein were used to investigate environmental and regional variability. Samples without detectable C4 adulteration exhibited δ¹³C_protein values consistent with C3 floral sources, whereas several samples showed Δδ¹³C values more negative than −1.0‰, indicating the presence of C4-derived sugars above the AOAC adulteration threshold. Calculated C4 sugar contents ranged from 8 to 12% in moderately adulterated samples to as high as 78–79% in severely adulterated samples, confirming substantial dilution with C4 sugars. Nitrogen and sulphur isotope ratios provide additional information on environmental and regional variability among the sampled regions. Principal Component Analysis revealed that the first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) accounted for 83.8% of the total variance 83.8% of the total variance and showed separation between samples with detectable C4 adulteration and those without, while highlighting regional isotopic differences. These results demonstrate that stable isotope analysis is an effective tool for detecting C4 sugar adulteration in honey and that the combined use of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes can provide additional information on environmental and regional variability. These findings provide preliminary isotopic data on honey collected from three major honey-producing regions of Ghana and support the application of the stable isotope approach for honey authenticity assessment and quality control. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max) is a major economic and food crop whose yield is severely affected by frogeye leaf spot (FLS), caused by Cercospora sojina. Current knowledge of resistance genes remains insufficient for effective molecular breeding. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between the resistant parent, Henong 60 (H60), and the susceptible parent, Dongnong L13 (DN L13), was evaluated under field conditions in Acheng (AC) and Xiangyang (XY). Plants were artificially inoculated with physiological race 7 of C. sojina, and disease severity at the R3 growth stage was recorded. Genotyping using the SoySNP660K chip yielded 54,836 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using the 3VmrMLM model by integrating dual-environment phenotypic data, and four quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) significantly associated with resistance to FLS were identified on chromosomes 8 (1), 17 (1), and 20 (2). By the analysis of genomic annotation, functional enrichment, metabolic pathway analyses, haplotype–phenotype association and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Glyma.20G155700 and Glyma.17G070500 are intended to be candidate genes related to soybean resistance to race 7 of FLS. The findings of this study provide insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying resistance to FLS in soybean. The identified molecular markers and candidate genes may provide useful resources for marker-assisted breeding and the development of disease-resistant germplasm. Full article

Aquaponics is an integrated and resource-efficient production system that combines aquaculture and hydroponics in a closed-loop environment with reduced water consumption and nutrient losses. The present study evaluated the nutritional composition, mineral profile, microbiological quality, and antioxidant-related phytochemical characteristics of red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.) cultivated in a recirculating aquaponic system under controlled environmental conditions. Leaf biomass was analyzed for proximate composition, macro- and micronutrient content, total phenolic and flavonoid compounds, betalains, chlorophyll pigments, and antioxidant activity using standard analytical and spectrophotometric methods. The results demonstrated high crude protein content and substantial accumulation of essential minerals, particularly calcium, potassium, and magnesium. The analyzed biomass also exhibited elevated levels of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, betalains, and chlorophyll pigments associated with considerable antioxidant potential. The pigment profile suggested good physiological adaptation of plants to aquaponic cultivation conditions. In addition, microbiological analysis confirmed acceptable hygienic quality and safety of the harvested plant material. Overall, the findings indicate that red amaranth can be successfully cultivated in aquaponic systems while maintaining high nutritional value and functional food potential. The study highlights aquaponic cultivation as a sustainable approach to producing nutrient-dense leafy vegetables within environmentally responsible agricultural systems. Full article