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The lower content of phenolic compounds in white chocolate makes this confectionery product unhealthier and, thus, adequate for enrichment compared to other types of chocolates like dark or milk. Less phenolics in white chocolate is due to absence of dark cocoa solids, abundant in these compounds. This study aimed to develop a new product with a higher nutritional value than regular white chocolate by enriching white chocolate with blueberry juice as a natural source of polyphenols. Since phenolic compounds are highly sensitive to heat, light, oxygen, and pH, encapsulated form of blueberry juice was used to increase their stability in the product. Blueberry juice was encapsulated on maltodextrin (B/M) and added to white chocolate at 80 g/kg and 100 g/kg concentrations. Enrichment significantly (p0.05) except for the sweetness. The enriched chocolate samples were less sweet. The results of this study indicate the potential of maltodextrin as a carrier of sensitive bioactive compounds for the enrichment of products like white chocolate.

This work examines pressurized accelerated oxidation by a RapidOxy tester as an alternative method for determination of biodiesel oxidation stability. Sunflower oil-based biodiesel was synthesized and treated with antioxidants: tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) - a synthetic antioxidant known for its powerful protective effect, and a mixture of bio-based antioxidant compounds extracted from vinery waste, VWEeth. The antioxidant potency of TBHQ was evaluated at varying temperatures (110 - 140 °C) and concentrations (250 - 2,000 mg dm-3) by the RapidOxy method; assessment of selected results was performed by comparison with relevant data obtained by the standard Rancimat method. VWEeth was added in two high dosages to biodiesel (87,500 and 150,000 mg dm-3) and analyzed at 140°C by the RapidOxy method. Both antioxidants at all applied dosages showed beneficial effects on improving the oxidative stability of biodiesel, but not all of the achieved improvements reached the stability minimum identified by the EN14214 standard. The lowest addition of TBHQ seemed to have a similar effect as the tested dosages of VWEeth but these additions did not increase the induction period above the limit of 8 h; two-fold higher quantity of TBHQ was successful in this respect, increasing the initial oxidation stability by a factor of about 2, which was determined by both methods. The RapidOxy method proved to be a very fast method suitable for testing a large number of samples, which is particularly important for efficient testing of different types and doses of antioxidants.

In the last decade, with the rise in customer awareness about the quality of the food they consume and its health benefits, new methods for producing food fat replacers have been developed. Since then, significant progress has been made in enhancing these techniques. Methods such as emulsion template, foam template, and solvent exchange are frequently employed for creating fat replacers known as oleo- or emulsion gels, commonly used in food products. As the interest in developing fat replacers continues to grow, it has become essential to explore and pursue new materials suitable for producing protein-based fat replacers. Given the increasing food consumption, food waste is on the rise. The goal is to maximize food utilization and create high-protein, nutritionally rich foods with minimal waste. This involves using new materials, such as alternative proteins or food by-products, and finding effective methods for their utilization. This review aims to provide insights into the variety of materials and methods employed to prepare protein-based fat replacers as documented in the available literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple pomace is a by-product of the apple processing industry and can be used for various uses such as animal feed, for composting, or to extract valuable compounds such as pectin or antioxidants. In recent years, it has also gained attention as a potential food ingredient due to its fibre content and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of three parameters: the percentage of wheat flour replaced by extrudate (5%, 10%, and 15%), the percentage of apple pomace in the extrudate (15%, 30%, and 45% based on the mass of corn grits), and the particle size of the extrudate (<250 µm; 250–1000 µm; 1000–2000 µm) on the properties of cookies, using the Box–Behnken experimental design. The addition of extrudates enriched with apple pomace significantly increased the total fibre and ash content of the cookies. The hydroxymethylfurfural content also increased, but not above the permitted limits (25 mg/kg). The sensory quality was strongly influenced by the particle size, especially the hardness, graininess, and appearance of the cookies. The addition of extrudate led to a darker colour of the cookies and a significant increase in the proportion of red tones, but generally had no negative influence on the acceptability of the cookies and their microbiological stability during the 6-month storage period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the nutritional and sensory properties of spelt cookies without wild garlic, cookies with fresh wild garlic, cookies with osmodehydrated wild garlic in sugar beet molasses, and cookies with osmodehydrated wild garlic in an aqueous solution of sucrose and salt were evaluated and compared. The tested cookie samples were characterized in terms of total antioxidative activity, the total content of phenols, flavonoids, and thiosulfates, the presence of dominant phenols, the content of betaine and dietary fiber, antioxidant activity after in vitro digestion, and sensory attributes for appearance, taste, smell, and texture. The results proved that the addition of wild garlic leaves osmodehydrated in molasses provided the cookies with the best nutritional and bioactive properties: 1.75 times higher total phenols content, 2.4 times higher total flavonoids content, 1.52 times higher total thiosulfates content, and 1.56 times higher betaine content, and a total quality increase of 54% compared to the control cookies. The cookies enriched with osmodehydrated wild garlic in molasses were rated as pleasant and acceptable, but also more complex compared to other cookies. The production of this nutritionally and sensory-improved cookie would contribute to expanding the assortment of flour confectionery products, especially for consumers who care about health and nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microencapsulation of essential oils can provide their evaporation and oxidation protection, flavor retention or/and masking of unpleasant taste. The microencapsulation process involves emulsions preparation and drying of the obtained emulsion droplets. The aim of this study is the determination of optimal conditions for preparation of the stable O/W emulsions containing juniper berry essential oil with minimal droplet size, as a preparatory stage for microcapsule formation. As the first step for pre-emulsions preparation, homogenization at 10000 rpm for 5 min. was chosen, which gave emulsions with droplet size between 1.82 and 2.51μm, depending on concentrations of the surfactant (Tween 20) and encapsulated essential oil. The second step was ultrasound emulsification during 5 minutes at a frequency of 99%, using pulsed 10:10 s (ON/OFF) ultrasound treatment, which was chosen as an optimal, creating emulsions of droplet sizes of 320 nm in diameter (for 5% essential oil and 1% Tween 20). The addition of wall material changed the size and stability of emulsions, which depends on type of biopolymer and its surface competition with used surfactant. The maltodextrin (MD), gum arabic (GA) and their mixture in equal ratio were used. GA emulsions can be singled out as the most stable without used surfactant, with D4,3 = 1.11 ± 0.003 μm. Using MD as a wall material requires addition of surfactant (1% w/v) to form stable emulsions. The mixture of MD/GA can be used with or without surfactant. The addition of Tween 20 (1% w/v) decreases droplet size from 14.86 to 0.99 μm, while utilization of the ultrasound contributes to the droplet size decrease and emulsions stability. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 46010]

Apple pomace, a by-product that remains after extraction of juice from fruit, is a good source of dietary fibre, minerals and different phytochemicals such as phenolic acids. Although the valorization of apple pomace as a bakery ingredient was performed by several authors, there is a lack of information on attempts of incorporation of apple by-products in the form of coextrudates with corn grits (CAPCG). In this study, sponge cakes were created with apple pomace coextruded with corn grits in the ratio of 45:55 by partial replacing wheat flour with coextrudate in the formulation at 10%, 20% and 30% level. With the increase in the proportion of coextruded particles, the farinographic characteristics of dough samples showed an increase in water absorption and dough development time due to larger particles of coextrudates, and loss of dough elasticity. Consequently, the cake specific volume decreased over the range between 3.6 - 14.2%, but only the substitution level of 30% yielded an increase in cake firmness after 1 h of cooling and after 24 h of storage. The estimation of sponge cake sensory properties using the hedonic scale from 1 to 9 showed that the most acceptable texture was found in the control sample, whereas all sponge cakes with CAPCG had significantly higher acceptance of odour and taste in comparison to the control cake. From the nutritional point of view, sponge cakes substituted with CAPCG showed higher total dietary fibre content than the control wheat sponge cake.

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions were compelled to transition from traditional-learning to emergency remote e-learning rapidly. In light of this, the present study aims to investigate the effect of a broader range of student characteristics on attitudes towards e-learning during the pandemic in a mixed-mode learning environment. The investigated students' characteristics are gender, previous experience in e-learning, perceived level of IT skills, high school background, study program indicative of the extent of technology use, teaching method employed during the pandemic, time devoted to e-learning, the device employed for e-learning, and residence status. The newly developed Students' Attitudes Towards E-learning Scale (SAES) was administered to a sample of 1058 first-year engineering students at the University of Novi Sad. The results of factor analysis revealed three factors of the SAES: positive attitudes, negative attitudes, and institutional support for emergency e-learning. Results showed that students from different study programs showed significant differences in their perception of online learning, indicating the role of the course curriculum. Additionally, students from the gymnasium (grammar school) who attended online classes during the pandemic and had prior experience in e-learning showed more positive attitudes towards e-learning, while students who engaged in the combined teaching method in high school and spent more hours in e-learning showed more negative attitudes towards e-learning. Gender does not affect attitudes towards e-learning. Emphasising the importance of examining diverse student characteristics, this study highlights institutional support for e-learning for commuter students and those who spend more time on e-learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is a by-product generated during the brewing process. It is a rich source of dietary fibre and proteins, with great potential to increase nutritional value of food products. In this research different quantities of fresh (non-dried and non-milled) brewer's spent grain (15, 25 and 50%) were added to wheat flour on a replacement basis in order to evaluate its effect on fibre and protein content, instrumental parameters of colour, microbial stability and sensory characteristics of cookies. Protein and fibre content of cookies increased following the addition of BSG from 7.55% to 9.69% and 6.8 to 15.55%, respectively. Considering the colour characteristics, addition of BSG decreased L*and b* values, while a*values increased. Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Clostridium spp., yeasts and moulds were not detected in cookie samples, while the Enterobacteriaceae were detected (40 cfu/g) in fresh BSG. The addition of 25% of BSG resulted in best sensory characteristics of cookies in terms of surface appearance, hardness, grittiness and flavour. The results have shown that fresh BSG has a potential to increase nutritional value of the cookies without negative influence on cookie sensory characteristics and microbiological stability.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the main milling variables, i.e., agitator shaft speed (50, 75 and 100%, which is 25, 37.5 and 50 rpm) and milling time (30, 45 and 60 min) on physical and sensory properties of fat filling, as well as on energy consumption during the production in a laboratory ball mill. Within the response surface method, the face centered central composite design is used. A response surface regression analysis for responses was performed and a full quadratic model was fitted to the experimental data. It is shown that agitator shaft speed had the most significant influence on physical properties (particle size distribution, rheological and textural propertes) and sensory characteristics of fat filling, while the milling energy consumption is highly influenced by milling time with contribution 55.4%, followed by agitator shaft speed (40.04%). The model obtained by regression analyses was used to perform the optimization of processing parameters in order to provide the combination of agitator shaft speed and milling time that cost less energy while at the same time do not compromise the quality of the fat filling. Optimization of production of fat filling in a laboratory ball mill would imply the maximum agitator shaft speed and 30-min milling time.

One of the potential raw materials which could be used for production of food with added nutritional value is tomato pomace, a by-product from tomato processing. On the other hand, requirements of consumers for diverse food with potential for health benefits impose the need for creation of products made from different cereals. In this respect, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of addition of dried tomato pomace on the physical and sensory properties of whole grain rye flour cookies. The whole grain rye flour was substituted with tomato pomace powder in two levels (15% and 25%) in the standard formulation of short-dough cookie. The quality of final products was evaluated by instrumental and sensory methods. The results clearly demonstrated that redness (+a*) and yellowness (+b*) were highly influenced by level of tomato pomace in the cookie formulations due to its content of carotenoid pigments. The spread factor of the cookies made with addition of tomato pomace powder was higher than the control sample. Hardness of the cookie samples decreased for approximately 50% for the cookie sample with 25% tomato pomace level substitution when compared with control sample. According to the results of sensory analysis, substitution level of 15% caused decrease of surface roughness, fracturability, and granularity, as well as increase of caramel flavour intensity. Substitution level of 25% caused higher degree of cookie softening and more pronounced tomato flavour.

Sensory evaluation of colour and marbling of M. semimembranosus (SM) and M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) from five purebred pigs produced in Vojvodina (Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Hampshire and Pietrain) was performed. Colour was evaluated by the panellists with 6-point colour score cards (1-pale pinkish-gray to white; 6-dark purplish-red). Marbling was evaluated by the panellists with7-point marbling score cards (1-devoid, 6-moderate/10-abundant).The differences in the colour and in the marbling of the SM muscles and of the LTL muscles among the five purebred pigs were not significant (P>0.05). A darker colour was obtained for SM muscles than for LTL muscles for all five purebred pigs, with a significant differences for Durok (P=0.018) and Pietrain (P=0.002). The type of the muscles had no significant effect on marbling (P>0.05). The Vojvodian pork meat showed lighter colour than optimum for pork. According to average marbling scores fat content in pork produced in Vojvodina was less than 2 %.

Chocolate is a two-phase rheological system. The solid phase, consisting of non-fat cocoa particles, sugar and soy milk is wrapped in a fat phase - cocoa butter. Physical, thermal, textural and organoleptic properties of chocolate depend on the composition of the ingredients, manufacturing process and a properly conducted pre-crystallization phase. For this study, two chocolate masses were produced in a ball mill: one with 15% of soy milk powder (R1) and the other with 20% of soy milk powder (R2). The chocolate mass was produced at different milling times (30, 60 and 90 min), and pre-crystallization temperature (26, 28 and 30oC). The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes caused by different amounts of soy milk powder on the quality of the chocolate. The quality of chocolate was evaluated by comparing the nutritional composition, hardness, thermorheological and thermal properties of the chocolate mass. The results show that chocolate mass R2, due to the presence of higher amounts of soy milk proteins, should be milled longer, and also needs lower temperatures for pre-crystallization. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31014]

In order to improve functional characteristics of standard milk chocolate (C) was enriched by the addition of whey protein concentrate (WPC) and whey proteins hydrolyzed by trypsin (H-WPC) in the amount of 6%. The chocolate samples were analyzed by determination of antioxidant capacity, particle size distribution, textural, rheological, and sensory properties. The obtained results revealed that chocolate enriched by whey protein hydrolysate (H-WPC) possesses higher content of total polyphenols (1007.8 ± 96.8 mg GAE/100 g), increased ability to inhibit ABTS radicals (66.30 ± 1.99%), and increased ability to inhibit DPPH radicals (56.34 ± 3.20%), compared to the standard milk chocolate (C) (877.1 ± 56.0 mg GAE/100g; 48.46 ± 2.11%; 48.07 ± 2.80%, respectively). The additional ingredients do not significantly affect the hardness and enthalpy of chocolates. The hydrolyzed whey proteins increase the viscosity of chocolate (11.81 ± 0.11 Pa·s) to a greater extent than non-hydrolyzed whey proteins (9.17 ± 0.09 Pa·s), relative to the control sample (3.53 ± 0.05 Pa·s). Regardless of the fact that the WPC sample has slightly better rheological characteristics and particle size distribution compared to the H-WPC sample, no major changes in the sensory characteristics of chocolate were observed. Based on the results, whey protein hydrolysate can be marked as an exceptional ingredient for improving the quality of chocolate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch sweeteners are commonly used in many confectionery food products. Usually, considering the trend of producing low-energy and low-fat products, these products include fat mimetics. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of fructose sweeteners on the development of functional properties of MCG fat mimetic, such as rheological and textural behavior. Fat mimetics made from Microcrystalline cellulose gel (MCG) consist of colloidal microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) and were observed in five different concentrations (1, 3, 5, 7, and 10%). The amount of starch sweetener in the mixture with the fat mimetics was 20%. The effect of pure crystalline fructose and a mixture of crystalline-fructose and high-fructose corn syrup in a ratio of 1:1 was analyzed. Rheological parameters significantly decreased with the application of starch sweeteners. By adding a mixture of starch sweeteners, this decrease was further increased by 10%. At higher gel concentrations of 5, 7, and 10%, the dominance of the elastic modulus G′ was preserved. Texture parameters such as firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, and viscosity index were reduced accordingly. The presence of starch sweeteners significantly disrupted the networking of the three-dimensional structure of the MCG gel and the proper hydration process during the formation of fat mimetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oilseed crops are widely cultivated and are related to nutrition and human health as valuable nutraceutical sources with valuable biological properties. The growing demand for oil plants used in human and animal nutrition or for the processing industry has contributed to the diversification and development of a new variety of oil crops. Increased oil crop diversity, besides ensuring reduced sensitivity to pests and climate conditions, has also led to improved nutritional values. In order to enable oil crop cultivation to become commercially sustainable, a comprehensive characterization of newly created varieties of oilseeds, including their nutritional and chemical composition, is required. In this study, two varieties of safflower and white and black mustard were investigated as alternative oil species for nutritional parameters, mainly protein, fat, carbohydrate, moisture, ash, polyphenols, flavonoids, chlorophylls contents, acids and mineral composition, and compared with those of two different genotypes of rapeseeds as a traditional oil crop plant. The proximate analysis found that the highest oil content was found in the oil rape NS Svetlana genotype (33.23%), while the lowest was in black mustard (25.37%). The protein content varies from around 26% in safflower samples to 34.63%, determined in white mustard. High content of unsaturated fatty acids and low content of saturated fatty acid was observed in the analyzed samples. In mineral analysis, the dominant elements were phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium, in descending order. The observed oil crops are also good sources of microelements, including iron, copper, manganese and zinc, accompanied by high antioxidant activity due to the presence of significant amounts of polyphenolic and flavonoid compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orange peels, generally considered as waste, were treated with subcritical water (SWE)—a green technology and environmentally friendly extraction process—at different temperatures (120–200 °C) and extraction times (5–60 min). The extracts which were obtained were chemically and biologically characterised to evaluate this potential source of bioactive compounds. The extracts total phenolics content (TPC) and total flavonoids contents (TFC), as well as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), DPPH radical scavenging activity, and total carbohydrate content, were determined by UV spectrophotometry. The pectin content was quantified by a gravimetric method. The dietary fibre content was investigated, and a phytochemical screening assay was performed. The extract obtained at 120 °C for 5 min displayed the highest TPC (45.45 mg GAE/g DW), TFC (9.29 mg RE/g DW), and TAC (130.47 mg AAE/g DW), indicating that relatively low temperatures and extremely short extraction times can be used in SWE to obtain orange peel extracts that are rich in bioactive compounds. The results of this study demonstrate the exceptional potential of orange peel extracts obtained with SWE. As shown, this biowaste represents a promising source of health-promoting compounds that could be used in pharmaceutical and dietary products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to examine the impact of the manufacturing process on the textural characteristics and sensory properties of milk chocolate. The research was conducted on the samples of chocolate produced in a ball mill during 30, 60 and 90 minutes of refining, each of them being pre-crystallized at 26, 28 and 30°C. A chocolate mass of identical ingredient composition was also produced using a standard manufacturing process at the same pre-crystallization temperatures. Chocolate hardness was examined using a piece of equipment called Texture Analyser, measuring the stress intensity which leads to chocolate crushing. Sensory analysis was performed using the point scoring method. The new manufacturing process, i.e. the manufacturing of chocolate in a ball mill improves sensory properties and hardness of milk chocolate. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31014]

The rheological and physical properties of the chocolate mass depend on the ingredient composition as well as the manufacturing process. For the purpose of this work, a milk chocolate mass of identical composition and raw materials was manufactured by using the two different manufacturing processes: a standard manufacturing process (SM) in five-roller mills including conching, and an unconventional manufacturing process in a ball mill (R1). The quality of both milk chocolate masses was examined by the comparison of thermal (differential scanning calorimetry analysis), textural properties (texture analysis), and the content of hard triglycerides (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy). The main goal of this work was to determine whether chocolate can be produced in a ball mill, using the manufacturing process which results in significant savings, without causing drastic changes to the chocolate physical properties. The new manufacturing process rationalises the standard method by combining two phases, namely conching, and refining into a single one. This results in reduced initial and maintenance costs, as well as costs of workforce and fuel, etc. The results have shown that the new chocolate manufacturing process has a positive impact on texture and thermal properties, while the content of hard triglycerides remains the same.

Chocolate manufacture is a complex process which includes a large number of technology operations. One of the obligatory phases is milling, called refining, which aims at obtaining the appropriate distribution of particle size, resulting in the chocolate with optimal physical and sensory characteristics. The aim of this work was to define and optimize the process parameters for the production of milk chocolate by a non-conventional procedure, using the ball mill. The quality of chocolate mass, produced on this way, is determined by measuring the following parameters: moisture, size of the largest cocoa particle, yield flow, and Casson plastic viscosity. A special consideration of this study is the optimization of the types and amounts of emulsifiers, which are responsible for achieving the appropriate rheological and physical characteristics of the chocolate mass. The obtained parameters are compared with those which are typical for the standard procedure.