1,721,035 research outputs found
Acrylamide in coffee and coffee substitutes
No full textAcrylamide is formed in a variety of heat-treated commercial foods, including coffee and coffee substitutes. Acrylamide is known to be toxic and, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” As this gave rise for concern, researches were carried out to study acrylamide metabolism and toxicity, and elucidate the mechanistic pathways of formation. This chapter summarizes the progress made in understanding the formation of acrylamide in coffee and coffee substitutes as well as possible mitigation strategies aimed to reduce consumers' intake. So far, only a few measures currently available for acrylamide mitigation in coffee and coffee substitutes are potentially exploitable at the industrial level, that is, meeting feasibility and compatibility with the existing industrial process, regulatory compliance, costs, and economic and environmental sustainability
Re-thinking functional food development through a holistic approach
Full text linkAlthough the interest towards functional food has dramatically increased, several factors jeopardize their effective development. A univocally recognized definition and a dedicated regulation for this emerging food category is lacking, and a gap exists between the technological and the nutritional viewpoints. Involved actors speak different languages, thus impinging the progression towards an integrated approach for functional food development. A holistic approach to rationalize functional food development was here proposed, i.e., the “Functional Food Development Cycle”. First regulation and definitions were reviewed. The technological approaches for functional food design were then described, followed by the efficacy evaluation ones. Merging the technological and the evaluation viewpoints, by identifying the best compromise between quality and functionality, is pivotal to develop effective functional foods. Finally, delivering functional food on the market requires dedicated communication strategies. These in turn can provide information about consumer needs, thus representing an input for regulatory bodies to drive the development of functional food, feeding it within an iterative and virtuous holistic cycle
Color Changes of Tomato Purees During Storage at Freezing Temperatures
No full textABSTRACT: The changes in color of unblanched and blanched tomato purees during storage at −7 and −18 °C were studied. They showed the typical sigmoidal-shape of radical reactions and were well described by the Logistic equation (R > 0.95; P < 10−3). After an initial induction time, a progressive increase in the bleaching rate was found for both unblanched and blanched frozen tomato purees. The color changes for the unblanched sample were statistically higher than those for the heated one. In the former case, the bleaching of carotenoids was attributed to both chemical and enzyme-catalyzed oxidation reactions. The effect of storage temperatures on color changes was appreciable only in the case of the unblanched tomato sample
Estrapolazione di simulazioni di laboratorio alle condizioni di sterilizzazione termica per prodotti alimentari confezionati
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Combined effects in preventing enzymatic browning reactions in minimally processed foods
No full textAcrylamide removal from heated foods
No full textThe possibility to remove acrylamide from foods by exploiting its chemical physical properties was studied. Commercial biscuits and potato chips were subjected to vacuum treatments at different combinations of pressure, temperature and time. Results showed that acrylamide removal was achieved only in samples previously hydrated at water activity values higher than 0.83, and that, a maximum of acrylamide removal was obtained between 5 and 15 min of vacuum treatment at 6.67 Pa and 60 °C. By applying these process conditions, it was possible to remove 43% and 18% acrylamide from the biscuits and the potato chips, respectively. It was hypothesised that the vacuum treatment could favour acrylamide formation by promoting the decarboxylation of the Schiff base, a key intermediate of acrylamide formation. Although further research is needed to find out for each food category the process conditions that can maximise acrylamide removal while minimising its formation as well as to evaluate the effects on the sensory properties, this technology would represent a promising and alternative strategy to mitigation interventions aimed at reducing acrylamide levels in foods. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Treatment of Food Industry Wastewater With Ultrasound: A Big Opportunity for the Technology
No full textConsidering the growing concerns about wastewater management in the food industry, new strategies are increasingly under study. Among them, ultrasound has been proposed for industrial wastewater treatment. This technology has been applied for water disinfection and decontamination and as a pretreatment prior to anaerobic digestion for biogas production. Ultrasound treatment alone did not reduce the microbial load of wastewater nor completely degrade pollutants. However, its combination with other strategies, including thermal treatment, addition of oxidizing agents, filtration, and adsorption, has been successfully applied for wastewater treatment
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