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Neem oil is a promising alternative for synthetic chemicals in food preservation and an active functional agent in food packaging. Drying studies were conducted on neem seeds using different drying methods, and the oil yield profile and nutritional content such as azadirachtin content, functional groups, and elemental composition were analysed. Tray drying at 60°C showed a faster drying rate with a minimum quality of the oil. The process parameters were statistically optimized by analysing the effect of drying methods and thickness (15 and 30 mm) on azadirachtin content and oil yield. Maximum oil yield and azadirachtin content of 42.1 and 0.053% were obtained in solar drying with 15 mm bed thickness. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that there is no change in the functional group when the neem seeds were dried, and the peak absorption wavenumber confirmed the presence of O-H stretching, C-H stretching, C-O stretching, C-H bending, O-H bending, C=O stretching, and N-H stretching. Sun- and solar-dried neem seeds showed maximum retention in elemental composition when compared to the tray-drying method.

The objective of the current research was to develop nutritionally enriched cookies by combining protein-rich mushroom flour (MF) with barley flour (BF).

Mature coconut water (MCW) is a natural beverage and a main by-product of various coconut processing industries such as virgin coconut oil, coconut chips, coconut milk, etc. In spite of huge benefits, MCW’s short shelf life limits its market potential. In this context, the present study investigates the effect of ultrasonic processing parameters, such as amplitude (50%, 60% and 70%) and time (5 min, 10 min and 15 min), on microbial population and quality profile (pH, total soluble solids, total sugars, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars) of MCW. Central composite design was used to create a multiple linear regression model for each response and to optimize ultrasound processing parameters. The optimal treatment parameters to ensure microbial safety and preserve the nutritional quality of MCW were 60% ultrasonic amplitude and treatment time of 10 min. Total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and microbial load of MCW determined at optimized conditions were 4.92%, 2.804%, 2.13% and 4.79 log cfu/mL, respectively. Ultrasonic treatment was found to be effective in inhibiting microbial growth and maintaining non-reducing sugars of MCW.

The thin-layer drying behavior of sprouted wheat (cv. PBW 550) was experimented at different drying periods, such as 24 h, 36 h and 48 h. The samples were dried in a tray dryer at 50–80οC at an interval of 10°C. The moisture ratio was fitted to the six thin-layer drying models, and the performance of the models was assessed by statistical parameters. The Wang and Singh model has accurately predicted the drying behavior of sprouted wheat for all sprouting periods and drying temperatures. In addition, the effective moisture diffusivity of grain sprouts at three drying periods (24 h, 36 h and 48 h) of sprouted wheat was increased from 1.79 × 10-9 to 2.58 × 10-9 m2 s-1, 1.921 × 10-9 to 2.781 × 10-9 m2 s-1 and 1.858 × 10-9 to 2.561 × 10-9 m2 s-1 with increase in drying temperature from 50oC to 80oC. Moreover, at the above-stated drying periods, the activation energy for sprouted wheat was 11.357 kJ mol-1, 11.428 kJ mol-1 and 9.427 kJ mol-1, respectively. Therefore, thin-layer drying of sprouted wheat was successfully simulated between 50°C and 80°C for various drying periods. This study provided imperative information to understand the drying behavior and relationship between various drying parameters of sprouted grains that could produce nutritive functional flour.

Dairy powder, with abundant chemical components such as protein, fat, and lactose possessing diverse physical and chemical structures, can exhibit a surface composition distinct from its bulk content during the conversion of liquid milk into dry powder. Surface chemical composition is a significant parameter in the dairy industry, as it is directly associated with the techno-functional properties of dairy powder products. The current work provides an overview of the factors influencing the surface composition of dairy powders such as the bulk composition of raw milk (animal source and formulation), liquid dairy processing (homogenization, thermal treatment, and evaporation), the drying process (drying methods as well as operating conditions during the most commonly used spray drying), and storage conditions (temperature, relative humidity, and duration). The underlying mechanisms involved in the variations of particle surface composition include the mechanical properties of emulsion, milk fat globules redistribution caused by mechanical forces, adsorption competition and interactions of ingredients at the water/air interface, dehydration-induced alterations in particle structure, corresponding solid/solutes segregation differentiation during spray drying, and lactose crystallization-induced increase in surface fat during storage. Additionally, future research is suggested to explore the effects of emerging processing technologies on the surface composition modification of dairy powders.

Moringa oleifera Lam. stem (MOS) has been used for beneficial dietary and medicinal purposes. In this work, MOS samples of six different particle sizes were produced using sieve-based mechanical grinding to investigate the impact of varying particle sizes on the physicochemical properties of MOS powder. Scanning electron microscopic images revealed the destroyed fiber structures after grinding. The color turned greener and less yellow with decreasing particle size. The angle of repose significantly decreased from 70.36º to 60.25º, as the particle size declined, demonstrating the increasing fluidity of granules. The applied mechanical treatment did not alter the primary conformational properties of MOS except for destructing the intramolecular hydrogen bonds of cellulose and hemicellulose, thereby decreasing the crystallinity and thermal stability. Surface element analysis demonstrated more carbon-rich extractives on the particle surface as the particle size reduced. This study provided reasons behind improved dissolution and bioavailability of functional ingredients in plant-based granular materials by reducing particle size.

At the beginning of the 21st century, many consumers show interest in purchasing safe, healthy, and nutritious foods. The intent requirement of end-users and many food product manufacturers are trying to feature a new processing technique for the healthy food supply. The non-thermal nature of cold plasma treatment is one of the leading breakthrough technologies for several food processing applications. The beneficial response of cold plasma processing on food quality characteristics is widely accepted as a substitution technique for new food manufacturing practices. This review aims to elaborate and offer crispy innovative ideas on cold plasma application in various food processing channels. It highlights the scientific approaches on the principle of generation and mechanism of cold plasma treatment on rheological properties of foods. It provides an overview of the behavior of cold plasma in terms of viscosity, crystallization, gelatinization, shear stress, and shear rate. Research reports highlighted that the cold plasma treated samples demonstrated a pseudoplastic behavior. The published literatures indicated that the cold plasma is a potential technology for modification of native starch to obtain desirable rheological properties. The adaptability and environmentally friendly nature of non-thermal cold plasma processing provide exclusive advantages compared to the traditional processing technique.

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The coconut palm is aptly described as the “tree of life” because of its myriad of uses and diversified value added products. Coconut and its derivatives are considered to be an emerging functional food. It is also called a “miracle food”. In recent years, there have been conflicting reports regarding the consumption of coconut oil and its health benefits. In this backdrop, our article systematically analyses the antimicrobial, oral protective, and anti-diabetic effects of coconut products in light of the recent scientific literature. Numerous scientific reports have highlighted that the coconut oil has antimicrobial properties improving oral hygiene. Although its anti-obesity and hypoglycemic effects are backed by emerging scientific literature, many questions remain unanswered. In general, consumption of coconut oil has many beneficial effects; nevertheless, long-term clinical trials are warranted. Indeed, the exploration of coconut phytochemicals, clinical trials, and epidemiological studies unleash the true therapeutic prospects of coconut and its derivatives. At this juncture, we suggest shifting our research focus from the fatty acid composition of coconut oil towards characterization of other phytochemicals such as polyphenols, phytosterols, etc., conduct of clinical trials and epidemiological studies to unleash the true potential of coconut products.

As plants are primary producers, they play a pivotal role in supporting every living creature on Earth. Cereal grains are significant in the human diet due to their high-yielding capacity per hectare and highly nutritious content. Biotechnological production of pigmented cereals and their consumption are emerging thanks to health-promoting activities including healthy eating habits and lifestyle choices. Although the cereal processing industry is evolving, cereals used in healthy food production are limited by their technological challenges in harnessing the nutritional properties. Therefore, the development of innovative biotechnologies is essential to upgrade these cereal grains, potentially leading to the design of novel and commercially competitive functional foods. This chapter outlines the three major (wheat, maize and rice) and five minor cereal crops and their contribution to world nutrition. Pigments are treated as bioactive constituents, as they provide added characteristics apart from colour, much emphasis is given to the basic chemical and biochemical attributes. Further, the necessary role of biotechnological production of pigmented cereals and the strategies involved were discussed. Thus, in this chapter, an attempt is made to systematically present the advantages and limitations of the biotechnological production of pigmented cereals in relation to their physicochemical properties, reactivity, and bioactivity.

The physical, mechanical, thermal, and nutritional properties of bitter apple and their significance in processing, machine designing, and product development are discussed in the present study.

Various types of natural fiber-rich ingredients are added into bakery-based products to improve their fiber content for health promotional purposes. But the majority of these products usually include exotic dietary fiber components. The aim of this study was to develop biscuits incorporated with wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder and to evaluate the effects on physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability of these different biscuit samples. Wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder was used to substitute refined wheat flour in biscuit samples at different levels (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%). The effect of wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder incorporation on proximate composition, physical characteristics, texture profile, color and sensory evaluation of biscuit samples were investigated. The moisture content of the product showed a significant (p ≤ 0.01) decreasing trend while as protein showed increasing trend with increasing level of incorporation of wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder. Also there was a considerable effect on L*(darkness to lightness), a*(greeness to redness), and b*(blueness to yellowness) values of biscuit samples. Among the physical parameters diameter and thickness decreased non-significantly (p ≤ 0.01) with the addition of different fibers whereas spread ratio and weight increases. Sensory attributes showed a significant (p ≤ 0.01) increasing trend with an increase in the level of incorporation of different fibers. Based on sensory evaluation biscuits prepared with 15% wheat bran, 15% rice bran, and 10% banana peel powder were rated best. The biscuits were packed in high density polyethylene (HDPE) boxes and were analyzed on different intervals viz. 0, 30, and 60th day. In samples of optimized biscuits, the ash content, protein, fat and color exhibited a non- significant tendency of declining over storage. It was discovered that the ash content dropped from0.86 to 0.67% in Wb4, 0.95 to 0.75% in Rb4, and 1.15to 0.92% in Bpp3. However there was a considerable increase in moisture content during storage.

In this milieu, ozone technology has emerged as an avant-garde non-thermal mode of disinfection with potential applications in the food industry. This eco-friendly technology has a comprehendible adeptness in replacing alternative chemical sanitizers and is recognized as a generally safe disinfectant for fruits and vegetables. Several researchers have been focusing on the biochemical impacts of ozone on different quantitative and qualitative aspects of fruits and vegetables. A collection of those works is presented in this review highlighting the effect of ozone on the functional, antioxidant, and rheological properties of food. This can be a benevolent tool for discovering the processing states of ozone applications and ensuing influence on safety and quality attributes of previously studied foods and opening further research areas. It extends shelf life and never leaves any harmful residues on the product since it decomposes to form oxygen. It was seen that the impact on a specific property of food was dependent on the ozone concentration and treatment time, and the adverse effects of ozone exposure can be alleviated once the processing conditions are optimized. The present review can be used as a baseline for designing different food processing operations involving ozone.

The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of agricultural products has often been carried out using traditional, i.e., destructive, techniques. Due to their inherent disadvantages, non-destructive methods that use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with chemometrics could be useful for evaluating various agricultural products. Advancements in computational power, machine learning, regression models, artificial neural networks (ANN), and other predictive tools have made their way into NIRS, improving its potential to be a feasible alternative to destructive measurements. Moreover, the incorporation of suitable preprocessing techniques and wavelength selection methods has arguably proven its practical feasibility. This review focuses on the various computation methods used for processing the spectral data collected and discusses the potential applications of NIRS for evaluating the quality and safety of agricultural products. The challenges associated with this technology are also discussed, as well as potential future perspectives. We conclude that NIRS is a potentially useful tool for the rapid assessment of the quality and safety of agricultural products.

In this study, the pesticide (acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben) removal and physicochemical quality improvement of vine (Vitis vinifera) leaf were examined using ultrasonic and traditional cleaning for 5, 10, and 15 min. After an ultrasonic cleaning procedure at 37 kHz for 10 min, acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben in vine leaf were reduced by 54.76, 58.22, and 54.55 %, respectively. Furthermore, the total phenolic content (TPC) in vine leaf increased to 13.45 mg GAE/g DW compared to that in control samples using traditional cleaning (10.37 mg GAE/g DW), but there were no significant differences in DPPH radical scavenging activity. After 15 min of conventional cleaning, the total chlorophyll and total carotenoid content of leaves were found to be lowest among all samples, at 6.52 mg/kg and 0.48 mg/kg, respectively. In conclusion, when compared to conventional cleaning methods, ultrasonic cleaning with no chemicals or heat treatment has proven to be a successful and environmentally friendly application in reducing commonly used pesticides and improving the physicochemical qualities of leaves.

The potential of bio-preservatives, namely, nisin, natamycin, and polylysine, as viable alternatives to chemical preservatives for storage of tender coconut water (TCW) during refrigerated storage (5 ± 2°C) was explored. Bio-preservative treatments were carried out after optimized heat treatment (85°C for 5 min) of TCW to establish its storage characteristics. Various concentrations (up to 125 ppm) of bio-preservatives were used for the preservation, and quality parameters of resultant TCW were assessed based on physicochemical characteristics and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines and statistical analysis applied. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc test revealed that pH and overall acceptability (OA) are the major governing factors that determine spoilage of TCW (p < 0.05). Overall, the polylysine combination was found to be most effective in ensuring quality retention of TCW. It was concluded that pasteurized TCW shelf life could be extended up to 20 days using bio-preservatives.

Milk and milk products, meat, fish and poultry as well as other animal derived foods occupy a pronounced position in human nutrition. Unfortunately, fraud in the food industry is common, resulting in negative economic consequences for customers as well as significant threats to human health and the external environment. As a result, it is critical to develop analytical tools that can quickly detect fraud and validate the authenticity of such products. Authentication of a food product is the process of ensuring that the product matches the assertions on the label and complies with rules. Conventionally, various comprehensive and targeted approaches like molecular, chemical, protein based, and chromatographic techniques are being utilized for identifying the species, origin, peculiar ingredients and the kind of processing method used to produce the particular product. Despite being very accurate and unimpeachable, these techniques ruin the structure of food, are labor intensive, complicated, and can be employed on laboratory scale. Hence the need of hour is to identify alternative, modern instrumentation techniques which can help in overcoming the majority of the limitations offered by traditional methods. Spectroscopy is a quick, low cost, rapid, non-destructive, and emerging approach for verifying authenticity of animal origin foods. In this review authors will envisage the latest spectroscopic techniques being used for detection of fraud or adulteration in meat, fish, poultry, egg, and dairy products. Latest literature pertaining to emerging techniques including their advantages and limitations in comparison to different other commonly used analytical tools will be comprehensively reviewed. Challenges and future prospects of evolving advanced spectroscopic techniques will also be descanted.

Many studies have demonstrated the use of synthetic preservatives and chemical additives in food is causing poisoning, cancer, and other degenerative disorders. New solutions for food preservation with quality maintenance are currently emerging. As a result, public concern has grown, as they desire to eat healthier products that use natural preservatives and compounds rather than synthetic ones. Clove is a highly prized spice used as a food preservative and for a variety of therapeutic reasons. Clove essential oil and its principal active component, eugenol, indicate antibacterial and antifungal action, aromaticity, and safety as promising and valuable antiseptics in the food sector. Clove essential oil and eugenol are found to have strong inhibition effects on a variety of food-source bacteria, and the mechanisms are linked to lowering migration and adhesion, as well as blocking the creation of biofilm and various virulence factors. This review emphasizes the importance of CEO (clove essential oil) in the food industry and how it can be explored with edible coatings to deliver its functional properties in food preservation.