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Nowadays, the challenge of finding food capable of meeting the needs of the population in terms of availability, nutritional value and sustainability is not only a necessity, but also an aspiration for a healthier lifestyle. The replacement of vertebrate animal products with new protein sources in human nutrition is a topic of increasing interest. Many studies have shown that insects, as a possible food source, have great potential to be called the "food of the future" because they are rich in high-quality proteins, fiber and fatty acids, mineral elements, vitamins., В днешно време предизвикателството за търсене на храна, способна да задоволи нуждите на населението по отношение на наличност, хранителна стойност и устойчивост, е не само необходимост, но и стремеж към по-здравословен начин на живот. Замяната на животински продукти с нови източници на протеини в храненето на човека е тема с нарастващ интерес. Много изследвания показват, че насекомите, като възможен хранителен източник, имат голям потенциал да бъдат наречени „храна на бъдещето“, тъй като те са богати на висококачествени протеини, фибри и мастни киселини, минерални елементи, витамини.

Apple pomace - wheat semolina blends were extruded in a laboratory single screw extruder (Brabender 20 DN, Germany). Effects apple pomace content, moisture content, screw speed, and temperature of final cooking zone on texture of extrudates were studied applying response surface methodology. The texture characteristics of the extrudates were measured using a TA.XT Plus Texture Analyser, Stable Micro Systems.

Polysaccharides traditionally have been used as replacer of gluten in bakery and bread production for increasing the quality of products for coeliac patients. The objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of some polysaccharides and emulsifiers on the rheological and thermal properties of gluten-free dough based on chestnut and rice flour. Herschel–Bulkley model was used to describe the non-Newtonian flow behavior of the dough. The viscoelastic properties of the dough were characterized by relaxation, retardation test. Water state (non-freezable and freezable water) in the dough and starch gelatinization were investigated by the method of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was shown that because of specific interactions between the polysaccharides and the other ingredients, the rheological properties of the doughs with added polysaccharides are improved and the water absorption capacity increased.

Many plant extracts selected for their high in vitro antibacterial activity in microbiological media have a far lower in situ antibacterial activity in foods. This is likely due to interactions of plant antimicrobial molecules with food components such as proteins or dispersed fat at the expense of their interaction with target unwanted bacteria. Gaillac red wine powder and Cinnamon cassia essential oil were selected for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus CNRZ3 and Listeria innocua LRGIA 01, respectively. In order to assess their potential application to the preservation of raw meat or dairy products, respectively, their antibacterial activity was tested in Mueller Hinton broth (MHB) supplemented with up to 20% beef meat proteins to mimick raw beef meat protein content and in TSB, skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole milk, respectively. Supplementation of MHB with beef extract proteins annihilated the antibacterial activity of Gaillac red wine powder as well as of resveratrol, a stilbene polyphenol present in red wine. The comparison of the anti-Listeria innocua activity of C. cassia essential oil in TSB 1% (w/w), skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole milk led to the conclusion that its antibacterial activity was significantly reduced in the presence of milk fat globules but not significantly by milk proteins. Complexified microbiological media or liquid foods such as sterilized milk with various milk fat contents might thus be valuable tools for the rapid screening of antibacterial plant extracts of interest for perishable foods preservation.

The equilibrium moisture contents (EMC) were determined for lentil extrudates produced under different processing conditions at 25°C and eight relative humidity (RH) in the range of 0.113 – 0.902. It was established that for the ten extruded samples the EMC values at the same RH were not statistically equal. Four models – Chung-Pfost, Halsey, Oswin, and Henderson equations were applied for analyzing the experimental data. The Oswin model was most suitable for describing the relationship between the EMC and RH.

Lentil semolina was extruded in a laboratory single screw extruder (Brabender 20 DN, Germany) with screw diameter 19 mm and die diameter 5 mm. Effects of moisture content, barrel temperature, metering zone temperature, screw speed, and screw compression ratio on hardness of the extruded products were studied. Response surface methodology with combinations of moisture content (18, 22, 25, 28, 32%), metering zone temperature (136, 150, 160, 170, 184° C), barrel temperature (136, 150, 160, 170, 184° C), screw speed (132, 160, 180, 200, 228 rpm), and screw compression ratio (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1) was applied. Feed screw speed was fixed at 70 rpm. Feed zone temperature was kept constant at 150° C. The hardness of the extrudates was measured with a TA.XT Plus Texture Analyser, Stable Micro Systems. The textural profiles of the extrudates showed that feed moisture had the highest effect on the hardness.