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In breadmaking, dietary fibres are used to improve the nutritional quality of the final products; on the other hand, they may affect the physical and sensory properties. This work aimed to the evaluate, on pan breads, the effect of substituting 3 g of wheat flour with an equivalent amount of fibre rich ingredients: chestnut peels (CP) or wheat bran (WB), in comparison to a traditional wheat bread formulation (C). The effect of four levels of added water (54, 60, 66, 71 g/100 of flour) was also tested. The fibre content of CP (33%) and WB (42%) affected their water binding capacity and, consequently, the quality of the final loaves, according to the different water addition levels. In bread crumb, water content and water activity increased proportionally to the water addition levels, being instead in the crust also affected by the presence of fibres: lower water retention capacity was observed for CP, in comparison to WB and C. The loaf volume resulted higher for C in comparison to WB and CP, in relation to the larger dimensions of the crumb pores, probably due to the interfering effect of fibres during the development of the gluten network. Crumb hardness resulted higher for C at low water addition levels, being instead higher for CP at high water addition levels. CP showed a darker and redder colour, than both WB and C bread, for the presence of the brown pigments carried by chestnut peels. PCA analysis confirmed that more water is required for both the fibre-enriched breads to show characteristics similar to the control loaves.

Encapsulation of olive leaves extracts (OLE), rich of healthy components like Oleuropein, Hydroxytyrosol and Verbascoside, represents a new challenge to improve stability and nutritional value of food as well as a way to recover value added compounds from by-products, contributing to a more sustainable food system. In this context, OLE-loaded microbeads of Na alginate alone or in combination with Pectin, Na Caseinate or Whey protein isolates, were produced by emulsification internal ionotropic gelation. Encapsulation efficiency of the main phenolic compounds (Oleuropein, Hydroxytyrosol, Verbascoside) was carried out along with microparticles morphological characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and color. Encapsulation efficiency resulted higher for Alginate/Pectin, whilst Alginate/Caseinate was the less performing system, probably due to the lower interaction with polyphenols. SEM revealed collapsed structures and continuous smooth surfaces for Alginate and Alginate/Pectin microbeads while more regular structures and porous surfaces were observed for Alginate/Caseinate and Alginate/Whey proteins. Higher hue angle and lower chroma values were observed for all the beads with respect to the pure extract, indicating a reduction of the yellow/brown color. DSC highlighted higher thermal stability for the microbeads in comparison to the original ingredients, showing also new thermal transitions related to bonds formation between polymers and OLE., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Verbascoside showed higher encapsulation efficiency compared to Oleuropein. • Alginate/Pectin was the most efficient system for encapsulation purposes. • Microstructural traits were linked to the encapsulation efficiency. • Thermal analysis revealed increased thermal stability of encapsulated polyphenols. • Encapsulation allowed a mitigation of the color properties of the olive leaf extract.

A distinguishing quality or characteristics of apple puree was determined considering the effect of different processing practices: thermal (4 T), ohmic heating (OHM) and high-pressure processing (HPP). In the thermal treatment, the flow rate was set to 1700 L/h and SHP was approximately 40 s; HPP was conducted at 600 MPa for 3 min and ohmic heating at a flow rate of 2000 L/h, at 107 °C (sample preheated from 25 to 60 °C). Effects on colour, viscosity, particle size distribution (PSD), total phenol content (TPC), ascorbic acid content and sensorial quality were comparatively studied. Results showed that a very low reduction of ascorbic acid in HPP is observed. The highest ascorbic acid loss was observed for 4 T and in a lower extent for OHM ascribable to the thermal degradation, as hypothesized for pigments. The TPC content was not changed during processing. The other quality parameters evaluated (viscosity, colour, PSD, turbidity, consistency, sensorial analysis) were affected by treatments, with particular reference to 4 T. This is one of the first study applying commercial industrial-scale equipment’s. Concluding, as compared to 4 T, OHM and HPP demonstrated feasible technologies for the treatment of apple puree, having obtained also a good organoleptic response. Apple puree preparation by means of high-pressure processing, ohmic or mild thermal treatments could imply new opportunities for the apple processing industry in developing more fresh like value-added products with reasonable shelf life.

The present study assessed the sensory impact of potatoes biofortification with iodine and the stability of iodine during six months of storage. Four biofortified cultivars (Cupido, Marabel, Orchestra and Universa) and their controls (non-biofortified) were evaluated. The present study assessed the sensory impact of potatoes biofortification with iodine and the stability of iodine during six months of storage. Four biofortified cultivars (Cupido, Marabel, Orchestra and Universa) and their controls (non-biofortified) were evaluated. Descriptive analysis was applied with a panel to describe the sensory properties, and triangle tests were applied with consumers to evaluate perceivable differences between controls and respective biofortified samples at the end of shelf life. Iodine content was quantified on raw potatoes for three periods of storage. Descriptive analysis showed some differences between controls and iodine-biofortified samples, especially in texture (hardness). However, consumers did not significantly discriminate fortified from unfortified samples. Iodine was stable during storage in all varieties. Orchestra cultivar showed the highest iodine content, while Universa the lowest.

In response to the market demand for low processed vegetables, high-pressure treatments (400,600 MPa; 1,5 min) were applied on zucchini slices and compared to a traditional blanching treatment. Histological observations, texture and color analysis, pectinmethylesterase (PME) and antioxidant (DPPH) activities were measured and compared to untreated samples. The histological observations revealed that the longer high-pressure treatments (5 min) led to more extended cell lysis and dehydration than the shorter ones (1 min) and blanching. High-pressure treatments resulted less effective than blanching on PME inactivation, with the best results obtained at 400 MPa for 1 min. Comparable texture parameters were observed for high-pressured and blanched samples. The negative correlation found between PME activity and the texture parameter ‘distance of the first peak force’ revealed an effect of PME on the texture recovery after treatments. High pressure led to a general browning of zucchini parenchyma and to DPPH drop. The correlations found between DPPH and color suggest the common nature of the phenomena. The influence of pressure and time on the studied parameters was revealed by two-way ANOVA. Principal component analysis clustered together the four high-pressure-treated samples, being clearly divided by blanched and untreated ones.

Cocoa bean shells (CBS) are by-products of cocoa processing. Their rich chemical composition makes them interesting ingredients to improve the overall quality of gluten free bread. The addition of different dimensional fractions (F1, 1.00–1.99 mm; F2, 0.50–0.99 mm; F3, 0.355–0.49 mm) of CBS to gluten-free bread was investigated in terms of volume, moisture content, crumb grain, texture and colour during 3 days of storage. No significant differences in moisture content were observed among fractions, but protein, fat and fibre content resulted influenced by the dimensional range. With reference to water absorption indexes, F2 showed the highest water binding capacity (WBC) and water holding capacity (WHC), having instead the lowest water solubility index (WSI), in comparison with the other fractions, and confirming a good retention of the fibres’ structure. Results on bread showed that CBS addition modified crumb grain leading to a lower specific volume, especially for F2. The presence of CBS accelerated significantly the crumb staling process in comparison with the control, resulting; however, F1 softer than control at the end of the storage period. Finally, colour was improved by the presence of CBS becoming darker, with F3 showing the highest impact on L* and a*.

Green coffee parchment (GCP) is becoming interesting, due to the diffusion of wet processing in which coffee parchment is collected separately, it is one of the less studied coffee by-products, but it is reported to be rich in phenolic compounds and dietary fiber. The addition of GCP (355&ndash, 500 &mu, m) at 2 % to gluten-free breads was investigated in terms of physical properties (volume, moisture content, water activity, crumb grain, texture, and color), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total phenol content during three days of storage. Moreover, the effects of GCP on sensorial characteristics, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and oxidative stability was evaluated. From the sensorial analysis, bread with 2% addition resulted in being acceptable for consumers with no significant differences from the control, while 4% of GCP was discarded by consumers, as it resulted in being too bitter. Moreover, GCP at 2% addition did not modify volume, moisture content, and water activity. On the contrary, GCP deeply affected the color with a darker aspect that was appreciated by consumers. Regarding texture, 2% of GCP did not affect hardness, cohesiveness, and staling process during storage. Interestingly, 2% of GCP significantly improved the TAC and oxidative stability of the bread, in accordance with these results, 2% of GCP reduced the HMF content, thanks to its antioxidant compounds.

Bread origins are closely linked with those of the first civilizations of the Mediterranean area. Today bread is spread all over the world and available in many types. The relationship between ingredients, processes and quality of the final products is very close. The use of additional ingredients beside those basic (i.e. wheat flour, water and yeast), and the advent of new technologies have allowed a wide diversification of bread products over the centuries. Despite the technological evolution, bread is still a very traditional product, rooted in the territories of origin and in the habits of some places. In this chapter, an overview on ingredients, technologies, and new trends in breadmaking are described, highlighting the strong link between tradition and innovation existing for this kind of products.

Background Current dietary guidelines recommend five or more fruit, vegetable, and legume servings per day. Often, these products are eaten cooked, resulting in organoleptic and nutritional changes. Vacuum cooking is gaining attention as an alternative cooking technique, due to its ability to preserve or even enhance sensory and healthy properties of food. Its household application is, however, poorly explored. In this work, the effect of vacuum cooking, performed with a new patented system, was studied for the first time on pumpkin cubes and compared to sous vide and traditional steam cooking, through a multidisciplinary approach. Results All the cooking treatments damaged pumpkin microstructure, leading to cell separation and plasmolysis; vacuum cooking was the most aggressive method, as confirmed by texture softening. Vacuum cooking was also the method with less impact on pumpkin color, in relation to the largest extraction of some classes of carotenoids from the broken cells. Significant polyphenol extraction, especially of gallic acid and naringenin, was instead observed for sous vide and steamed pumpkins. The total antioxidant activity, ascribable to the effect of both carotenoids and polyphenols, resulted enhanced after cooking compared to raw one mainly for cook vide samples, followed by steamed and sous vide ones. Conclusions Vacuum cooking, followed by sous vide, has often shown better performance than traditional steam cooking for pumpkin cubes. The implementation of sous vide and vacuum cooking at domestic level or in professional kitchens, and in the food industry, would allow the consumption of vegetables with improved nutritional and sensorial characteristics. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Stabilization of ohmic pretreated peach cubes (ohm) in syrup, representative of semifinished fruit products, was finalized by ohmic heating (OHM) and high pressure processing (HPP), proposed respectively as thermal and nonthermal pasteurization, in comparison to a conventional pasteurization treatment (DIM). The samples were then studied in terms of histological, physical (dimensional distribution, tenderometry, texture, viscosity of syrup and colour), chemical (total phenolic and ascorbic acid content), and sensorial (triangle test) properties. Severe modifications of the cell walls were observed in ohm-DIM and ohm-OHM samples, with swelling and electroporation, respectively. From chemical analyses, significant reduction of ascorbic acid and simultaneous increase of total phenolics content were observed for ohm-DIM and ohm-OHM, probably in relation to the cell wall damages. ohm-HPP showed the best preservation of the dimensional characteristics and hardness, followed by ohm-OHM and ohm-DIM. In addition, textural and colour parameters evidenced similar results, with ohm-HPP as the less different from ohm. Finally, the sensorial analysis confirmed ohm-HPP and ohm-OHM samples as the most similar to ohm as well as the most appreciated in terms of colour and consistency.

The effects of high pressure treatments (200, 400, 600 MPa for 5 min) and a thermal treatment (85 °C for 5 min) were evaluated on cubes of two pumpkin species (Cucurbita maxima L. var. Delica and Cucurbita moschata Duchesne var. Butternut) up to 2 months of refrigerated storage. Increasing the pressure, small parenchyma cells from the pumpkin tissue exhibited collapses and separations, especially for Butternut. This species showed a lower hardness than Delica at time 0. For both species, 400 MPa and thermal treatment were the most effective in the inactivation of pectinmethylesterase, which reactivated after 2 months, especially for Butternut. Colorimetric parameters decreased after all treatments. Antioxidant activity resulted affected by pressure, showing a significant increase during storage especially for the samples treated at 200 MPa after 2 months, comparable to the thermal treated ones. Among the tested treatments, 400 MPa may be considered as the best option for the quality retention during storage.

Several studies investigated the impact of different cooking techniques on the quality of vegetables. However, the use of the combined air-steam cooking is still scarcely debated, despite the advantages informally referred by professional catering workers. In this study, its optimisation was studied on Brussels sprouts and pumpkin cubes to obtain the best physical (texture, colour) and antioxidant (FRAP, total phenols) response, in comparison to a conventional steaming treatment.; Results: Increasing the strength of the air-steam treatment, Brussels sprouts resulted to be softer, less green (higher a* value), richer in phenols and exhibited lower FRAP values than the steamed ones. The air-steamed pumpkin cubes exhibited an equivalent softening degree to that of steamed ones and, under the strongest cooking conditions, a higher antioxidant quality and a yellow darkening (lower b* value). Varying the cooking time and/or temperature, a linear change of force/compression hardness and a* (negative a*: greenness) for Brussels sprouts, b* (yellowness) and total phenol content for pumpkin cubes was observed. A predictive model for these variables was obtained by response surface methodology. The best process conditions to achieve the optimal desirability were also identified.; Conclusion: The application of air-steam cooking under suitable time/temperature conditions could be proposed as an alternative method to a traditional steam cooking on Brussels sprouts and pumpkin cubes, being able to preserve or improve their quality. The best air-steam cooking conditions were 25 min at 90 °C for Brussels sprouts and 10 min at 110 °C for pumpkin. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The effect of sourdough fermentation combined with chestnut flour was investigated for improving technological and nutritional quality of gluten-free bread during 5day shelf life by means of chemico-physical and nutritional properties. Sourdough fermentation by itself and with chestnut flour reduced volume of loaves and heterogeneity in crumb grain. Sourdough technology allowed increasing crumb moisture content with no significant variations during shelf-life. Chestnut flour darkened crumb and crust while no effects on colour were observed for sourdough. Sourdough and/or chestnut flour addition caused a significant increase in crumb hardness at time 0 while a significant reduction of staling was observed only at 5days, even if a decrease in amylopectin fusion enthalpy was observed. The percentage of hydrolysed starch during in vitro digestion was significantly reduced by sourdough fermentation with a presumable lower glycaemic index.

Quartered Violetto artichokes were cooked with different treatments (boiling, steaming, sous vide and vacuum cooking) at the same cooking value at the thermal centre. Then, the physical (moisture content, texture and colour), histological and chemical (phenolic, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furan content, total antioxidant capacity) features of bracts and hearts were assessed. A deeply modified microstructure was observed in boiled and steamed samples with an evident decrease in hardness both for bracts and hearts. Lightness of two anatomical parts was decreased by all the treatments (with the exception of sous vide bracts). The highest total colour difference was recorded for steamed samples, whereas the lowest was noted for sous vide samples. Steamed and sous vide artichoke exhibited the highest total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity. Sous vide samples exhibited the highest concentrations of HMF, 2-furan-methanol and 2,4-dihydroxy-2,5-dimetyl-3(2H)-furanone, whereas the by-product 5-metylfuraldheide was only detected in the steamed product.

Svrha je ovog istraživanja bila procijeniti svojstva dvaju tipova prebiotičkih kobasica, pripremljenih s rezistentnim škrobom i ekstraktom β-glukana (u omjerima 2,216:1,328 i 2,75:1,875), tijekom prženja i skladištenja pri niskim temperaturama. Određeni su indeksi oksidacijske stabilnosti i broj mikroorganizama. Dodatak dvaju prebiotičkih dijetalnih vlakana povećao je gubitke pri prženju i adsorpciju ulja. Međutim, količina vlage u prebiotičkim kobasicama nakon proizvodnje bila je veća u usporedbi sa standardnim (neprebiotičkim) kobasicama, te se postepeno smanjivala tijekom skladištenja. Rezultati pokazuju da dodatak preporučenog omjera rezistentnog škroba i β-glukana (2,216:1,328) može dovesti do smanjenja oksidacije masti u kobasicama tijekom skladištenja zbog antioksidacijskih svojstava ekstrakta β-glukana, no dodatak većih količina rezistentnog škroba i β-glukana nije moguć zbog daljnjeg porasta oksidacije masti. Konačan broj živih stanica rastao je do četrdeset i petog dana, nakon čega je došlo do njegovog postepenog pada. Dodatak ekstrakta β-glukana poboljšao je antioksidacijska svojstva proizvoda. Također, njegov antimikrobni učinak i smanjenje udjela vlage mogli bi inhibirati rast mikroorganizama. Nadalje, dodatak rezistentnog škroba doveo je do povećanja tiobarbiturnog i peroksidnog broja., This study aims to evaluate the performance of two types of prebiotic sausages formulated with resistant starch (RS) and β-glucan (BG) extract (in ratios of 2.22:1.33 and 2.75:1.88) during frying and chilled storage. The oxidative stability indices and microbial counts were determined. The incorporation of two types of prebiotic dietary fibre increased frying loss and oil absorption. However, the moisture content of prebiotic sausages after production was higher than of conventional sausages and it decreased significantly during storage. The use of sausage sample containing 2.22 % RS and 1.33 % BG as a recommended formulation can decrease fat oxidation of sausages during storage due to antioxidant properties of BG extract, but higher levels of RS and BG could not be used due to further increase in fat oxidation. Total viable count increased up to day 45 and decreased afterwards. The addition of BG extract improved the antioxidant properties of sausages. Additionally, the antimicrobial properties of BG and moisture reduction could inhibit microbial growth. Moreover, the addition of RS caused an increase in thiobarbituric acid and peroxide values.

Two commercial gluten-free mixtures (F1 gf , and F2 gf ) were enriched with 20 g/100 g and 10 g/100 g of chestnut flour, respectively, to produce technologically and nutritionally improved breads (M1C, M2C) to be compared to gluten-free breads (M1 and M2). Physicochemical (proximate composition, colour, texture, crumb grain characteristics) and nutritional (antioxidant capacity, in vitro digestion) indices were monitored during three days storage. The addition of chestnut flour led to colour browning, lower bulk volume with larger crumb holes and faster staling resulting from crumb cohesiveness and resilience decrease. M2C presented harder crumb and smaller holes compared to M1C, probably due to the lupine proteins in M2C. During storage, the crust hardness decreased (M1C) or increased (M2C) depending on mixture components, as consequence of different water migration. Higher antioxidant activity was observed for both the enriched breads while no variations resulted in starch digestibility. Finally, only breads with 20 g/100 g of enrichment showed a significant increase in total as well as soluble and insoluble fibres.

In this work, high-hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments of 650 MPa at different processing times (3, 7, 15 and 30 min) were applied on beetroot slices (var. Red cloud ) as an alternative to blanching pretreatment (90 °C for 7 min). Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activity, physical (texture and color) and nutritional (betanins retention, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and ascorbic acid) parameters were evaluated. Differently from blanching, HHP led only to partial inactivation of PPO (10–25%) and POD (25%) at each tested time. Total phenol content and FRAP value were found to be statistically similar ( p > 0.05) in HHP-treated and blanched beetroot. An increase of betanins content was observed in HHP-treated samples, resulting in 6-fold higher content in comparison to the raw. However, the higher the time-exposure to high pressure, the higher pigments degradation, as similarly observed for ascorbic acid. Finally, texture properties such as hardness and chewiness were better retained in HHP samples than in thermally treated ones, showing an increase according to the time of pressure exposure. Overall, the HHP processes improved the nutritional quality of the products, as revealed from the principal component analysis.

Shortbread cookies with 0, 20, 40 and 50% fat replacement were obtained using an emulsion filled gel (EFG) based on inulin and extra virgin olive oil and studied during 60 storage days. Increasing the amount of EFG in shortbread cookies, higher volumes and harder texture were observed, in relation to the higher water availability and the lower fat content. Thermal analysis conducted by means of DSC and 1H-NMR confirmed the key role of lipids and water status on the mechanical properties of shortbread cookies. Darker colour and toasted notes were registered for increasing levels of EFG, in relation to the presence of inulin involved in the Maillard reaction. During storage, all the cookies resulted very stable regarding dimensions, colour and rancidity perception; only slight texture changes were observed, probably related to the moisture redistribution among the cookies components. EFG can be proposed as valuable ingredient to replace fats in shortbread cookies, allowing the use of the health claim “reduced saturated fat content” already from 40% butter substitution.

The present study investigated the effect of different levels of chestnut flour in formulations of soft wheat fresh pasta. A physicochemical characterization of flours, uncooked and cooked pasta was carried out. Chestnut flour showed higher water absorption properties than soft wheat flour or mix of them. Frozen water of pasta decreased for higher level of chestnut substitution, being instead water activity constant. During cooking chestnut enriched pasta showed higher solid loss for increasing levels of substitution, in relation with the reduction of hardness and deformability. Increasing percentages of chestnut flour were also reflected in a progressive darkening of the final products. Moreover, the increased antioxidant activity observed on enriched pasta, even after cooking, may be related to the high level of antioxidant compounds of chestnut flour. Proton molecular dynamics was also influenced by the formulation, as resulted by the increased protons mobility observed for higher levels of chestnut flour replacement.

Chestnut and related products are attracting great interest from the food sector, thanks to their gluten-free nature and good content of starch, minerals, vitamins, fibers, and antioxidant compounds. The use of chestnut flour in bread-making proved to be a good way to enhance both the technological and nutritional quality of common products. The enrichment of breads with chestnut flour was acceptable up to a certain level, but excessive content of chestnut flour was to the detriment of the product and a substitution level of about 20%–30% was the most suitable level. The addition of chestnut flour creates a darker and often harder product but, especially for gluten-free breads, it has improved both the dough machinability, consistency, color, and aroma, with even better performance during the shelf life, with promising results. This chapter deals with several scientific explorations of the effects of chestnut enrichment of breads, in both gluten and gluten-free applications.

The comprehension of the thermal phenomena of milk powders is still object of investigation, being the result of complex interactions among their components as affected by composition, storage conditions and manufacturing. For a better understanding of the above-mentioned phenomena, the effect of the single milk component (proteins, casein, whey proteins and lactose) on the thermal behavior of whole and skim milk powders was investigated by means of DSC during heating. Whole milk powders exhibited two endothermic transitions related to the fat crystal melting at temperatures between 276 and 325 K. Glass transitions of lactose (309 K) and caseins (347–358 K) with their enthalpy relaxation phenomena were observed in the milk derivatives, being instead highly influenced from a w and composition in the dried milk. At higher temperature (353–473 K), different exothermic events, such as lactose crystallization, Maillard reaction and/or decomposition of carbohydrates and proteins, were recognized in the curves of milk and protein derivatives powders. A good explanation of the thermal properties of the milk powders was obtained from the comparison with the heating curves of the single components. Lactose resulted the key component of many thermal events, being the molecule more influenced by the environmental conditions. These results can lead to a better comprehension of the physical properties of the milk powders, fundamental for their functional and commercial quality.

The lack of updated knowledge about the physical properties of milk powders aimed us to evaluate selected physical properties (water activity, particle size, density, flowability, solubility and colour) of eleven skim and whole milk powders produced in Europe. These physical properties are crucial both for the management of milk powder during the final steps of the drying process, and for their use as food ingredients. In general, except for the values of water activity, the physical properties of skim and whole milk powders are very different. Particle sizes of the spray-dried skim milk powders, measured as volume and surface mean diameter were significantly lower than that of the whole milk powders, while the roller dried sample showed the largest particle size. For all the samples the size distribution was quite narrow, with a span value less than 2. The loose density of skim milk powders was significantly higher than whole milk powders (541.36 vs 449.75 kg/m3). Flowability, measured by Hausner ratio and Carr’s index indicators, ranged from passable to poor when evaluated according to pharmaceutical criteria. The insolubility index of the spray-dried skim and whole milk powders, measured as weight of the sediment (from 0.5 to 34.8 mg), allowed a good discrimination of the samples. Colour analysis underlined the relevant contribution of fat content and particle size, resulted in higher lightness (L*) for skim milk powder than whole milk powder, which, on the other hand, showed higher yellowness (b*) and lower greenness (−a*). In conclusion a detailed knowledge of functional properties of milk powders may allow the dairy to tailor the products to the user and help the food processor to perform a targeted choice according to the intended use.

Several studies investigated the impact of different cooking techniques on the quality of vegetables. However, the use of the combined air-steam cooking is still scarcely debated, despite the advantages informally referred by professional catering workers. In this study, its optimisation was studied on Brussels sprouts and pumpkin cubes to obtain the best physical (texture, colour) and antioxidant (FRAP, total phenols) response, in comparison to a conventional steaming treatment.Increasing the strength of the air-steam treatment, Brussels sprouts resulted to be softer, less green (higher a* value), richer in phenols and exhibited lower FRAP values than the steamed ones. The air-steamed pumpkin cubes exhibited an equivalent softening degree to that of steamed ones and, under the strongest cooking conditions, a higher antioxidant quality and a yellow darkening (lower b* value). Varying the cooking time and/or temperature, a linear change of force/compression hardness and a* (negative a*: greenness) for Brussels sprouts, b* (yellowness) and total phenol content for pumpkin cubes was observed. A predictive model for these variables was obtained by response surface methodology. The best process conditions to achieve the optimal desirability were also identified.The application of air-steam cooking under suitable time/temperature conditions could be proposed as an alternative method to a traditional steam cooking on Brussels sprouts and pumpkin cubes, being able to preserve or improve their quality. The best air-steam cooking conditions were 25 min at 90 °C for Brussels sprouts and 10 min at 110 °C for pumpkin. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Vegetable oils are fats extracted from plants and most of them derive from seeds or beans; other oils are instead extracted from the fruit endosperm. Surveys on the world production of the major vegetable oils ranked palm oil and soybean oil as the most widely produced vegetable oils. The compositional data of both macro- and micro-components of vegetable oils may significantly differ depending on the cultivar, geographical location, climate, maturity stage of the fruit, extraction, and/or refining process. The differences between the various types of vegetable oils mainly concern the fatty acid (FA) composition. Most oils contain mainly monounsaturated FA and polyunsaturated FA with low amounts of saturated FA (SFA), except for lauric oils that contain a large percentage of SFA. In vegetable oils, FA are mostly found as glycerolesters, where triacylglycerols represent at least 95% of a crude oil.

BACKGROUND: Raman spectroscopy, in its confocal micro-Raman variation, has been recently proposed as a spatially resolved method to identify carotenoids in various food matrices, being faster, non-destructive, and avoiding sample extraction, but no data are present in the literature concerning its application to the evaluation of carotenoid pattern changes after thermal treatment of carrots. RESULTS: The effect of three cooking methods (i.e. boiling, steaming and microwaving) was evaluated on frozen carrot, comparing changes on carotenoid profiles measured by means of Raman spectroscopy with their high-performance liquid chromatographic determination and colour. A more pronounced detrimental effect on carotenoids was detected in steamed carrots, in accordance with colour data. Conversely, boiling and, to a lesser extent, microwaving caused an increase in carotenoid concentration. Cooking procedures affected the Raman spectral features of carotenoids, causing a shift of vibration frequencies towards a higher energy, increase in the spectral baseline and peak intensities as well as a broadening of their width, probably in relation to the thermal degradation of longer carotenoids (i.e. the all-trans form) and the isomerization process. In particular, steamed samples showed a significantly higher increase of centre frequency, in accordance with a more pronounced isomerization and changes in colour parameters. CONCLUSION: This work showed that the evolution of Raman spectral parameters could provide information on carotenoid bioaccessibility for carrots cooked using various methods. This paves the way for a future use of this technique to monitor and optimize cooking processes aimed at maximizing carotenoid bioaccessibility and bioavailability.

BACKGROUND Bread traditionally made from wheat is now often supplemented with alternative functional ingredients as chestnut flours; no data have been previously published about the staling of chestnut-containing bread. Thus short-term storage (3 days) for chestnut flour-supplemented soft wheat bread is evaluated by means of selected physicochemical properties (i.e. water dynamics, texture, colour, crumb grain characteristic, total antioxidant capacity). RESULTS Bread prepared with a 20:80 ratio of chestnut:soft wheat flours maintained its moisture content in both crust and crumb. Crumb hardness, after baking, was found to be significantly higher than that of the soft wheat bread; it did not change during storage, whereas it significantly increased in the control bread until the end of the shelf life. The supplemented bread presented a heterogeneous crumb structure, with a significant decrease in the largest pores during shelf life, relative to the shrinkage of crumb grain. The control exhibited a significant redistribution of crumb holes, with a decrease in the smallest grain classes and an increase in the intermediate ones, most likely caused by cell wall thickening. The colour of the crumb remained unaltered in both breads. The crust of the control presented a significant decrease of a* (redness) and that of the supplemented bread exhibited a decrease of b* (yellowness). The antioxidant capacity was detected after day 1 of storage in the chestnut flour bread only. CONCLUSION Chestnut flour supplementation could represent a feasible way of producing bread with improved characteristics, not only just after baking but also during shelf life. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

Sous vide treatment is encountering a renewed interest among chefs and catering operators, but an important concern is that they had been joined by those who were not aware resulting in foods held at time/temperature combination that may be not appropriate by a qualitative point of view. In this study, beef semitendinosus muscles were sous vide cooked by applying two different time/temperature treatments, a typical low temperature–long time (LT-LT) condition realized by cooking 36 h at 75 °C (SV75) and an innovative high temperature–short time (HT-ST) one for 2 h at 100 °C (SV100). Data were compared to traditionally boiled meat, and changes in pasteurization values, weight loss, texture, color, vitamins of B group as well as volatile compounds profile were evaluated. HT-ST treatment proved to achieve a pasteurization value sufficient to exclude Clostridium perfringens risk, while on the contrary, LT-LT may be a sous vide cooking approach that could be subjected to this microbiological hazard. Total weight loss of SV100 resulted significantly lower compared to SV75. SV75 samples showed the lowest shear force and hardness, being also less red than the other two samples. In addition, vitamin B3 retention was very similar for both sous vide methods, while LT-LT condition allowed a higher retention of B12. Finally, volatile compounds of beef muscles cooked by means of LT-LT and HT-ST sous vide conditions showed lower accumulation of off-flavor such as hexanal or 3-octanone in comparison to traditional boiling technique and better preserved the volatile profile of raw meat. Sous vide cooking at HT-ST condition used in this study could represent a feasible alternative to low-temperature treatment allowing to obtain comparable or better qualitative standards except for vitamin B12 retention and hardness.

Summary An electronic nose can be used to discriminate tealeaf quality, but to the best of the author's knowledge, studies that address the changes in electronic sensor signals between tea leaves and infusions are not available. In this framework, this preliminary work compared the volatile emissions of leaf samples belonging to the basic Chinese teas (white, yellow, green, oolong, black and pu erh) with those of their respective infusions using an electronic nose. Different signal responses were qualitatively and quantitatively obtained from the sensors both for the tea leaves and their respective infusions, showing that the leaf aroma is not transferred as it is into the beverage. The teas were grouped according to the different fermentation techniques based on the percentage variations in the sensor contributions to the complete description of the volatile profiles. The results indicated that the electronic nose is a suitable tool to monitor the volatile emission differences that occur between leaves and infusions in different tea types.

In the present study, the possibility of enhancing phenolic and flavonoid concentration in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruits by post-harvest irradiation with UV-B light was assessed. Fruits of the commercial cv Money Maker (MM) and the mutant genotype high pigment-1 (hp-1), constitutively rich in these compounds, were harvested at mature green and turning stages and left to ripen within climatic chambers where they were daily treated with UV-B radiation (1 h, 6.08 kJ/m2 day). In control chambers, UV-B radiation was screened by benzophenone-treated polyethylene film. The treatment was generally effective in increasing phenolic, flavonoid and flavonol concentration in both peel and flesh of MM and hp-1 fruits, although in this latter the positive response to UV-B treatment was mainly evident in fruits harvested at mature green stage. Following UV-B treatment, antioxidant activity increased in the peel of both genotypes independently from the harvesting stage and in the flesh of hp-1 fruits harvested at mature green stage. Hydroxycinnamic acids of both genotypes reacted to UV-B treatment differently depending on harvesting stage and tissue localisation, generally showing an increase in the peel of fruits harvested at mature green stage. With few exceptions, UV-B irradiation also induced a higher accumulation of individual flavonoids both in the peel and in the flesh of MM and hp-1 fruits independently from harvesting stage. Based on these results, UV-B irradiation can be considered a promising technique to increase the nutraceutical potential of tomato fruits by non-molecular tools.

Artisanal Italian ice cream (called gelato) is one of the most appreciated Italian food specialties. Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids represent the most used emulsifiers for gelato but the demand for “clean label” products containing lower amount or no additives or stabilizers is continuously increasing among consumers. In this work, the impact of three phospholipid emulsifiers (soy, milk and rice phospholipids) was evaluated on physicochemical, thermal and flavour characteristics of a basic Italian gelato formulation in comparison to those of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, used as control. Control sample showed the highest overrun and unfreezable water values but also the lowest fat destabilization percentages. On the contrary, gelato added with soy phospholipids exhibited the greatest resistance to melt and high fat destabilization ratio being also harder than the others. Sample with rice phospholipids revealed a richer volatile profile with herbal and green notes. The lowest performances were displayed from gelato where milk phospholipids were added as emulsifier as this sample showed higher mix viscosity, green colour notes, lower overrun, hardness and stickiness values. During a 4-week storage in a domestic freezer, all samples hardened and became more yellow, showing a decrease of volatiles except for samples with rice phospholipids added. These findings may encourage further research on the use of soy and rice phospholipids as emulsifiers to improve their performances in gelato making, by testing their use alone or in combination at different levels.

In this study, wheat breads supplemented with different contents of chestnut flour (wheat/chestnut flour ratios: 100/0; 80/20; 50/50), were evaluated on the basis of physico-chemical properties (proximate composition, fatty acids, texture, colour, crumb grain, antioxidant capacity, volatile profile). Proximate composition, fatty acids, antioxidant capacity and volatiles for wheat and chestnut flours and their blends in the same proportion were also determined. Antioxidant capacity increased with chestnut flour content in bread, and in accordance with flour values. A richer volatile profile was shown by bread supplemented with this type of flour as well as for flours. In particular, a marked increase was observed in furans, with their toasty and nutty notes, and phenolic compounds, with their woody and smoky notes. A more heterogeneous crumb structure characterized 80/20 breads added of chestnut flour with larger and more asymmetrical cavities as compared to a finer and more homogeneous pore distribution of the other formulated breads. A lower volume, harder and darker crumb was also shown by bread formulated with 50/50 ratio of chestnut flour in comparison with the other formulations probably due to its higher fibre and sugar contents.

In this work, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was for the first time applied to evaluate cooling and heating curves and related thermal properties of olive oil during refining process steps starting from two series of samples at different initial peroxide values (low, 15meqO2/kg and high, 30meqO2/kg). Thermal properties were statistically correlated by means of principal component analysis (PCA) to those substance classes (products deriving from oxidation, polymerization and hydrolysis of triacylglycerols (TAG)) that could exert adverse effects on consumer health and a negative contribution to the shelf-life of the refined oil. A concomitant significant increase of K270 and polymerized TAG, as a general decrease of oxidation level was exhibited by oils during bleaching. Crystallization significantly shifted towards lower temperatures as well as onset temperature of heating, enlarging transition range, starting from bleaching and at both oxidation levels. PCA was performed to tentatively discriminate among samples according to different refining steps and/or initial level of oxidation correlating thermal properties and chemical results. The first principal component clearly clustered samples according to different refining steps and this differentiation was possible on the basis of the relation of thermal parameters with polymerized TAG conjugated dienes and trienes (K232 and K270, respectively). This preliminary goal should lead to deepen the study of DSC application in the evaluation of the quality of olive and other vegetable oils during refining. Practical applications: DSC is a thermal technique that nowadays covers a large set of applications in lipid technology due to its indisputable advantages as it does not require sample preparation and use of solvents, resulting in a reduced environmental impact. The preliminary findings of this study promote the application of the technique in the evaluation of olive oil quality during refining steps in relation with molecular species formed as polymerized TAG and conjugated trienes discriminating crude and neutralized samples to bleached and deodorized oils. DSC could be also applied on other vegetable oils where refining process is more frequently applied. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.