Search Results (497)

The automation of quality control in agricultural food processing, particularly the detection of incomplete peeling in taro, constitutes a critical frontier for ensuring food safety and optimizing production efficiency in the Industry 4.0 era. However, this domain is fraught with significant technical challenges, primarily stemming from the inherent visual characteristics of residual peel: extremely minute scales relative to the vegetable body, highly irregular morphological variations, and the dense occlusion of objects on industrial conveyor belts. To address these persistent impediments, this study introduces a comprehensive solution comprising a specialized dataset and a novel detection architecture. We established the Taro Peel Industrial Dataset (TPID), a rigorously annotated collection of 18,341 high-density instances reflecting real-world production conditions. Building upon this foundation, we propose MDB-YOLO, a lightweight, multi-dimensional bionic detection model evolved from the YOLOv8s architecture. The MDB-YOLO framework integrates a synergistic set of innovations designed to resolve specific detection bottlenecks. To mitigate the conflict between background texture interference and tiny target detection, we integrated the C2f_EMA module with a Wise-IoU (WIoU) loss function, a combination that significantly enhances feature response to low-contrast residues while reducing the penalty on low-quality anchor boxes through a dynamic non-monotonic focusing mechanism. To effectively manage irregular peel shapes, a dynamic feature processing chain was constructed utilizing DySample for morphology-aware upsampling, BiFPN_Concat2 for weighted multi-scale fusion, and ODConv2d for geometric preservation. Furthermore, to address the issue of missed detections caused by dense occlusion in industrial stacking scenarios, Soft-NMS was implemented to replace traditional greedy suppression mechanisms. Experimental validation demonstrates the superiority of the proposed framework. MDB-YOLO achieves a mean Average Precision (mAP50-95) of 69.7% and a Recall of 88.0%, significantly outperforming the baseline YOLOv8s and advanced transformer-based models like RT-DETR-L. Crucially, the model maintains high operational efficiency, achieving an inference speed of 1.1 ms on an NVIDIA A100 and reaching 27 FPS on an NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX using INT8 quantization. These findings confirm that MDB-YOLO provides a robust, high-precision, and cost-effective solution for real-time quality control in agricultural food processing, marking a significant advancement in the application of computer vision to complex biological targets. Full article

Dairy products from unpasteurized milk produced using traditional production methods may contain many groups of microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. Therefore, the use of postbiotics as an alternative preservation method may be important for improving the safety of these products. Therefore, the main aim of the research conducted was to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria and prepare postbiotics from selected strains using four different methods, sterilization, pasteurization, sonication and pascalization, to determine their antibacterial properties. The antilisterial and antistaphylococcal activities of the prepared postbiotics were investigated in vitro and in a fresh cheese model. The obtained results showed that the most effective method of postbiotic preparation was pascalization. Both, the results of the MRS medium and the challenge test confirmed that postbiotics produced through pascalization exhibited antistaphylococcal activity. This study may help identify more effective biopreservation compounds to combat pathogens in food products, particularly in dairy products. Full article

It is well known that food waste, especially perishable fruits, is one of the pressing issues worldwide, and as much as 50% of harvested fruits are wasted in developing countries as a result of poor preservation methods. Other traditional options such as plastic films or chemical preservatives are harmful to the environment and to our health. In this work, the limitations are overcome through the fabrication of an innovative camellia saponin/sodium alginate (CS/SA) composite hydrogel film that not only recycles agricultural waste but also improves fruit protection. CS/SA films were prepared by ionic crosslinking with CaCl₂ with different CS content (0–10% w/v, corresponding to 0–3.1 wt% in air-dried films). Detailed SEM, FTIR, XRD and rheological studies indicated that CS addition led to a gradual microstructural densification, stronger intermolecular interactions (involving hydrogen bonding and electrostatic complexation) and superior viscoelasticity, with the best performance at 8% CS (2.5 wt% in dried film). Mechanical tests confirmed that the stable CS/SA film showed higher tensile strength (152 kPa) and compressive strength (353 kPa) than pure SA (10 kPa) with a relatively low Young’s modulus (0.82 MPa) and high elongation at break (116.33%), which could be easily peeled off from fruit surfaces—an essential benefit of this over stiff chitosan/alginate composites. Structure: The composite film exhibited lower porosity (103.2%), reduced moisture content (94.7%), a controlled swelling ratio (800%) and improved barrier property with a water vapor permeability of 1.3 $\times {10}^{-6}$ g·m⁻¹·s⁻¹·kPa⁻¹ and an oxygen permeability of 1.9 × cm³$·\mathsf{\mu }$m·m⁻²·d⁻¹·kPa⁻¹. The 8% CS film showed very strong antioxidant activity (86% DPPH scavenging). Results of application tests on bananas and strawberries indicated that the ripening process was delayed by the CS/SA coatings, the decay rate was decreased from 99.9% (uncoated control) to 55.6% after 9 days, the weight loss was reduced to 29.3%, and the fruit’s firmness and titratable acidity were maintained. This degradable, multifunctional hydrogel film has the potential to be a sustainable measure to simultaneously mitigate food waste, valorize agricultural byproducts, and protect the environment, which could offer substantial benefit for enhancing global food security as well as fruit shelf life. Full article

The growth of aquaculture poses significant challenges for disease management, impacting economic sustainability and global food security. Traditional diagnostics are slow and require expertise, while current deep learning models, including CNNs and Transformers, face a trade-off between capturing global symptom context and maintaining computational efficiency. This paper introduces FishMambaNet, a novel framework that integrates selective state space models (SSMs) with convolutional networks for accurate and efficient fish disease diagnosis. FishMambaNet features two core components: the Fish Disease Detection State Space block (FSBlock), which models long-range symptom dependencies via SSMs while preserving local details with gated convolutions, and the Multi-Scale Convolutional Attention (MSCA) mechanism, which enriches multi-scale feature representation with low computational cost. Experiments demonstrate state-of-the-art performance, with FishMambaNet achieving a mean Average Precision at 50% Intersection over Union (mAP@50) of 86.7% using only 4.3 M parameters and 10.7 GFLOPs, significantly surpassing models like YOLOv8-m and RT-DETR. This work establishes a new paradigm for lightweight, powerful disease detection in aquaculture, offering a practical solution for real-time deployment in resource-constrained environments. Full article

Bee pollen is a food with high nutritional value and important functional properties. It is usually consumed as dried pollen, due to the need for a preservation process that controls the high microbiological load of the fresh product. Unfortunately, dry pollen is unattractive to consumers. In this sense, the use of ozone may be an alternative for preserving fresh pollen, since it reduces the microbiological load, allowing for other preservation methods, including refrigeration, and it preserves the original texture and flavors of the product, making it more palatable. However, it is important to know how ozone can affect some of the bioactive properties of pollen, such as phenolic compounds (PC), or the antioxidant properties of this food. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of ozone treatment on the above-mentioned properties and to compare it with the conventional drying treatment. For this purpose, 19 samples of fresh bee pollen were collected. From each sample, five subsamples were obtained, two of which were treated with ozone for 1 h and 2 h (O1 and O2, respectively), two were dried for 4 h and 8 h (D4 and D8, respectively), and the fifth subsample remained as the untreated control (C). The results showed that ozone treatments did not have a negative effect on phenolic content (PC) or on antioxidant activity (AA). This would be positive for the use of this decontamination method. In contrast, traditional drying treatments significantly reduced total PC while increasing AA compared to C, O1, and O2. A low correlation was found between these variables in the studied samples. Full article

This study investigated the biotransformation of bioactive compounds in Artemisia argyi leaves, a traditional plant food, via solid-state fermentation (SSF) with Rhizopus oryzae. Over a 10-day period, total phenolic and flavonoid contents increased by 241.46% and 104.67%, respectively, while polysaccharides peaked on day 2. Antioxidant activity was significantly enhanced, with the values of half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl, and superoxide anion radicals reduced by up to 59.26%. Chemical characterization via GC-MS revealed selective enrichment of oxygenated monoterpenes (e.g., eucalyptol, borneol), indicating fungal-mediated conversion of secondary metabolites. Fermented extracts exhibited potent xanthine oxidase inhibition (34.04% at 100 μg/mL), indicating potential anti-hyperuricemic activity, and tyrosinase inhibition (50.02%). Compared to liquid-state fermentation (LSF), previous studies have reported that SSF by R. oryzae provides a sustainable, low-moisture fermentation mode that can enhance metabolite stability and help preserve volatile components. These findings highlight an effective biotransformation strategy for valorizing herbal materials with enhanced antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties. Full article

Traditional shelf-life (SL) determination in bakery products relies primarily on subjective sensory evaluation, limiting both predictive capability and technological transfer. This study aimed to develop an objective, data-driven framework by integrating statistical and Machine Learning (ML) methods to identify and quantify the core determinants of bread SL. Samples were produced under a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design (Fermentation, Temperature, Packaging), with continuous monitoring of physicochemical and atmospheric parameters. Three-way ANOVA confirmed that Storage x Temperature (η² ÷ 0.41) and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (η² ÷ 0.36) were the dominant factors. The optimal synergy (4 °C + ATM) achieved a 100% Success Rate, extending SL to 54 days vs. 16 days under ambient conditions. For prediction, a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was developed for binary classification and rigorously validated via 10-fold cross-validation. The GLM achieved an Overall Accuracy of 89% (AUC 92%), uniquely identifying pH and Total Titratable Acidity (TTA) as the most influential predictors. In conclusion, GLM provides a robust tool for objective SL prediction. The integrated ANOVA–GLM framework achieved a 3.3-fold SL extension and 92% predictive accuracy. The findings confirm that preservative effectiveness is not solely due to the process itself, but is mediated by the resulting chemical acidity, offering a scalable framework for Real-Time Quality Control (QC) in the food industry. Full article

Grape pomace is the principal by-product of the winemaking industry, with an estimated global production of 14 million tonnes annually. Traditional livestock systems often incorporate local agroindustrial by-products into ruminant diets, and grape pomace is particularly notable for its high concentrations of bioactive compounds. These grape-derived molecules may exert beneficial effects on animal oxidative balance, biochemical status and productive performance, offering an environmentally and economically sustainable alternative to conventional feed ingredients that may be incorporated into the milk produced. This study evaluated the impact of incorporating varying inclusion levels (0, 5, 10 and 15% DM) of ensiled white grape pomace (WGP) into isoenergetic and isoproteic diets on the nutritional and technological characteristics of goat milk. Eighty-eight Murciano-Granadina dairy goats were selected and allocated into eight homogeneous batches (n = 11 per batch) based on physiological traits. Following a pre-experimental sampling, each diet was randomly assigned to two batches, and the feeding trial lasted eight weeks. After a two-week dietary adaptation period, four biweekly samplings were conducted to obtain representative bulk tank milk samples from each batch. Milk samples were analysed for gross composition, pH, mineral profile, fatty acid composition, coagulation properties, colorimetric parameters and antioxidant capacity. WGP consumption significantly increased milk fat content, improved the lipid profile from a human health perspective, accelerated curd aggregation and elevated the yellowness index. Moreover, notable changes were observed in the antioxidant activity of the milk. Despite these effects, the overall composition of the milk remained largely unchanged, which is a key factor in preserving its technological properties. Nevertheless, the final product demonstrated enhanced biological quality, reinforcing its value as a functional food for human consumption. Full article

Background/Objectives: Ergot alkaloids are mycotoxins produced mainly by fungi of the genus Claviceps, infecting a wide variety of plants, especially cereals. These toxins usually manifest as black, hardened sclerotia (ergots), though they may also be invisible when dispersed in grain. They pose a significant risk to animals and humans when present in contaminated cereals. They can cause ergotism, with vasoconstriction, ischemia, hallucinations, and in severe cases gangrene. This study was carried out in response to the European legislative actions which determine the permissible levels of ergot alkaloids in cereals. Historically, consumers manually removed visible sclerotia from grain, and farmers applied fertilizers or timed harvests to specific periods to mitigate contamination. However, these traditional methods have proven insufficient. We therefore explored advanced techniques for detecting and quantifying ergot-contaminated cereals, as well as methods for reducing ergot alkaloid concentrations. Methods: Searches were conducted in scientific databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus to identify research articles, reviews, and experimental studies published mainly between 2012 and August 2025, including accepted or in-press manuscripts, with special attention to works from 2021 onward to capture the most recent advancements. Results/Conclusions: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) is the reference method for confirmatory, epimer-aware quantification of ergot alkaloids, and is already standardized. Recent QuEChERS-UHPLC-MS/MS workflows in cereal matrices, including oat-based products, routinely achieve limits of quantification of about 0.5–1.0 µg/kg with single-run analysis times of about 5–15 min. Rapid screening options complement, rather than replace, confirmatory mass spectrometry: magnetic bead-based immunoassays that use magnetic separation and a smartphone-linked potentiostat provide sub-hour turnaround and field portability for trained quality-assurance staff, although external validation and calibration traceable to LC-MS/MS remain prerequisites for routine use. In practice, operators are adopting tiered, orthogonal workflows (e.g., immunoassay or electronic-nose triage at intake followed by DNA-based checks on grain washings and LC–MS/MS confirmation, or hydrazinolysis “sum parameter” screening followed by targeted MS speciation). Such combinations reduce turnaround time while preserving analytical rigor. Biotechnology also offers potential solutions for reducing ergot alkaloid concentrations at the source. Finally, to enhance consumer safety, artificial intelligence and blockchain-based food traceability appear highly effective. These systems can connect all stakeholders from producers to consumers, allowing for real-time updates on food safety and rapid responses to contamination issues. This review primarily synthesizes advances in analytical detection of ergot alkaloids, while mitigation strategies and supply chain traceability are covered concisely as supporting context for decision making. Full article

This article develops a model of inclusive innovation aimed at strengthening the sustainability of the Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear) value chain in Sonsón (Antioquia, Colombia), situating the problem within the broader Latin American context of local agri-food systems under market and climate pressures. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining fieldwork in rural veredas (villages), producer surveys, focus groups, and interviews with key stakeholders, along with social cartography, production process mapping, farm georeferencing, and document analysis. Relational diagrams (based on Atlas.ti conventions) and agent-based modeling are incorporated to represent interactions, knowledge flows, and governance rules. A unique ecosystem unprecedented in the literature is proposed, structured around three pillars: (i) preservation and appropriation of the fruit and traditional knowledge, (ii) social context, and (iii) use. These pillars position key capabilities for fostering either inclusive or traditional innovations. The smallholder farmer and the inclusive intermediary emerge as transversal relational actors, a critical condition for overcoming failed attempts at producer association and entrenched oligopsonistic dependencies. The article concludes that combining these three pillars with local capacities and a bottom-up inclusive intermediation approach reduces power asymmetries, strengthens associativity and commercialization, redistributes value toward the origin, and preserves traditional knowledge. As a result, it contributes to endogenous development and offers adaptable pathways for other agri-food value chains. Full article

In recent years, oleosome-associated proteins (OPs) have gained increasing attention in the food and nutrition sectors due to their balanced amino acid composition and excellent functional properties. However, their low extraction yield, high hydrophobicity, and poor solubility hinder broader application in food systems. This review provides a concise overview of OPs’ structural features, current extraction strategies, and the impact of modification techniques on their structural and functional attributes. Special emphasis is placed on hybrid extraction methods that integrate physical treatments (e.g., ultrasound, heating, colloid milling) with traditional chemical approaches to enhance yield while preserving protein functionality. Furthermore, the review discusses how physical and chemical modifications effectively regulate OPs’ solubility, emulsifying capacity, aggregation behavior, and self-assembly characteristics. The regulatory mechanisms of different processing conditions on protein conformation and intermolecular interactions are summarized to guide functional optimization. Finally, the current technical challenges are outlined and future research directions are proposed, including the industrial scaling of hybrid extraction, precise control of structural modification, and application of OPs in emulsified and gel-based delivery systems. This work offers theoretical insight and practical guidance for the high-value utilization of OPs in food and related industries. Full article

This study assesses and inventories agrodiversity within eleven representative oases of the pre-Saharan regions of Morocco, ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to climate change and socio-economic pressures. The findings highlight the central role of fruit tree diversity in structuring and sustaining the resilience of oasis agroecosystems, complementing cereal and fodder crops. Special attention was given to the pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), a secondary but underutilized fruit species in Moroccan agriculture, which was found to hold a significant position in the surveyed oases. Farmer and community surveys identified five local denominations or varieties, including an original form known as “Guersmoum” or “Hamed,” distinguished by its spontaneous, non-cultivated character. This unique case exemplifies the remarkable coexistence between wild and domesticated forms, reflecting the complex dynamics between cultivated and wild biodiversity. The presence and use of this variety are closely linked to the production of a traditional local agri-food product, pomegranate molasses (“Amaghousse”), an artisanal know-how transmitted across generations and primarily preserved by women. The study documents several aspects of this practice, including processing techniques, yield ratios, and marketing channels, emphasizing both the economic and cultural significance of this local product. The discussion underscores the close interconnections between traditional knowledge, gendered practices, and the conservation of genetic diversity, showing how the promotion of local resources contributes not only to the preservation of agrodiversity but also to the maintenance of oasis cultural identities. Finally, the study highlights the broader implications of these findings for development initiatives, particularly through the recognition and promotion of distinctive local agri-food products, the integration of women in local conservation strategies, and the implementation of sustainable management approaches for fruit genetic resources. Full article

Wild edible plants contribute significantly to food security, environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, economic diversification, and the development of communities. In this paper, we present an inaugural ethnobotanical investigation of the traditional knowledge on wild edible plant species from Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ethnobotanical fieldwork was conducted in Makkah from January to February 2025. Ethnobotanical data pertaining to wild edible plants were collected from 102 informants through free listing, semi-structured interviews, field observations, and a survey of the market. The data were analyzed based on descriptive statistics, the relative frequency of citation, preference ranking, and priority ranking. Forty-one out of one hundred and eighty-four wild plants were gathered and recognized as wild edible plant species belonging to twenty-one families. Poaceae showed the greatest species diversity, comprising five plant species (12%). Phoenix dactylifera L. is the most common wild edible plant. Notably, 11 of the 41 wild edible plants identified in this study had never been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before. Wild edible plants are currently threatened by several anthropogenic sources in the research region, including overgrazing, fuel wood collection, and the repeated use of multiple species. Therefore, to ensure sustainable future usage, wild food plants must be used carefully and should be the subject of targeted conservation efforts from all stakeholders. Full article

The objective of this research was to investigate the anesthetic properties of essential oil from Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (OTO) and Ocimum basilicum L. (OBO), which belong to the Lamiaceae family. They are used as flavoring agents, food preservatives, and traditional medicines. The serum biochemical responses were examined post-recovery to assess the impacts of anesthetics on stress levels in comet goldfish (Carassius auratus). The results revealed that OTO at concentrations of 80, 100, and 120 mg/L could induce deep anesthesia in 257 s, 170 s, and 136 s, and the recovery time was 293 s, 270 s, and 263 s, respectively. A greater concentration of OTO led to shortened induction times. OBO at 250 and 300 mg/L induced deep anesthesia in 212 s and 190 s, and the recovery time was significantly prolonged to 263 s and 554 s, respectively. Moreover, the effective concentrations (EC₅₀) within 3 min were 85.78 mg/L (OTO) and 306.49 mg/L (OBO). The blood parameters showed that the glucose and cortisol levels in only the OTO group remained significantly lower compared to all the other treatment groups. The ALT and ALP levels were elevated in the OBO group compared to those in the OTO group. In the OBO and MS-222 groups, albumin was significantly different from that in the OTO group. Moreover, the serum calcium, phosphorus, BUN, and creatinine levels were not significantly different in any of the groups. In conclusion, OTO and OBO have been shown to be efficient natural anesthetics in goldfish, with no mortality. Full article

Camphora tenuipilis, a unique aromatic plant in the traditional Xishuangbanna dish “Duo Sheng” (raw minced meat dish), lacks scientific evidence to support its traditional use and potential application as a natural preservative/antioxidant. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing the chemical composition and bioactivities of its leaf essential oils (EOs), verifying its traditional use, and exploring the bioactivities specific to different chemotypes. Leaf samples were collected from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and local markets. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified 53 compounds, leading to the classification of the EOs into five chemotypes: linalool, geraniol, citral, elemicin, and methyl cinnamate. Notably, the elemicin-type EO (YC02, with an elemicin content of 94.56 ± 0.98%) exhibited the strongest antioxidant properties. The EOs demonstrated antibacterial activity against four foodborne pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus; except for YC04, the other EOs effectively inhibited pathogen growth to varying extents. Cytotoxicity tests revealed half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) for HaCaT cells ranging from 0.163 to 0.847 mg/mL. This study scientifically validates the traditional use of C. tenuipilis in “Duo Sheng” and supports its potential as a natural food preservative, antioxidants, and antimicrobial agents. Full article