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The modern day food industries are part of a complex agri-food supply chain, where food production has become efficient, yet potentially vulnerable to supply chain risks. The COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to that end. This article measures and identifies the U.S. food manufacturing industries' vulnerability to upstream industries and labor occupations by (i) calculating a food industry's diversification of intermediate input purchases across upstream industries, (ii) quantifying the relative exposure of food manufacturing in a given industry and location to upstream input suppliers and labor occupations, and (iii) estimating each food industry's gross output elasticity of inputs. Among our results, we find the evidence that the animal processing industry's output is relatively vulnerable to production labor which is consistent with the observed disruptions to the meat packing sector during COVID19, which were largely caused by labor issues. Our results may help academics and practitioners to understand food industries' vulnerabilities to upstream industries and labor occupations.

Due to the widespread rejection by children of products with high-fiber content, new approaches to meet the dietary recommendations on fiber intake are necessary. To understand which sensory properties influence this rejection, children's acceptability was examined in high-fiber biscuits and drivers of liking were identified. One hundred and ten Spanish children (6-12 years old) evaluated the overall liking of eight commercial biscuits with variable fiber content and stated their preference. To study the drivers of liking, the samples were characterized through a quantitative descriptive analysis, the determination of the moisture and water activity as well as the instrumental evaluation of texture with a texture analyzer. It was suggested that the addition of fiber in biscuits reduced children's liking ratings. High-fiber samples were sensory and instrumentally described as harder, crispier, and more chewing than the samples with medium and low fiber content. The main sensory driver of liking identified in this study was the soft texture. Despite their hard texture, high- and medium-fiber samples were chosen as the preferred ones for 14% of the children that participated when they included chocolate taste. Drivers of disliking identified in this study were related to the addition of fruit as a filling or as dehydrated pieces. This knowledge about children's acceptability of high-fiber products might be of interest for the food industry with the aim of developing well-accepted products that supply nutritional deficiencies associated with the fiber intake.

BACKGROUND The development of lipid-lowering products has become the focus of food industry due to increasing consumer awareness of the relationship between diet and health. Recently, edible oleofoams have drew attention due to their enormous potential in reformulating food products with reduced fat content and unique mouth feel. RESULTS We have developed an edible oleofoam system by whipping oleogel composed of fatty acids mixtures in sunflower oil. The crystal morphology, gelation properties, and foaming properties of these oleogels could be tailored by changing the ratio of stearic acid (SA) and myristic acid (MA). Specifically, SA:MA = 2:8 (2S8M) was demonstrated to have superior foaming capability and foam stability, likely due to the densely packed and uniformly distributed crystals formed at this fatty acid ratio. Small lipid crystals in 2S8M absorbed to the A/O interface more efficiently, and together with the strengthened network established in the bulk phase, helped stabilize the foam structure. As a result, the 2S8M oleofoam showed excellent foaming properties: strong plasticity, significantly increased overrun (up to 63.56 ± 2.58%), and significantly improved foam stability. The XRD results indicated that the diffraction pattern observed for 2S8M samples at d-spacing of 4.20 a and 3.79 a was related to the characteristic peak of β' type crystals, which were responsible for the enhanced foaming capability of 2S8M oleogels. Oleophobic property of 2S8M increased, as indicated by wettability in oil phase, which could possibly drive crystals to the air/oil interface. CONCLUSIONS These results highlighted the importance of lipid crystal morphology in determining the whippability of oleogels. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background Monascus pigments (MPs) produced by the genus Monascus, have been utilized for more than two thousand years in the food industry. In the present study, by submerged batch-fermentation, we were able to obtain a mutant strain with a high tolerance of inhibitory compounds generated from rice husk hydrolysate, allowing the production of MPs. Results The mutant strain, M. Purpureus M523 with high rice husk hydrolysate tolerance was obtained using the atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) screening system, producing 39.48 U mL-1 extracellular total MPs (yellow and orange MPs), using non-detoxified rice husk diluted sulfuric acid hydrolysate (RHSAH) as the carbon source in submerged batch-fermentation (SBF). Extracellular MPs (exMPs) production was enhanced to 72.1 U mL-1 and 80.7 U mL-1 in supplemented SBF (SSBF) and immobilized fermentation (IF) using non-detoxified RHSAH, with productivities of 0.16 U mL-1 h-1 and 0.37 U mL-1 h-1 , respectively. In addition, our findings revealed that despite having a high RHSAH tolerance, the mutant strain was unable to degrade phenolic compounds. Furthermore, we discovered that inhibitory compounds, including 5'-HMF and Fur, not only inhibit MP biosynthesis, but also regulate the conversion of pigment components. Conclusion The low-cost agricultural by-product, rice husk, can serve as an efficient substitute for MP production with high productivity via immobilized fermentation by Monascus spp. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Food contamination caused by foodborne pathogens is one of the most significant concerns in public health worldwide, and accounts for a significant portion of food loss every year. The emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria has turned the researchers' attention back to the potential of bacteriophages as antibacterial agents, which have been attempted in various pre-and post-harvest food production settings. While the application of phage-based antibacterial products has achieved considerable success, a number of technical, environmental and administrative challenges remain unaddressed. In this review, we summarized the current status of bacteriophage application in food industry. More importantly, we discussed the obstacles facing the further development of phage-based antibacterial products from the aspects of technology, environmental safety, and administrative policy. We also put forward some possible solutions to these challenges, serving as reference information for future studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The ultimate goal of new food packaging technologies, in addition to maintaining the quality and safety of food for the consumer, is to consider environmental concerns and reduce its impacts. In this regard, one of the solutions is to use eco-friendly biopolymers instead of conventional petroleum-based polymers. However, the challenges of using biopolymers in the food packaging industry should be carefully evaluated, and techniques to eliminate or minimize their disadvantages should be investigated. Many studies have been conducted to improve the properties of biopolymer-based packaging materials to produce a favorable product for the food industry. This article reviews the structure of biopolymer-based materials and discusses the trends and challenges of using these materials in food packaging technologies with the focus on nanotechnology and based on recent studies.

Biosensors need to meet the rising food industry demand for sensitive, selective, safe, and fast food safety quality control. Disposable colorimetric sensors based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and localized surface plasmon resonance are low-cost and easy-to-perform devices intended for rapid point-of-need measurements. Recent studies demonstrate various facile and versatile AuNPs-based analytical platforms for the detection of bacteria and their toxins in milk, meat, and other foods. In this review, we introduce the general characteristics and mechanisms of AuNPs calorimetric biosensors, and highlight optimizations needed to strengthen and improve the quality of devices for their application in food matrices.

Plastics materials used for food packaging are recalcitrant, leading to a growing global environmental problem, which arouses the attention of environmental protection departments in many countries. Therefore, to meet the increasing demand for sustainable and environment-friendly consumer products, it is necessary for the food industry to develop natural antibacterial materials for food preservation. This review summarizes the common biodegradable natural antimicrobial agents and their applications in food preservation; as well as an overview of five commonly used biodegradable protein-based polymers, such as zein, soy protein isolate, gelatin and whey protein, with special emphasis on the advantages of protein-based biopolymers and their applications in food packaging industry.

This commentary characterises as an insurgency those elements of the Food Industry seeking to retain and expand industry profit-making opportunity with scant regard to the effect on public health and wellbeing. Premised on a conflict in which the battlespace encompasses the drivers of (un)healthful behaviour, our view encourages opponents of Food Industry methods to consider an approach based on analogy of successful Counter-Insurgency strategies to a health promotion context.

Phenolic compounds are abundant in nature and have multiple beneficial effects on human health due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antiallergenic, anticancer, and antiatherosclerotic properties. For this reason, phenolics are becoming relevant functional ingredients for several industries, mainly the food industry, derived from food consumer exigencies and regulations. However, the use of their beneficial properties still presents some limitations, such as chemical instability under environmental and processing conditions, which leads to structural changes and compromises their biological activities. They also present poor water solubility and sensitivity to pH changes, decreasing their bioavailability in the organism. The technologies for extraction and stabilization of these compounds have evolved rapidly in the development of different delivery systems to encapsulate sensitive active molecules. Biopolymeric nanoparticles are biodegradable polymer-based colloidal systems with sizes ranging from 1 to 1000 nm, and different techniques can be carried out to develop them. These systems have emerged as a green and effective alternative to improve stability, bioavailability, and biological effects of phenolic compounds. This comprehensive review aims to present an overview of recent advances in encapsulation processes of phenolic compounds within biopolymer nanoparticles as delivery systems and the impact on their physicochemical properties and biological effects after encapsulation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Issue addressed Previous research has highlighted children's frequent exposure to advertisements of unhealthy food and beverages on television. However, the food industry is increasingly utilising non-broadcast channels such as outdoor advertising (e.g., billboards, bus shelters, shop fronts) for product marketing. Few studies have investigated children's exposure to outdoor food advertising around primary and secondary schools. This study aimed to quantify the presence and content of outdoor food advertisements within a 500m radius of primary and secondary schools in Perth, Western Australia. Methods A cross sectional design was used to capture outdoor advertisements within a 500m radial buffer around the school boundary. The INFORMAS protocol for monitoring outdoor advertising around child-serving institutions was used. Sixty-four primary and secondary schools in Perth, Australia, were selected using random sampling within socio-economic and population density strata. Results In total, 5636 outdoor advertisements were identified within a 500m radius of all 64 schools combined and 30% were for food. Of the 1708 food advertisements, 74% were for unhealthy (non-core) food. The most frequently advertised food products were alcohol, fast-food and sugar sweetened beverages. Only 8% of food advertisements featured a healthy product. The majority of schools (75%) had at least one food advertisement within 500m (mean 36, range 3-190). Schools in lower socio-economic areas had more food advertisements and a significantly higher proportion of unhealthy food advertisements within 250m. Conclusion Outdoor advertising around schools constitutes a potential frequent source of children's exposure to unhealthy food and alcohol advertising. SO WHAT?: Policy interventions restricting the content of outdoor food advertising near schools are needed.

Propionic acid bacteria (PAB) is an umbrella term for a group of bacteria with the ability to produce propionic acid. In the past, due to this common feature and other phenotypic similarities, genetically heterogeneous bacteria were considered as a single genus, Propionibacterium. Members of this genus ranged from "dairy propionibacteria," which are widely known for their role in eye and flavor formation in cheese production, to "cutaneous propionibacteria," which are primarily associated with human skin. In 2016, the introduction of two new genera based on genotypic data facilitated a clear separation of cutaneous (Cutibacterium spp.) from dairy PAB (Propionibacterium spp., Acidipropionibacterium spp.). In light of these taxonomic changes, but with particular emphasis on dairy PAB, this review describes the current state of knowledge about metabolic pathways and other characteristics such as antibiotic resistance and virulence factors. In addition, the relevance of dairy PAB for the food industry and cheese production in particular is highlighted. Furthermore, methods for cultivation, detection, and enumeration are reviewed, incorporating the current taxonomy as well as the potential for routine applications.

There has been an increase in the search and application of new antimicrobial agents as alternatives to use of chemical preservatives and antibiotic-like compounds by the food industry. The massive use of antibiotic has created a reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that find their way from farm to humans. Thus, there exists an imperative need to explore new antibacterial options and bacteriophages perfectly fit into the class of safe and potent antimicrobials. Phage bio-control has come a long way owing to advances with use of phage cocktails, recombinant phages, and phage lysins; however, there still exists unmet challenges that restrict the number of phage-based products reaching the market. Hence, further studies are required to explore for more efficient phage-based bio-control strategies that can become an integral part of food safety protocols. This review thus aims to highlight the recent developments made in the application of phages and phage enzymes covering pre-harvest as well as post-harvest usage. It further focuses on the major issues in both phage and phage lysin research hindering their optimum use while detailing out the advances made by researchers lately in this direction for full exploitation of phages and phage lysins in the food sector.

INTRODUCTION A growing body of literature suggests alcohol industry corporate social responsibility activity, including the creation of 'social aspects' organisations (SAO), may harm rather than improve public health. We aimed to explore established researcher experiences of working with SAOs, and the factors informing their decisions to do so. METHODS Qualitative interview study with senior alcohol researchers who had previous or ongoing connections to SAOs or their predecessors initiated when their careers were established (n = 16). Thematic analysis using NVivo software. RESULTS Established researchers were recruited for their expertise by alcohol industry SAOs via employees who were previously academics or via academic colleagues with SAO connections. Motivated by the desire to improve public health and 'reach out' beyond academia, researchers were confident that they could maintain their independence when sharing their expertise with SAOs. Short-term connections included attendance at SAO-funded events and book chapter contributions. Sometimes, these led to long-term relationships with SAOs, or researchers were invited to long-term roles by a colleague. These included memberships of scientific advisory committees, board positions, or work as independent consultants. Most researchers reflected negatively on their experiences and had ended their associations, while some had positive experiences. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Current and former researchers play key roles in initiating connections with SAOs, with industry-funded events and invitations to long-term roles by trusted colleagues, mechanisms used to facilitate the development of such relationships. Our study adds to existing evidence that SAO scientific activity does not contribute to public health goals, but does present industry with public relations opportunities.

This review discusses the application of oleogel technology in emulsified systems. In these systems of mimetic fats, water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsions can be obtained, but, here, we cover emulsions with an oil continuous phase in detail. Depending on the percentage of water added to the oleogels, systems with different textures and rheological properties can be developed. These properties are affected by the characteristics and concentration of the added components and emulsion preparation methods. In addition, some gelators exhibit interfacial properties, resulting in more stable emulsions than those of conventional emulsions. Oleogel-based emulsion are differentiated by continuous and dispersed phases and the structuring/emulsification components. Crucially, these emulsions could be applied by the food industry for preparing, for example, meat products and margarines, as well as by the cosmetics industry. We present the different processes of emulsion elaboration, the main gelators used, the influence of the water content on the structuring of water-in-oleogel emulsions, and the structuring mechanisms (Pickering, network, and combined Pickering and network stabilization). Finally, we highlight the applications of these systems as alternatives for reducing processed food lipid content and saturated fat levels.

Textural properties of a food not only influence consumers' sensory preference of the product but also more importantly influence the strategy of food oral manipulation. Availability of reliable instrumental techniques has always been sought by food industry for proper assessment of food texture both in lab and online quality control. In this work a set of ball back extrusion (BBE) geometries with various ball/cup diameters (38/40, 35/40, 31.5/40, 24.5/28, all in mm) have been assessed as a fixture of a standard texture analyzer for flowability and consistency test of fluid foods. The feasibility of the new design has been tested against plate back extrusion (PBE), a current standard, for a set of fluid food materials (3 near Newtonians and 2 non-Newtonians). Pressing force and apparent maximum stress were used to quantify the flowability of fluid materials. It was observed that both techniques were able to reflect the rheological nature of the samples and were able to distinguish flowability for both Newtonian and Non-Newtonian fluids. However, the new design shows advantages against the plate back extrusion with much improved stability. Results show that BBE could replace the conventional plate-back extrusion to evaluate the flow properties of fluid foods in an industrial environment. The geometries of 35/40 or 24.5/28 ball/cup diameters (aspect ratio 0.875) were shown to give most satisfactory performance. The device is specifically suitable for texture classification of fluid foods for dysphagia management.

Objectives: This study explores Australian public awareness and attitudes towards political donations from the alcohol industry and the ‘revolving door’ of politicians into industry or lobbyist positions. Methods: Data were collected via a nationwide online panel. Results: In total, n=1,044 participants completed the survey. More than half of the participants agreed that donations are made to influence government policy and to support the interests of the industry. More than half of the participants did not believe that it is appropriate for political parties to accept donations from the alcohol industry or for politicians to attend alcohol industry‐hosted events. One‐third of the participants agreed that public officials (including politicians) with a role in health policy should never be allowed to work or lobby for the alcohol industry (31.7%) and one‐third endorsed a waiting time of 4–5 years. Discussion: There were demographic differences in the views that participants held of the alcohol industry and the relationship between the government and the alcohol industry. The findings suggest that the laws and controls governing industry–government relationships should be reviewed to ensure they are in line with public expectations, accompanied by education programs including a focus on corporate political activity by the alcohol industry.

In recent years, countries around the world have maintained a zero-tolerance attitude toward safety problems in the food industry. In order to ensure human health, a fast, sensitive, and high-throughput analysis of food contaminants is necessary to ensure safe food products on the market. Microfluidics, as a high-efficiency and sensitive detection technology, has many advantages in the detection of food contaminants, including foodborne pathogens, pesticides, heavy metal ions, toxic substances, and so forth, especially in conjunction with a variety of submicron fluid driving methods, making food detection and analysis more efficient and accurate. This review introduces the principle of submicron fluid driving modes and discusses the driving simulation of submicron fluid in microfluidic chips. In addition, the latest developments in the application of simulation in food analysis from 2006 to 2020 are discussed, and the computer simulation of submicron fluid flow in microfluidic chips and its application and development trend in food analysis are also highlighted. The review indicates that microfluidic technology, using numerical simulation as an auxiliary tool, combined with traditional methods has greatly improved the detection and analysis of food products. In addition, microfluidics combined with a variety of control methods embodies the ability of specific, multifunctional, and sensitive detection and analysis of food products. The development of high-sensitivity, high-throughput, portable, integrated microfluidic chips will enable the technology to be applied in practice.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is one of the most consumed pulses worldwide (over 2.3 million tons enter the world market annually). Some chickpea components have shown, in preclinical and clinical studies, several health benefits, including antioxidant capacity, and antifungal, antibacterial, analgesic, anticancer, antiinflammatory, and hypocholesterolemic properties, as well as angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibition. In the United States, chickpea is consumed mostly in the form of hummus. However, the development of new products with value-added bioactivity is creating new opportunities for research and food applications. Information about bioactive compounds and functional properties of chickpea ingredients in the development of new products is needed. The objective of this review was to summarize available scientific information, from the last 15 years, on chickpea production, consumption trends, applications in the food industry in the elaboration of plant-based snacks, and on its bioactive compounds related to type 2 diabetes (T2D). Areas of opportunity for future research and new applications of specific bioactive compounds as novel food ingredients are highlighted. Research is key to overcome the main processing obstacles and sensory challenges for the application of chickpea as ingredient in snack preparations. The use of chickpea bioactive compounds as ingredient in food products is also a promising area for accessibility of their health benefits, such as the management of T2D.

Food manufacturers are required to obtain scientific and technical evidence that a control measure or combination of control measures is capable of reducing a significant hazard to an acceptable level that does not pose a public health risk under normal conditions of distribution and storage. A validation study provides evidence that a control measure is capable of controlling the identified hazard under a worst-case scenario for process and product parameters tested. It also defines the critical parameters that must be controlled, monitored, and verified during processing. This review document is intended as guidance for the food industry to support appropriate validation studies, and aims to limit methodological discrepancies in validation studies that can occur among food safety professionals, consultants, and third-party laboratories. The document describes product and process factors that are essential when designing a validation study, and gives selection criteria for identifying an appropriate target pathogen or surrogate organism for a food product and process validation. Guidance is provided for approaches to evaluate available microbiological data for the target pathogen or surrogate organism in the product type of interest that can serve as part of the weight of evidence to support a validation study. The document intends to help food manufacturers, processors, and food safety professionals to better understand, plan, and perform validation studies by offering an overview of the choices and key technical elements of a validation plan, the necessary preparations including assembling the validation team and establishing prerequisite programs, and the elements of a validation report.

Coronavirus disease 2019 and related lockdown policies in 2020 shocked food industry firms’ supply chains in developing regions. Firms “pivoted” to e‐commerce to reach consumers and e‐procurement to reach processors and farmers. “Delivery intermediaries” copivoted with food firms to help them deliver and procure. This was crucial to the ability of the food firms to pivot. The pandemic was a “crucible” that induced this set of fast‐tracking innovations, accelerating the diffusion of e‐commerce and delivery intermediaries, and enabling food industry firms to redesign, at least temporarily, and perhaps for the long term, their supply chains to be more resilient, and to weather the pandemic, supply consumers, and contribute to food security. We present a theoretical model to explain these firm strategies, and then apply the framework to classify firms’ practical strategies. We focus on cases in Asia and Latin America. Enabling policy and infrastructural conditions allowed firms to pivot and copivot fluidly.

The agro‐food industry cannot today do without packaging to preserve and above all market its products. Plastic materials coming mainly from petrochemicals have taken a predominant place in the food packaging sector. They have become indispensable in many sectors, from fresh to frozen products, from meat and dairy products to fruit and vegetables or almost‐ready meals. Plastics are cheap, their lightness reduces transport costs, and their convenience is fundamental for out‐of‐home catering. However, plastics pose serious end‐of‐life issues. The development of materials that are more respectful of the consumer and the environment has become a major issue. In addition, the agro‐food industries generate significant quantities of waste or by‐products that are poorly or not at all recovered. However, these contain constituents that can be extracted or transformed to be compatible with packaging uses. Many molecules from waste materials are of particular interest for the development of active packaging such as biopolymers, bioactive agents, inorganic compounds, fibers, or nano‐ and micro‐objects. Providing bioactive functions such as antioxidants or antimicrobials can extend the shelf life of food while reducing the sophistication of plastic materials and thus improving their recycling. This article summarizes the main materials and constituents that can be recovered from waste and illustrates through several examples what could be the applications of such new, sustainable, and active packaging., The main trend for packaging materials deals with sustainability. Agri‐food and seafood industries generate high amounts of waste that could be valorized for packaging applications. Indeed, from cereals, milk, meat, or fish waste, we can produce, for instance, biopolymers that constitute the matrix of packaging materials, antimicrobial agents providing bioactive properties, and natural additives that could substitute chemicals used for plastic.

The food industry faces numerous challenges to assure provision of tasty and convenient food that possesses extended shelf life and shows long‐term high‐quality preservation. Research and development of antimicrobial materials for food applications have provided active antibacterial packaging technologies that are able to meet these challenges. Furthermore, consumers expect and demand sustainable packaging materials that would reduce environmental problems associated with plastic waste. In this review, we discuss antimicrobial composite materials for active food packaging applications that combine highly efficient antibacterial nanoparticles (i.e., metal, metal oxide, mesoporous silica and graphene‐based nanomaterials) with biodegradable and environmentally friendly green polymers (i.e., gelatin, alginate, cellulose, and chitosan) obtained from plants, bacteria, and animals. In addition, innovative syntheses and processing techniques used to obtain active and safe packaging are showcased. Implementation of such green active packaging can significantly reduce the risk of foodborne pathogen outbreaks, improve food safety and quality, and minimize product losses, while reducing waste and maintaining sustainability.

Fruit peels are often produced as a byproduct of processing and are usually disposed of as industrial waste. We conducted a study on the effective use of peels for the food industry using persimmons and mandarins as models. The production of persimmon and mandarin peel pastes, their flavor components, color, polyphenol contents, physical properties, and uses in foods (jam, cookies, and madeleines) were studied. The effects of heat treatment for sterilization, to effectively use persimmon and mandarin peels, were also investigated. The amount of water added to produce the optimum persimmon and mandarin peel pastes was 0.5× and 2.0× the weight of the respective peel samples. The main flavor components, as per GC‐MS spectra of persimmon and mandarin peel pastes, were 4 and 1, respectively. The Folin assay showed the polyphenol contents of persimmon and mandarin pastes as 33.9 mg and 236.3 mg of catechin equivalent per 100 g of fresh fruit, respectively. The persimmon paste specifically improved the physical properties of cookies, whereas the mandarin paste was well suited to all the processed food forms. Heat treatment for sterilization decreased cohesiveness but increased breaking strength and adhesiveness in persimmon and mandarin pastes., Pastes were prepared using Persimmon and mandarin fruit peels, and their heat sterilization property and usefulness as an additive to processed foods were evaluated.

New plans to restrict in‐store price and location‐based promotions of less healthy foods and drinks in the UK aimed to encourage healthier choices. With responsibility for implementation likely falling to food retailers, it is important to understand the feasibility of implementation and to ensure policy success. To ensure compliance, retailers will need to assess which products are restricted under the legislation. The large number of products in retailers’ portfolios poses a problem of scale. A recent research case study found the data available to retailers to be insufficient to accurately apply the rules‐based approach set out by the policy proposal. Misclassification would result in some less healthy products being incorrectly promoted and vice versa. Problems with implementation feasibility have the potential to undermine the public health goals of the legislation. Interviews were carried out with nutrition representatives from the UK food retail and manufacturing sector, to understand the real‐world implications of the proposed legislation. Industry nutritionists recommended a review of the use of the UK’s Nutrient Profiling Model as the legislative basis, proposed data‐related solutions to implementation problems and suggested a need for shared retailer‐manufacturer responsibility, given the context of data availability.

Prolamins are a group of safe food additives that are biocompatible, biodegradable, and sustainable. Zein, gliadin, kafirin, and hordein are common prolamins that have been extensively studied, particularly as these form colloidal particles because of their amphiphilic properties. Prolamin-based binary/ternary complexes, which have stable physicochemical properties and superior functionality, are formed by combining prolamins with polysaccharides, polyphenols, water-soluble proteins, and surfactants. Although the combination of prolamins with other components has received attention, the relationship between the structural design of prolamin-based complexes and their functionalities remains uncertain. This review discusses the production methods of prolamin-based complexes, the factors influencing their structural characteristics, and their applications in the food industry. Further studies are needed to elucidate the structure-function relationships between prolamins and other biopolymers, as well as the toxicological effects of these complexes in food.

A functional yogurt was prepared with Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract (LRE), while its antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities were evaluated and its action mechanism was further explored. With the cofermentation of LRE, the yogurt showed the fine quality characteristics, including pH, titratable acidity, texture, syneresis susceptibility, color, microbiological content, and chemical composition. Meanwhile, the yogurt exhibited the remarkable antioxidant capability to enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduce the malondialdehyde level in animal serums. In addition, the yogurt showed the obvious hypoglycemic activity to inhibit the decrease of glucose tolerance and the increase of postprandial hyperglycemia of diabetes mice. Furthermore, using the analysis of molecular docking, the main compounds of LRE could combine tightly with α-amylase and α-glucosidase by hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction, so as to change their spatial structure and inhibit their biocatalytic activity in glucose metabolism. All present results suggested that LRE showed the potential value to be used as supplement to enhance the quality and functions of yogurt in food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The hypoglycemic and antioxidant activities of a functional yogurt cofermented with LRE were found and its relative action mechanism was also explored. This work provide the experimental and theoretical basis for the application of this yogurt as nutraceuticals to protect human health in food industry.

This study was performed to investigate the influence of Lepidium perfoliatum seed gum (LPSG) and Alyssum homolocarpum seed gum (AHSG) on functional properties of wheat starch. Various concentrations of gums (0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% dry starch weight basis) were added to wheat starch, and their influences on water absorption, pasting properties, gel strength, freeze-thaw stability and color parameters were investigated. The results showed that both gums improved water absorption, freeze-thaw stability, pasting parameters, gel hardness, gumminess, and chewiness whereas springiness was not affected and cohesiveness was decreased by the incorporation of gums and LPSG more effective than AHSG. Color parameters were also affected by the concentration of gums. The L value decreased whereas a value and b value increased in the presence of both gums. However, the changes were more obvious in samples containing LPSG. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Starch is one of the most important carbohydrate materials in the food industry. However, native starch has shortcomings, such as sensitivity to shear or syneresis that limit its applications in food processing. Incorporation of hydrocolloids is an effective strategy to improve functional properties of starch. LPSG and AHSG are two novel sources of hydrocolloids which can be used to modify the properties of starch in food products.

Interest in plant-based meat alternatives (PMBAs) has been rapidly growing in both the food research community and the food industry due to higher consumer demands in recent years. However, scientific data regarding the health and aroma aspects of PBMA are rare. In this study, the fatty acids (FAs) and volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) were profiled in four types of plant-based burgers (PBs) and compared to beef burger (BB). Over 40 FAs and 64 VFCs were detected and quantified in the samples. Nonsignificant differences (α = 0.05) were observed in the percentages of most FAs between uncooked and cooked PBs. PBs contained lower percentages of saturated FAs and trans-FAs, higher percentages of unsaturated FAs, and lower ratio of n-6 to n-3 FAs comparing to the BB. The FA profiles in PBs are mainly determined by their ingredients. The VFC profile of cooked PBs was different from that of the uncooked ones. The ingredients, thermally induced Maillard reaction, and lipid oxidation had contributed to the formation of the flavor. For uncooked samples, the VFC profiles of PB 3 and PB 4 were similar to that of BB. While for cooked samples, PB 1 had similar VFC profile as BB. This illustrated the importance of the cooking process for aroma formation; however, ingredients, such as spices, remain an important source of VFCs in these burger samples. Ingredient optimization could be an effective strategy to enhance the flavor of PBs to resemble BB. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides the knowledge of health and aroma-related components in both raw and cooked PBs, including FA and VFC profiles. It also explains the source of those components. This will not only help consumer's decision making in choosing plant-based meat alternatives, but also help the related industry to choose proper ingredients to optimize the final products.

Being a rich source of antioxidants, phenolic compounds and dietary fiber, the fig seed could be valuable health-promoting food ingredient. The possibility of using fig seed powder in biscuits was investigated. For this purpose, wheat flour was replaced by fig seed powder at levels of 0, 5, 10, and 15%. The effects of replacement on proximate composition, color values, total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity, textural characteristics, and sensorial properties of biscuit samples were investigated. The composition of fig seed powder showed a significantly higher concentration of fiber (56.6 ± 0.27%), protein (14.32 ± 0.21%), fat (20.32 ± 0.32%), and total phenolic content (665.12 ± 0.52 mg GAE/100 g). The biscuit samples were obtained with increased fiber content by adding fig seed powder to the biscuit formulation. Moreover, fig seed powder increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of biscuits significantly (P < 0.05). The addition of fig seed powder to the biscuit formulation up to 10% increased the sensory scores of the biscuits in terms of odor, flavor, and overall impression. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The use of waste products in food industry is relevant in terms of the circular economy context. The enrichment of biscuit with waste fig seed powder could also supplies accessional channel for valorization of a food waste. Fig seed powder could be used to produce acceptable biscuits with improved nutritional quality.

Today, both consumers and food industry producers have exhibited an ever-growing interest in improving and broadening the functional performance of proteins in food industry. Myofibrillar protein (MP) is mainly responsible for texture, yield and organoleptic characteristics of final meat products. To increase functional properties of MP, technological and nutritional improvement of MP is needed to modify its structure and functionalities. Considerable approaches, including additives, oxidation treatments, and novel food processing technologies, have been utilized to modify its functional properties to manufacture acceptable meat products with lower cost and more desirable nutritional characteristics. However, a comprehensive summary of structural and functional changes of MP in response to different modification strategies is still lacking. Hence, in this review paper, our main goal is first to provide an overview of the functional characteristics of MP. Then, this review will mainly discuss the current knowledge on the functional changes of MP caused by various modification methods and will present some examples of previous works and recent progress. Finally, future outlooks are presented to tailor the manufacture of functionality enhanced and value-added muscle-based products and enable modified MP can be applied as a novel meat ingredient in food industry.

The encapsulation process has been utilized in the field of food technology to enhance the technofunctional properties of food products and the delivery of nutraceutical ingredients via food into the human body. The latter application is very similar to drug delivery systems. The inherent sophisticated nature of release mechanisms requires the utilization of mathematical equations and statistics to predict the release behavior during the time. The science of mathematical modeling of controlled release has gained a tremendous advancement in drug delivery in recent years. Many of these modeling methods could be transferred to food. In order to develop and design enhanced food controlled/targeted bioactive release systems, understanding of the underlying physiological and chemical processes, mechanisms, and principles of release and applying the knowledge gained in the pharmaceutical field to food products is a big challenge. Ideally, by using an appropriate mathematical model, the formulation parameters could be predicted to achieve a specific release behavior. So, designing new products could be optimized. Many papers are dealing with encapsulation approaches and evaluation of the impact of process and the utilized system on release characteristics of encapsulated food bioactives, but still, there is no deep insight into the mathematical release modeling of encapsulated food materials. In this study, information gained from the pharmaceutical field is collected and discussed to investigate the probable application in the food industry.

The main aim of this research was to investigate the effects of simultaneous changing of maize grits particle size and moisture content on some physical properties and microstructure of the expanded snacks produced by an industrial single screw extruder. Maize grits with different particle sizes of 212-299, 300-474, 475-680, 681-870, 871-1,016, and 1,017-1,070 μm and various moisture contents of 15, 16, 17, and 18% were used to manufacture puffed products. The samples produced with larger particle sizes and higher moisture content exhibited lower water absorption and water solubility indices and less expansion and crispiness than other samples. As microstructure results revealed, these samples showed more uneven surface and thicker cross-section. Overall, controlling both moisture content and particle size of maize grits had significant effects on the quality of the snacks. However, the impact of changing particle size on the snack properties was greater than changing the moisture content. This research has implications in food industry in production of puffed snacks using extrusion process. The results provide practical and green methods of improving the quality of the snacks by choosing the appropriate feed particle size and moisture content. The approach introduced in this paper is easy to impediment in the food industry without the need to change extruder configuration or adding to the list of ingredients and additives.

Food allergies are global health issue with an increasing prevalence that affect food safety; hence, food allergen detection, labeling, and management are considered to be important priorities in the food industry. In this critical review, we provide a comprehensive overview of several fluorescence-based platforms based on different biorecognition ligands, such as antibodies, DNA, aptamers, and cells, for food allergen quantification. Traditional analytical methods are generally unsuitable for food manufacturers to accomplish the real-time identification of food allergens in food products. Therefore, it is important to develop simple, rapid, inexpensive, accurate, and sensitive methods to improve user accessibility. A fluorescence-based quantitative platform provides an excellent detection platform for food allergens because of its high sensitivity. This review summarizes the traditional antibody-based fluorescent techniques for food allergen detection, such as the time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay , immunofluorescence imaging, fluorescence enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay, flow injection fluoroimmunoassay, and fluorescence immunosensors. However, these methods suffer from disadvantages such as the significant rate of false-positive and false-negative results due to antibody cross-reactivity with nontarget food components in the complex food matrix and epitope degradation during food processing. Hence, different types of fluorescence-based immunoassays are suitable for standardization and quantification of allergens in fresh foods. In addition, we summarize new fluorescence-based quantitative platforms, including fluorescence genosensors, fluorescence cell sensors, and fluorescence aptamer sensors. With the advantages of high sensitivity and simple operation, fluorescence biosensors will have great potential in the future and could provide portable methods for multiallergen real-time detection in complex food systems.

Food safety authorities and the food industry are focused on uses of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various food-contact packaging applications. Not widely known until recently, certain PFAS occur in paper-based packaging materials typically at parts-per-billion to parts-per-million concentrations. These substances are nonintentionally added substances (NIAS) and are attributed to residues from recycled fiber and paperboard used in the manufacture of new food packaging products. Low concentration PFAS detection has generated debate in the food industry and among scientific and governmental organizations about understanding their significance in food-contact products because certain PFAS are intentionally added to some food packaging materials. Distinguishing between both sources of PFAS in food packaging is essential for regulatory compliance purposes. In this paper, we describe ongoing research using contact angle measurement analysis to determine limits of performance (LOP) for perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) (C4, C6, C8, and C10) on the surface of recycled paper packaging materials. We find that the LOP concentrations for PFCAs ranged from 37 ppm (C10) to higher than 1238 ppm (C4). Because there is no economic justification for the presence of PFAS that do not provide functional performance, these LOP concentrations can reliably be considered as NIAS thresholds. This analytical method and the resulting test data are able to differentiate the source of PFAS in food packaging. Future research will broaden the test method to include measurements of fluorotelomer, sulfonamide, and fluoropolymer substances to develop a more comprehensive understanding of PFAS performance and NIAS concentration thresholds. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:7-12. © 2020 SETAC.

Plant pathogens pose a significant threat to the food industry and food security accounting for 10-40% crop losses annually on a global scale. Economic losses from plant diseases are estimated at $300B for major food crops and are associated with reduced food availability and accessibility and also high food costs. Although strategies exist to reduce the impact of diseases in plants, many of these introduce harmful chemicals to our food chain. Therefore, it is important to understand and utilize plants' immune systems to control plant pathogens to enable more sustainable agriculture. Lipids are core components of cell membranes and as such are part of the first line of defense against pathogen attack. Recent developments in omics technologies have advanced our understanding of how plant membrane lipid biosynthesis, remodelling and/or signalling modulate plant responses to infection. Currently, there is limited information available in the scientific literature concerning lipid signalling targets and their biochemical and physiological consequences in response to plant pathogens. This review focusses on the functions of membrane lipid derivatives and their involvement in plant responses to pathogens as biotic stressors. We describe major plant defense systems including systemic-acquired resistance, basal resistance, hypersensitivity and the gene-for-gene concept in this context.

The development of smart packaging and innovation in common food packaging technology will greatly help to meet market needs, including consumer preference for "safe" foods, high-quality products and mitigate the negative environmental impacts of food packaging. In addition, consumers' tendency to use natural ingredients such as pigments and biopolymers has provided the basis for their application in the food industry, including smart food packaging. Hence, smart packaging in addition to protecting food products against environmental damage can also reveal a sign (colorimetric, chemical, electric, etc.) in real time in response to any changes in the packaging conditions and food quality. This comprehensive review emphasizes on the gas/temperature-sensitive smart films based on natural colorants and their key applications in the food packaging systems. Technological considerations associated with the natural colorant-responsive films, smart packaging, biopolymers, and importance of natural colorants versus synthetic dyes are investigated. In practice, the most common designed colorimetric indicators for monitoring gas and temperature changes and application of relevant smart films in real food models have also been discussed. Gas and time-temperature indicators provide a rapid, reliable, and online assessment and a visual indication of the food product quality level, usually through a color change, which is directly related to gas and temperature conditions during distribution and storage of relevant food products. However, future studies need to consider main points such as cost, consumers' acceptance, and confidence, regulatory aspects (i.e., labeling) and multifunctionality of smart packaging to be commercially sustainable.

Novel nonthermal inactivation technologies have been increasingly popular over the traditional thermal food processing methods due to their capacity in maintaining microbial safety and other quality parameters. Plasma-activated water (PAW) is a cutting-edge technology developed around a decade ago, and it has attracted considerable attention as a potential washing disinfectant. This review aims to offer an overview of the fundamentals and potential applications of PAW in the agri-food sector. A detailed description of the interactions between plasma and water can help to have a better understanding of PAW, hence the physicochemical properties of PAW are discussed. Further, this review elucidates the complex inactivation mechanisms of PAW, including oxidative stress and physical effect. In particular, the influencing factors on inactivation efficacy of PAW, including processing factors, characteristics of microorganisms, and background environment of water are extensively described. Finally, the potential applications of PAW in the food industry, such as surface decontamination for various food products, including fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood, and also the treatment on quality parameters are presented. Apart from decontamination, the applications of PAW for seed germination and plant growth, as well as meat curing are also summarized. In the end, the challenges and limitations of PAW for scale-up implementation, and future research efforts are also discussed. This review demonstrates that PAW has the potential to be successfully used in the food industry.