Search Results (15)

The rising demand for sustainable protein is driving interest in insects as a raw material for advanced food ingredients. This review collates and critically analyses over 300 studies on the conversion of crickets, mealworms, black soldier flies, and other farmed species into powders, protein isolates, oils, and chitosan-rich fibers with targeted techno-functional roles. This survey maps how thermal pre-treatments, blanch–dry–mill routes, enzymatic hydrolysis, and isoelectric solubilization–precipitation preserve or enhance the water- and oil-holding capacity, emulsification, foaming, and gelation, while also mitigating off-flavors, allergenicity, and microbial risks. A meta-analysis shows insect flours can absorb up to 3.2 g of water g⁻¹, stabilize oil-in-water emulsions for 14 days at 4 °C, and form gels with 180 kPa strength, outperforming or matching eggs, soy, or whey in specific applications. Case studies demonstrate a successful incorporation at 5–15% into bakery, meat analogs and dairy alternatives without sensory penalties, and chitin-derived chitosan films extend the bread shelf life by three days. Comparative life-cycle data indicate 45–80% lower greenhouse gas emissions and land use than equivalent animal-derived ingredients. Collectively, the evidence positions insect-based ingredients as versatile, safe, and climate-smart tools to enhance food quality and sustainability, while outlining research gaps in allergen mitigation, consumer acceptance, and regulatory harmonization. Full article

The global demand for sustainable protein sources has led to a growing interest in plant-based alternatives, with sunflower products emerging as a promising yet underutilized option. This review provides a comprehensive overview and critical evaluation of current knowledge on the flavor and off-flavor profiles and codes of sunflower seeds and their by-products, with a focus on both volatile and non-volatile low-molecular-weight compounds. It can highlight the importance of the sensomics approach and the knowledge on key food odorants and tastants. Furthermore, this review underscores the importance of advanced analytical methodologies for linking chemical composition to sensory outcomes. While volatile compounds that activate human olfactory receptors, such as aldehydes, terpenes, and pyrazines, are well described in sunflower products, using the sensomics approach the key odor-active stimuli are just verified in sunflower oil. In addition, the roles of non-volatile components including lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and secondary metabolites such as polyphenols require further investigation and experimental validation to confirm their role as key tastants and their effect on sensory perception. By compiling existing data, this review establishes a foundational database of known and potential flavor-relevant compounds in different sunflower products, providing a valuable resource to directly or indirectly guide sensory (sensomics) studies and promote sunflower-based product innovation. Identifying the key flavor contributors in the different sunflower-based products and raw materials would facilitate precise approaches in processing and product formulation to enhance sensory quality while mitigating off-flavors. Addressing these challenges will support the development of sunflower-based food products with optimized flavor and nutritional profiles, consistent with global sustainability goals and consumer acceptance. Full article

Due to its low dietary impact and bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, white kidney bean extract is an attractive raw material for fermented drinks. It can be utilized either on its own or blended with cow’s milk, offering a promising solution to help meet dairy product demand during mid-season shortages. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the physicochemical characteristics, sensory properties, and microbiological profile of fermented milk-like drinks made from white kidney bean extract, cow’s milk and their blends during 28 days of storage at 4 °C. Three blends of fermented milk-like drinks (FMLDs) were prepared from different ratios of cow’s milk (CM) and kidney bean extract (BE): FMLD1 (CM 30%:BE 70%); FMLD2 (CM 50%:BE 50%), FMLD3 (CM 70%:BE 30%), along with plain fermented kidney been extract (FBE; CM 0%:BE 100%), and plain fermented cow’s milk (FCM; CM 100%:BE 0%). The mixtures were pasteurized at 92 °C for 25 min and fermented with a probiotic-type starter culture (S. thermophilus, B. bifidum, L. acidophilus) at 43 °C. FBE exhibited the lowest levels of carbohydrates (2.14%), fat (0.11%), and protein (1.45%) compared to fermented cow’s milk and blends. The FBE and the fermented blends with a higher ratio of bean extract had lower viscosity and lactic acid contents, greener hue, more pronounced aftertaste and off-flavors, and received lower overall acceptability scores. Although the FCM had higher counts of S. thermophilus and L. acidophilus, the FBE displayed significantly higher counts of B. bifidum. This study demonstrated the potential of using white kidney bean extract and its blends with cow’s milk to create unique fermented products with a lower dietary impact, highlighting the importance of further optimizing the formulations to enhance sensory qualities and reduce the beany off-flavors in the products with added kidney bean extract. Full article

The characterization of complex products, such as foodstuffs or raw materials via metabolomic approaches, often referred to as “foodomics”, is a modern and generally accepted strategy. As a derivative, “volatilomics”, is an elegant way of correlating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via the gas phase from the matrix with specific properties of that product, such as authenticity, quality or provenance. This is particularly relevant, as a major part of the aroma-relevant compounds, e.g., roasted coffee that belong to the VOC fraction, can be analyzed without sample contact using the headspace over the sample. A major challenge is the complexity of the enormous amount of different substances found, which often are not relevant as individual species, but rather their total “fingerprint”, resulting from all amenable substances. This high-dimensional spectral information cannot be interpreted without applying powerful machine learning algorithms or chemometrics, a strategy which is generally referred to as "omics". Omics are known as holistic, full spectral analytical strategies which make use of the total information from a complex sample, e.g., a raw or roasted coffee bean, and they can be used to describe and better understand the desired aroma profiles, similarities or differences of products, as well as potential off-flavors at trace level concentrations. These data are combined with modern machine learning techniques to extract the maximum possible information from products to improve their quality and confirm authenticity. Typically, the required techniques are laboratory-based and not useable at the so-called point-of-care, which limits their use. This paper will demonstrate the principles and examples of benchtop "volatilomics" approaches in food and fermentation processes, named as “fermentomics”, that be used directly at the location where they are needed in the future. Full article

The beer market today shows extremely diverse styles and offers many possibilities for consumers to try new aromas and tastes. Most modern breweries have a similar technology and equipment and use quality raw materials, but the differences between beers’ physical–chemical properties are always detectable. In ensuring the same beer quality is being delivered to the consumers, sensory analysis is in some cases even more important than the chemical or physical–chemical analysis, since consumers focus on constant quality and sensory properties of their chosen beer. Sensory evaluation is not an easy task and involves flexible methods for determination of differences and changes between beers. It is commonly used in breweries to provide a constant quality in finished products, but also to ensure the quality of different raw materials (water, malt, hops) and to minimize the influence of the production process on final quality of beer. The results of this research indicate that sensory analysis is of great importance, since sheer physical–chemical analysis can be outweighed by it. Certain beers that showed that, despite a high concentration of off-flavors (e.g., dimethylsulphide), the overall sensory score was not affected (10/Koelsch style) while for some beers, a small excess of a sensory threshold lead to extreme sensory deterioration (sample 4/Lager). Full article

With increasing awareness of the impact of food on the climate, consumers are gradually changing their dietary habits towards a more plant-based diet. While acceptable products have been developed in meat analogues and non-fermented dairy products, alternative fermented dairy products such as yogurt and particularly ripened hard and semi-soft cheese products are not yet satisfactory. Since the cheese category has such a broad range of flavors and applications, it has proven complicated to find plant-based sources able to mimic them in terms of texture, meltability, ripening and flavor. Moreover, plant-based dairy alternatives do not provide the same nutritional supply. New technological approaches are needed to make cheese production more sustainable, which should be integrated in the already existing conventional cheese production to ensure a fast and cost-efficient transition. This can be tackled by incorporating plant-based components into the milk matrix, creating so-called “hybrid cheeses”. This review will discuss the challenges of both animal- and plant-based cheese products and highlight how the combination of both matrices can associate the best properties of these two worlds in a hybrid product, reviewing current knowledge and development on the matter. Emphasis will be drawn to the selection and pre-processing of raw materials. Furthermore, the key challenges of removing the off-flavors and creating a desirable cheese flavor through fermentation will be discussed. Full article

To stop overfishing and meet the protein needs of a growing population, more information is needed on how to use marine by-catches, by-products, and undervalued fish species for human consumption. Turning them into protein powder is a sustainable and marketable way to add value. However, more knowledge of the chemical and sensory properties of commercial fish proteins is needed to identify the challenges in developing fish derivatives. This study aimed to characterize the sensory and chemical properties of commercial fish proteins to compare their suitability for human consumption. Proximate composition, protein, polypeptide and lipid profiles, lipid oxidation, and functional properties were analyzed. The sensory profile was compiled using generic descriptive analysis, and odor-active compounds were identified with gas-chromatography–mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS/O). Results indicated significant differences in chemical and sensory properties between processing methods but not between fish species. However, the raw material had some influence in the proteins’ proximate composition. Bitterness and fishiness were the main perceived off-flavors. All samples, apart from hydrolyzed collagen, had intense flavor and odor. Differences in odor-active compounds supported the sensory evaluation results. The chemical properties revealed that the lipid oxidation, peptide profile, and raw material degradation are likely affecting the sensory properties of commercial fish proteins. Limiting lipid oxidation during processing is crucial for the development of mild-tasting and -smelling products for human consumption. Full article

This study investigated the effects of surimi to soybean flour ratio (0:10, 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6) on the physicochemical characteristics and flavor properties of dual-proteins extrudates. The increasing ratio of surimi improved the color of extrudates and raised the apparent viscosity of the mixed raw materials, which led to the decrease of extrudates’ thickness. The excess ratio of surimi and soybean flour (more than 2:8) was bad for extrudates’ physicochemical characteristics with sharply decreased tensile strength, macroscopic longitudinal fracture, broken and unevenly distributed microstructure, increased water mobility and decreased free water content. However, the increasing ratio of surimi had no effect on the protein secondary structure of extrudates. Sensory evaluation, E—tongue and E—nose analysis suggested that adding surimi significantly changed the flavor properties of extrudates, with increased sweetness and umami taste, and an appropriate ratio (2:8 or 3:7) could reduce the beany flavor and without an obvious fishy off-flavor. Full article

Kinnow mandarin (Citrus reticulate L.) peels are a storehouse of well-known bioactive compounds, viz., polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, limonoids, and tocopherol, which exhibit an effective antioxidant capacity. However, naringin is the most predominant bitter flavanone compound found in Kinnow peels that causes their bitterness. It prohibits the effective utilization of peels in food-based products. In the present study, a novel approach for the debittering of Kinnow peels has been established to tackle this problem. A comparative evaluation of the different debittering methods (chemical, microbial, and ultrasound-assisted microbial treatments) used on Kinnow peel naringin and bioactive compounds was conducted. Among the chemical and microbial method; solid-state fermentation with A. niger led to greater extraction of naringin content (7.08 mg/g) from kinnow peels. Moreover, the numerical process optimization of ultrasound-assisted microbial debittering was performed by the Box–Behnken design (BBD) of a response surface methodology to maximize naringin hydrolysis. Among all three debittering methods, ultrasound-assisted microbial debittering led to a greater hydrolysis of naringin content and reduced processing time. The optimum conditions were ultrasound temperature (40 °C), time (30 min), and A. niger koji extract (1.45%) for the maximum extraction rate of naringin (11.91 mg/g). These debittered Kinnow peels can be utilized as raw material to develop therapeutic food products having a high phytochemical composition without any off-flavors or bitterness. Full article

Photodegradation and oxidation are major causes of the deterioration of food, resulting in darkening, off-flavors, and nutrient deficiency. To reduce this problem, novel functional polymeric materials are being developed to retain food’s light sensitivity. Nanofillers are also used in a polymeric film to produce effective UV blockings and oxygen barrier coatings so that the degradation of the food can be delayed, thereby increasing the shelf life. For this purpose, polyvinyl alcohol coatings were prepared by the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles. Polyvinyl alcohol is a naturally excellent barrier against oxygen, and the addition of ZnO particles at the nanoscale size has demonstrated effective UV blocking capabilities. In this work, the hydrothermal technique is used to produce ZnO nanoparticles, and these produced particles are then incorporated into the polyvinyl alcohol to produce thin films. These films are characterized in terms of the compositional, macroscopic, microscopic, and optical properties via X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), as well as UV–VIS spectroscopy. ZnO nanoparticles at different concentrations were incorporated into the PVA solution, and the films were processed via the blade coating method. With the addition of ZnO, the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of pure PVA was not altered and remained stable, and the lowest OTR was recorded as 0.65 cm³/m²·day·bar. Furthermore, the addition of ZnO increased the water contact angle (WCA) of PVA, and the highest WCA was recorded to be around more than 70°. Due to this, water permeability decreased. Additionally, PVA/ZnO films were highly flexible and bendable and maintained the OTR even after going through bending cycles of 20K. Furthermore, the addition of ZnO showed a significant UV blocking effect and blocked the rays below a wavelength of 380 nm. Finally, the optimized films were used for packaging applications, and it was observed that the packaged apple remained fresh and unoxidized for a longer period as compared with the piece of apple without packaging. Thus, based on these results, the PVA/ZnO films are ideally suited for packaging purposes and can effectively enhance the shelf life of food. Full article

Depending on the variety, flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) provides an oil rich in omega-3 acids (especially 50% α-linolenic acid) with proven health properties, and is used as a raw industrial material. Alpha-linolenic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid easily subject to oxidative transformation. The auto-oxidation of α-linolenic acid is the main process contributing to off-flavor, color loss, and change in the nutritional value of flax oil. We used six flax genotypes differing in fatty acid content in our research. For all the DNA samples extracted from the leaf tissue of the studied flax, the new, cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) markers specific to the LuFAD3A desaturase gene were applied. A specific PCR product from the LuFAD3A flax gene comprising fragments of exon 5, exon 6, and the intron between these exons was digested using six various restriction enzymes. These experiments could differentiate between some of the studied varieties of flax. We also proved that the LuFAD3A gene mutation previously detected by other authors in the low-linolenic forms of flax (solin line 593–708) was absent in the low-linolenic forms of flax that we studied (Linola KLA and Linola KLB). Full article

Geosmin is a major concern in the management of water sources worldwide. Thus, we predicted concentration categories of geosmin at three different depths of lakes (i.e., surface, middle, and bottom), and analyzed relationships between geosmin concentration and factors such as phytoplankton abundance and environmental variables. Data were collected monthly from three major lakes (Uiam, Cheongpyeong, and Paldang lakes) in Korea from May 2014 to December 2015. Before predicting geosmin concentration, we categorized it into four groups based on the boxplot method, and multivariate adaptive regression splines, classification and regression trees, and random forest (RF) were applied to identify the most appropriate modelling to predict geosmin concentration. Overall, using environmental variables was more accurate than using phytoplankton abundance to predict the four categories of geosmin concentration based on AUC and accuracy in all three models as well as each layer. The RF model had the highest predictive power among the three SDMs. When predicting geosmin in the three water layers, the relative importance of environmental variables and phytoplankton abundance in the sensitivity analysis was different for each layer. Water temperature and abundance of Cyanophyceae were the most important factors for predicting geosmin concentration categories in the surface layer, whereas total abundance of phytoplankton exhibited relatively higher importance in the bottom layer. Full article

The literature about musty and moldy taint—the so-called cork taint—in wines is varied because there are many different molecules involved in this wine defect. Chloroanisoles are the most relevant compound responsible for cork taint and of these, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) is the most common, but 2,3,4,6-tetrachloroanisole (TeCA) and 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) can also be responsible of this defect. For other compounds involved in cork taint, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) are responsible for earthy off-flavor; pyrazines cause vegetable odors, and guaiacol results in smoked, phenolic and medicinal defects. Off-odors of mushroom in wines are caused by 1-octen-3-ol and 1-octen-3-one coming from grapes contaminated by bunch rot (Botrytis cinerea). The sensory aspects of these molecules are illustrated in this review. Generally, the most important cause of this wine contamination is the natural cork of bottle stoppers, but this is not always true. Different origins of contamination include air pollution of the cellars, wood materials, barrels and chips. A review of the possible prevention or remedial treatments to cork taint is also presented. The best solution for this off-flavor is to prevent the wine contaminations. Full article

Cyanobacteria synthesize various harmful materials, including off-flavor substances and toxins, that are regarded as potential socio-economic and environmental hazards in freshwater systems, however, their production is still not well understood. In this study, we investigated the potential and properties of harmful materials produced by cyanobacteria, depending on temperature, and undertook a phylogenetic analysis of cyanobacteria present in the North Han River (South Korea). Production potentials were evaluated using gene-specific probes, and the harmful material production properties of strains showing positive potentials were further characterized at different temperatures in the range 15 to 30 °C. We identified six cyanobacterial strains based on 16S rDNA analysis: two morphological types (coiled and straight type) of Dolichospermum circinale, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Oscillatoria limosa, Planktothricoides raciborskii, Pseudanabaena mucicola, and Microcystis aeruginosa. We confirmed that cyanobacterial strains showing harmful material production potential produced the corresponding harmful material, and their production properties varied with temperature. Total harmful material production was maximal at 20~25 °C, a temperature range optimal for cell growth. However, harmful material productivity was highest at 15 °C. These results indicate that the expression of genes related to synthesis of harmful materials can vary depending on environmental conditions, resulting in variable harmful material production, even within the same cyanobacterial strains. Full article

There is a growing market for the use of hydrolysates from animal side-streams for production of high-protein supplements. However, there can be issues with development of off-flavors, either due to the raw material in question or due to the hydrolysis process itself. This study examined the development of volatile compounds during hydrolysis of hemoglobin. Briefly, porcine hemoglobin was hydrolyzed by 0.5% papain for up to 5 h, and the development of volatile compounds was analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that there was significant development of a number of volatile compounds with time, e.g., certain Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation products, which are likely candidates for the aroma development during hydrolysis. Furthermore, it was shown that development of a number of the volatiles was due to the hydrolysis process, as these compounds were not found in a control without enzyme. Full article