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This review aims to explore the latest innovations in beer supply chain. Innovation is defined as the combined application of strategies that enhance intrinsic and extrinsic product characteristics while optimizing complementary aspects for a modern approach to the food market. The study is structured around key themes that define the overall quality of beer supply chain: safety (wholesomeness and authenticity), biological quality (chemical composition, sensory profile, and nutritional quality), process quality, convenience, and commodities. The goal is to promote accurate dissemination of information within the beer community and dispel common misconceptions. These misconceptions often arise from flawed approaches, leading to the creation of urban legends and unfounded prejudices. Special attention is given to innovation and research in the craft beer sector, which is rapidly growing in Italy and the global market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of exposure of soft wheat buns to Ultraviolet-C radiation (UV-C, 253.7 nm) was studied as an alternative to conventional treatments to control fungal spoilage and prolong shelf life. To identify the most suitable operating conditions, the study included preliminary tests on the permeability of films to UV-C irradiation, and on treatment antifungal efficacy on target microorganisms (Penicillium digitatum and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera) in Petri dishes. A 125 µm T9250B film (Cryovac® Sealed Air S.r.l), commercially available for long-life bread treated with ethanol and conditioned in a modified atmosphere, was selected to pack buns before the UV-C treatment. The study was carried out along with the observation of the fungal growth of buns artificially inoculated with suspensions of P. digitatum and S. fibuligera, treated under UV-C at a distance of 25 cm between bread and the 15 W UV-C source, in comparison to untreated buns used as control. Estimation of fungal growth as well as sensory evaluation was made 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14 days after the treatment. UV-C treated buns showed a noticeable reduction of fungal spoilage and kept a tender texture for up to two weeks after packaging. UV-C treatment represents a good opportunity for the bakery industry, reducing costs and ensuring a prolonged shelf life of a commercial product, respecting the health and hedonistic expectations of the customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although nitrogen (N) fertilisation is essential for promoting crop yield, it may also affect the produce quality. Here, the influence of three N fertiliser rates (0 kg ha−1 as a control, 200 kg ha−1 and 400 kg ha−1 referred to as N0, N200 and N400, respectively) on the overall quality of minimally processed globe artichoke heads was investigated during refrigerated storage for 12 days. Results Throughout the storage time, N fertilised samples had higher inulin contents than those unfertilised. In addition, the respiratory quotient of N200 and N400 samples was 2-fold and 2.5-fold lower than N0 ones, whose values were close to the normal range for vegetables. All the samples reported good microbiological standards, although N200 and N400 achieved lower mesophilic and psychotropic counts than N0 throughout the storage time. After 8 and 12 days of refrigerated storage, the N200 samples showed the highest scores of positive sensory descriptors. Conclusion A fertiliser level of 200 kg N ha−1 is suitable for obtaining minimally processed globe artichoke heads with good nutritional, sensory and microbiological quality, characterised by low endogenous oxidase activities. Proper packaging systems and procedures are, however, crucial for extending the product shelf-life and, thus, promoting its exportation on a wider scale. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The 'processing tomato' is an important source of natural antioxidants whose concentration depends, along with other parameters, on water availability. In order to better understand the mechanisms that regulate the response to water stress, a study was carried out in a typically semi-arid Mediterranean environment to investigate the yield, chemical composition and visual quality of tomato cv. 'Brigade' field grown under no irrigation ( V0) in comparison with those of the conventional fully irrigated crop ( V100). Results The stressful conditions of V0 affected the total yield. Nevertheless, fruits exhibited an increase in firmness (+27%), total solids (+23%) and total soluble solids (+5%). The dynamic balance between the antioxidant pattern and polyphenol oxidase activity under water stress conditions resulted in fruits with increased antioxidant activity (+12%), due to a decline in enzyme activity (−48%) and a rise in vitamin C (+20%) and total phenolic (+13%) contents. Conclusion It is possible to manage water stress by applying water-saving irrigation strategies in order to promote the quality and nutritional properties of tomatoes while also contributing to saving water. This is a relevant aspect in processing tomato cultivation in semi-arid environments, where both the cost and availability of irrigation water represent a rising problem in agricultural activities.© 2012 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tartaric and malic acid solutions were tested to extract anthocyanins from eggplant peel by a discontinuous process to obtain a natural red colorant. Extraction optimization was carried out, using different solvents, acid concentration, temperature, time of extraction and solvent-to-solid ratio as independent variables. Tartaric acid was more efficient than malic acid in both extraction yield and rate. Comparative tests were carried out using acidified ethanol as solvent. Delphinidin-3-rutinoside was extracted and identified as the major anthocyanin in eggplant peel. Concentration of different extracts from eggplant peel was carried out using EXA-31, a methacrylic food grade resin, the best performing resin to obtain highly concentrated extracts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) were extracted from two different varieties of melon ( Cucumis melo L. cantalupensis cv. Charentais and C. melo L. inodorus cv. Amarillo) and characterized using reliable spectrophotometric methods. In both cases the enzymes followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, showing different values of kinetics parameters between the two cultivars: K m = 7.18 +/- 0.70 mM ('Charentais') and 6.66 +/- 0.20 mM ('Amarillo') mM; V max = 7.93 +/- 0.35 units/min ('Charentais') and 13.82 +/- 0.37 units/min ('Amarillo'), relative to PPO; K m = 24.0 +/- 2.10 mM ('Charentais') and 5.05 +/- 0.19 mM ('Amarillo') mM; V max = 344.83 +/- 10.32 units/min ('Charentais') and 80.64 +/- 2.01 units/min ('Amarillo'), relative to POD. Optimum pH for PPO was 7.0 for 'Charentais' and 7.5 for 'Amarillo, whereas it was 4.5 for both cultivars relative to POD. Melon PPO had maximum activity at 60 degrees C in both 'Charentais' and 'Amarillo' cultivars, whereas POD maximum activity was found at 45 degrees C in 'Charentais' and at 25 degrees C in 'Amarillo'. POD from both cultivars showed higher thermolability compared with PPO, losing >90% of relative activity after only 5 min of incubation at 70 degrees C. POD's activation energy was much higher than that of PPO (Delta E (#) = 86.3 and 160.6 kJ mol (-1) for 'Charentais' and 'Amarillo', respectively). PPO and POD activities from both cultivars showed a decreasing pattern as sugar concentration in the assay medium increased, except in POD extract from 'Charentais', which maintained its activity in the presence of high d-glucose concentration (up to 5 M). Changes in L*, a*, b*, chroma, and hue angle values were chosen to describe the browning development in the samples during storage at 5 degrees C. A slight decrease in L* value and a more marked reduction of a* value were noted in both cultivars above all at the end of storage period. POD activity during storage at 5 degrees C was highly correlated with changes of parameters a*, b*, chroma, and hue angle ( r (2) from 0.82 to 0.97) for cultivar 'Charentais'. According to these results, only POD activity seemed to be involved in browning of minimally processed melon.