Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Rapeseed press cake was upcycled as a protein-enriched ingredient through dry fractionation. The protein-enriched fraction contained higher amounts of phytic acid compared to press cake, and phytase treatment was applied to decrease the phytic acid content from 6.8 to 0.5%. The effect of phytase treatment leading to the release of cations was also mimicked by extrinsic calcium addition. Both phytase treatment and calcium addition significantly improved the heat-induced gel properties but had a minor effect on protein solubility and dispersion stability at pH 8. Water and protein holding capacities of the gels were the highest for the phytase-treated sample (91 and 97%, respectively), followed by the sample with added calcium (86 and 94%, respectively) and control sample (60 and 86%, respectively). Gel firmness followed the same pattern. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed an interconnected structured network in the phytase-treated gel, while in the control gel, a more rigid and open structure was observed. The improved gelation properties resulting from the phytase treatment suggest that the protein and soluble dietary fibre-enriched rapeseed press cake ingredient serve as a promising raw material for gelled food systems. The positive effect of calcium addition on gel properties proposes that part of the improvement observed after phytase treatment may be caused by cations released from phytate.

A negative, public reaction is growing over the addition of chemical preservatives to liquid foods and beverages to extend their shelf life and to protect against foodborne pathogens. As a physical method, ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation has a positive consumer image and is of interest to the food industry as a low cost non-thermal method of preservation. Recent advances in the science and engineering of UV light irradiation have demonstrated that this technology holds considerable promise as an alternative to traditional thermal pasteurization for liquid foods and ingredients, fresh juices, soft drinks, and beverages. However, its use for treating foods is still limited due to low UV transmittance of liquid foods. The goal of this review is to provide a summary of the basic principles of UV light generation and propagation with emphasis on its applications for liquid food processing. The review includes information on critical product and process factors that affect UV light inactivation and consequently the delivery of a required scheduled process in liquids foods; measuring and modeling of UV inactivation, and the important effects of UV light on overall quality and nutritional value of liquid foods. The commercially available UV light sources and UV reactor designs that were used for liquid foods treatment are reviewed. The research priorities and challenges that need to be addressed for the successful development of UV technology for liquid foods treatment are discussed.

The food processing industry is currently facing challenges in delivering safe, healthy, and high-quality food. Constant monitoring at each step of the supply chain of food is vital to resolve the issue of food contamination. To achieve this aim and to meet consumer prospects, the technologies promoting the concept of clean label food have been widely cherished. Ozonation is one such advanced technology that assists in maintaining food product quality and safety. Its manifold approach and zero-by-product production make it a promising food disinfectant technique. Ozone due to its oxidative property has been widely used in sanitizing, washing, odor removal, water treatment, and in equipment, fruits, vegetable, and meat processing disinfection. Ozonation in foods is done in such a way that no nutritional, sensory, and physicochemical characteristics are altered. In this review, an attempt is made to give an overview of the impact and contribution of ozone as a disinfectant in food processing while comparing it with conventional disinfectants and its overall application in the food industry.

This article investigated the effects of an air atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) with different treatment times (30 to 120 s) on changes in fruiting body production and biochemical phytochemicals from white Cordyceps militaris (white C. militaris). A low-cost neon transformer was applied to generate the APPJ. An optical emission spectrometer revealed reactive species, including hydroxyl radicals, nitrogen oxide, and atomic oxygen. After treatment with the optimal APPJ conditions, the fresh and dry weights of white C. militaris fruiting bodies significantly increased by 56.7 and 55.4%, respectively. Higher values of cordycepin, adenosine, superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, and β-glucan in white C. militaris fruiting bodies were observed after a short time of APPJ treatments. Higher malondialdehyde contents were determined to be associated with high concentrations of APPJ treatments. However, the contents of carotenoids degraded with APPJ treatment. In addition, APPJ treatments significantly enhanced the total phenolic content, flavonoid content, polysaccharide content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability, and ferric reducing antioxidant power. Thus, these results suggested that APPJ treatment improves the fruiting body production and nutritional qualities of white C. militaris, which provide health benefits for humans.