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Considering growing food demand and waste concerns, sustainable packaging solutions have been explored. Biomacromolecules, like proteins and lipids, offer promising alternatives to conventional polymers for food packaging components. This study investigates the use of oleoresins to enhance the functionality of soy protein isolate (SPI) films. Physical-mechanical properties and antifungal activity against Penicillium paneumwere assessed. Cinnamon and paprika oleoresins were incorporated in both free and encapsulated forms (using solid lipid microparticles, SLMs), resulting in orange-colored films. Films containing SLMs exhibited reduced light transmittance (over 50%), potentially protecting photosensitive products from light degradation. Key film properties like moisture content, solubility in water, and water vapor permeability remained unchanged. The thermal curves between 20 and 100 ºC showed no glass transition events. While tensile strength decreased (from 4.83 MPa to 1.80 MPa), the presence of both SLMs and free oleoresins significantly delayed the growth of P. paneum, suggesting potential antifungal activity. The films offer combined barrier and antimicrobial properties, making them a promising sustainable alternative for food preservation. Further optimization efforts could focus on balancing mechanical properties with desired functionalities for real-world applications.

This study aimed to estimate the survival of two Weizmannia coagulansand a Lacticaseibacillus paracaseiprobiotic strain under simulated gastrointestinal conditions using different food matrices (a Brazilian processed cheese – “requeijão cremoso," orange juice, and homemade bread). The probiotic Weizmanniastrains remained stable throughout digestion, showing good resistance to solutions of the gastrointestinal tract. Lacticaseibacillus paracaseiPXN 37 showed inactivation kinetics with a good model fit (R2 > 0.90) at pH 1 in orange juice, cream cheese and when inoculated purely directly in the gastric solution, when the counts of this strain were <6 log CFU/g in both foods studied. In the other pH conditions evaluated (pH 2–4), the reductions in the populations of the probiotic strains did not impair their viability at the end of gastric digestion, as counts were always >6 log CFU/g or mL. Orange juice and processed cheese could be considered as viable food matrices for the application of probiotics. The modeling approach employed herein highlights the potential of this approach to screen suitable strains for the best dose adjustment, to use different probiotic strains in food formulations, to identify the conditions that inhibit/delay their growth, and to ascertain the limiting factors for the shelf life of the probiotic products.

Imbalance in the gut microbiota (GM), changes in their functions and metabolic activities, known as dysbiosis, can harm human health. Therefore, the prevention of dysbiosis and the improvement of GM are vital to maintaining health. In recent years, the importance of inactivated probiotics, known as paraprobiotics, has increased because of their health-promoting benefits (HPB) and advantages over probiotics. This article evaluates the recently published literature about the effects of paraprobiotics on modulating/changing GM and discusses their potential mechanisms, mainly attributed to the cell fragments. In addition, the different methods of using paraprobiotics (direct and within the food matrix) are evaluated, and which method has better beneficial effects towards GM is shown. Since the beneficial effects of paraprobiotics towards GM are affected through several agents, such as the type of the probiotic strain, the inactivation method; the optimization of conditions is crucial to achieve an appropriate GM improvement performance. Paraprobiotics increased the abundance of Lactobacillales, Bifidobacteriales, and Ruminococcaceae in the GM, but the abundance of Corynebacterium, Escherichia-Shigella, Plesiomonasaredecreased. Using paraprobiotics in a carbohydrate matrix as a food carrier can be a much more promising method to improve GM than directly or within foods with high protein contents.

The present study evaluated the application of Limosilactobacillus fermentumIAL 4541 and Wickerhamomyces anomalusIAL 4533 isolated from sourdoughs and their combinations, for bio-conservative action in panettones, as well as to identify the antifungal volatile compounds. Samples from different fermentation steps were submitted to physicochemical and microbiological evaluation, as to know: sourdough after 48 h (A), 96 h (B), and 144 h (C); dough of the first fermentation (D); final dough after second fermentation (E), and baked panettone (F). In all treatments, lactic bacteria and yeast counts demonstrated a mechanism of proto-cooperation. Panettones containing L. fermentumor W. anomalusin their composition had longer shelf life, which indicates their effect as potential biopreservatives. The genetic sequencing data demonstrated the dominance of the Lactobacilli throughout the process, corroborating the data obtained by cultivable methods. A total of 59 volatile organic compounds were found in this study, and a hierarchical cluster analysis presented the separation between the production stages (C, E) and the most recurrent compounds in the final product (F). Of these compounds, the following stood out (n = 26): acids (7.7%), alcohols (23.1%), aldehydes and ketones (34.6%), and esters (34.6%). The treatments containing L. fermentumpresented more diversity of volatile organic compounds with potential antifungal effect. There was a higher production of acetic (1.17–8.85 mmol/kg), phenyllactic (5–10.4 mmol/kg), and propionic (3.5–4.3 mmol/kg) acids in the final product. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying endogenous starter cultures from sourdoughs, with great biopreservative activity, enabling the production of healthier and more natural panettones.

This study examined the effects of ohmic heating pasteurization on probiotic fermented sheep milk compared to conventional heating by analyzing microbial viability, volatile compounds, riboflavin content, and bioactive peptides in the resulting dairy product. Four batches of milk were processed using conventional heating (CH) and three different ohmic heating (OH). Microbiological analysis demonstrated the safety of OH-processed milk. Probiotic viability remained consistent during fermentation and storage, and the simultaneous inoculation of bacteria reduced fermentation time, indicating cooperation interplays. OH-processed probiotic fermented sheep milk showed a substantial increase in antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive activities, and riboflavin content. Moreover, the flavor profile was characterized by specific volatile compounds. Multiple-factor analysis was performed to identify relationships between samples and various parameters, offering insights into the impact of processing methods. In conclusion, OH enhanced the health-promoting and flavor-related compounds of probiotic fermented sheep milk, suggesting its application to produce functional dairy products.

Tubers and roots have been used in human nutrition since ancient times once they are resistant to pests and easy to grow even in soils poor in nutrients. The most consumed include cassava, potatoes, taro, and yam. In many regions, they are the main source of energy, which has led to industrial-scale cultivation of some such as yacon, burdock, Jerusalem and artichoke, known as sources of fructooligosaccharides, due to the increased demand for prebiotic fibers and the need for lower energy foods. This chapter will present a general approach to tubers and roots and their important role in human nutrition. At the end of the chapter, those recognized as prebiotics and the processing methods for extracting fibers will be discussed.

This review article summarizes some studies that described alterations in microbial counts and diversity in bottled water products, during post-packaging shelf life. It also discusses prevalent microbial groups recovered from bottled water samples in different parts of the world. Finally, it explores some of the advantages of contemporary microbial detection and characterization approaches, with a particular emphasis on implications for traceability and quality assurance in the food industry. Adequate understanding of the microbial ecology of bottled water can aid traceability for example, tracking the origin and quality of products throughout shelf life. Understanding the microbial diversity and factors that influence its changes through shelf life can meaningfully contribute to ensuring product integrity as well as consumer and public health safety.

The aim of this paper was to obtain paraprobiotic from Bifidobacterium animalissubsp. lactisBb-12 (BB) with a promising ohmic-heating (OH) condition through response surface modeling, based on the flow cytometry and spectrophotometry analyses. Some properties of the obtained BB paraprobiotic (BBP) were studied, including the cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), cell auto- and co-aggregation (CAA and CCA), and membrane integrity (MI). Among fitted models, the linear model was more accurate for co-aggregation (R2-pred 85.77%), and the quadratic model for CSH (R2-pred: 84.17%), auto-aggregation (R2-pred=87.25%), MI (R2-pred: 83.65%). The electric field (EF) had the most destructive effect on the MI of BBP. However, OH temperature had the most enhancing effect on the surface characteristics. The surface characteristics of BBP (CSH: 44.82, CAA: 38.05, and CCA: 40.79) obtained by the OH process at optimum condition was remarkably more than BB without OH treatment (CSH: 34.21, CAA: 27.18, and CCA: 28.5). The confirming analysis regarding the MI changes was performed successfully by scanning electron microscopy analysis. Lactic and acetic acids were the most amounts of characterized metabolites in BBP and BB. The OH condition, including EF of 8 V/cm, OH temperature of 88˚C, BB population of 8 (log CFU/mL), and OH time of 3 min, were considered optimum condition. At this optimum OH condition, the responses for CSH, CAA, CCA, and MI were observed 44.82, 38.05, 40.79, and 94.82 %, respectively.

ABSTRACTNoncoding RNA (ncRNA) modulation of gene expression has now been ubiquitously observed across all domains of life. An increasingly apparent role of ncRNAs is to coordinate changes in gene expressions in response to environmental stress. Salmonella enterica, a common food-born pathogen, is known for its striking ability to survive, adapt, and thrive in various unfavourable environments which makes it a particularly difficult pathogen to eliminate as well as an interesting model in which to study ncRNA contributions to cellular stress response. Mounting evidence now suggests that small RNAs (sRNAs) represent key regulators of Salmonellastress adaptation. Approximately 50–500 nucleotides in length, sRNAs regulate gene expression through complementary base pairing with molecular targets and have recently been suggested to outnumber protein-coding genes in bacteria. In this work, we employ small RNA transcriptome sequencing to characterize changes in the sRNA profiles of Salmonellain response to desiccation. In all, we identify 102 previously annotated sRNAs significantly differentially expressed during desiccation; and excitingly, 71 novel sRNAs likewise differentially expressed. Small transcript northern blotting and qRT-PCRs confirm the identities and expressions of several of our novel sRNAs, and computational analyses indicate the majority are highly conserved and structurally related to characterized sRNAs. Predicted sRNA targets include several proteins necessary for desiccation survival and this, in part, suggests a role for desiccation-regulated sRNAs in this stress response. Furthermore, we find individual knock-outs of two of the novel sRNAs identified herein, either sRNA1320429 or sRNA3981754, significantly impairs the ability of Salmonellato survive desiccation, confirming their involvements (and suggesting the potential involvements of other sRNAs we identify in this work) in the Salmonellaresponse to desiccation.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) stands out as a promising sustainable nonthermal technology in the dairy industry for minimizing the deleterious effects of conventional thermal processing without degrading the nutritional, functional, and sensory characteristics of milk and milk products. However, there still needs to be more commercial exploitation of this technology. Research on the effect of processing milk and dairy products by the PEF is scarce in the literature. Besides, up to the present moment, no technical–economic feasibility studies have been found regarding using high-intensity electric pulses in milk and dairy products. This review aims to critically examine the recent advances in the effectiveness of PEF treatment on the inactivation of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in milk and milk products while considering the impact of process parameters, food properties, and microorganism characteristics on ensuring the quality and safety of milk and dairy products.

Ochratoxin A is the main contaminant mycotoxin of grapes produced mainly by Aspergillus nigerand Aspergillus carbonarius. Besides, it is possible that the formation of modified mycotoxin occurs through the plant defense mechanism or also by fungus actions itself. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of grape variety and maturation stage on the formation of OTA and modified mycotoxin. The determination of OTA was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and a high-resolution mass spectrometry was used for the detection of modified ochratoxin. A positive correlation was observed between the following grapes physicochemical parameters: pH, total soluble solids, total glycosides in glucose, total anthocyanin, and OTA levels produced by A. nigerand A. carbonarius. Therefore, the higher the concentrations of these parameters, the greater the production of mycotoxin in grapes. Among the elected targets, we identified the 14-decarboxy-ochratoxin A in Muscat Italia variety at veraison and 15 days after the beginning of veraison stages; and ethylamide-ochratoxin A as a biomarker in the Syrah variety at the ripeness stage.

AbstractThis study aimed to develop a checklist for good hygiene practices (GHP) for raw material of vegetable origin using the focus groups (FGs) approach (n= 4). The final checklist for commercialization of horticultural products totaled 28 questions divided into six blocks, namely: water supply; hygiene, health, and training; waste control; control of pests; packaging and traceability; and hygiene of facilities and equipment. The FG methodology was efficient to elaborate a participatory and objective checklist, based on minimum hygiene requirements, serving as a tool for diagnosis, planning, and training in GHP of fresh vegetables, besides contributing to raise awareness of the consumers' food safety. The FG methodology provided useful information to establish the final checklist for GHP, with easy application, according to the previous participants' perception and experience.

The objective of this study was to estimate the growth rate, lag time and the times for the appearance of visible mycelium (tv) of six fungal species (Paecilomyces variotii, Penicillium paneum, Penicillium polonicum, Penicillium spinulosum, Penicillium citrinumand Aspergillus sydowii). The growth parameters were determined at 20°C, 25°C and 30°C and in two culture media (18% Dichloran Glycerol Agar - DG-18 and Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol Agar – DRBC) aiming the selection of most appropriate strains for use in challenge tests and for the development of predictive models. Seventy-two growth curves were obtained after measuring the diameter of the colonies for 14 days at 20°C, 25°C and 30°C. Values of growth rate between 1.4 and 11.1 (day−1) were obtained in this study. Faster growth rates (> 7 day−1) were observed for Pa. variotii(LMQA-001) and P. paneum(LMQA-002) at 25°C. The lag times varied between 0.7 and 4.2 days, with 50% of the values being as short as 0.7−1.4 day. The variability between the species was analyzed and coefficients of variation (CV) of 44.2% and 41% for the growth rate were observed at 30°C. At 20°C and 25°C, CV varied from 28.3% to 32.9%, respectively. Given these results, Pa. variotiiand P. paneumcould be considered for further use in microbiological challenge tests aiming to assess the robustness of bakery products formulations.

This study was aimed at determining the effects of different storage scenarios on the growth potential of Salmonellastrains and Listeria monocytogenesin ready-to-eat (RTE) mixes of iceberg and crisp lettuces (Lactuca sativa) and collard greens (Brassica oleracea). Vegetables were submitted to minimal processing, experimentally contaminated to achieve 101and 102CFU/g, packed under modified atmosphere and in perforated film, and submitted to the following storage scenarios: I = 100% of the shelf life (6 days) at 7°C; II = 70% of shelf life at 7°C and 30% at 15°C; III = 30% at 7°C and 70% at 15°C; IV = 100% at 15°C. Higher populations of Salmonellawere observed in lettuce mixes than in collard greens; the opposite occurred with L. monocytogenes. Keeping the RTE vegetables at 15°C during the whole shelf life (scenario IV) or part of it (scenarios II and III) markedly influenced the growth of both pathogens in most of the scenarios studied (P< 0.05). Growth potentials of strains of Salmonellaand L. monocytogeneswere significantly different depending on the scenarios in samples packed with perforated film in comparison to those stored under modified atmosphere (P< 0.05). The findings indicate that even contamination as low as 101CFU/g can lead to high populations if there is temperature abuse during storage (15°C). This study of the behavior of Salmonellaand L. monocytogenesin RTE vegetables provides insights that may be useful in the development of strategies to control pathogen growth in these products.

AbstractThe present study describes the implementation of a food safety system in a dairy processing plant located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and the challenges found during the process. In addition, microbiological indicators have been used to assess system's implementation performance. The steps involved in the implementation of a food safety system included a diagnosis of the prerequisites, implementation of the good manufacturing practices (GMPs), sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs), training of the food handlers, and hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP). In the initial diagnosis, conformity with 70.7% (n=106) of the items analyzed was observed. A total of 12 critical control points (CCPs) were identified: (1) reception of the raw milk, (2) storage of the raw milk, (3 and 4) reception of the ingredients and packaging, (5) milk pasteurization, (6 and 7) fermentation and cooling, (8) addition of ingredients, (9) filling, (10) storage of the finished product, (11) dispatching of the product, and (12) sanitization of the equipment. After implementation of the food safety system, a significant reduction in the yeast and mold count was observed (p<0.05). The main difficulties encountered for the implementation of food safety system were related to the implementation of actions established in the flow chart and to the need for constant training/adherence of the workers to the system. Despite this, the implementation of the food safety system was shown to be challenging, but feasible to be reached by small-scale food industries.

AbstractIn this study, 20 Brazilian public schools have been assessed regarding good manufacturing practices and standard sanitation operating procedures implementation. We used a checklist comprised of 10 parts (facilities and installations, water supply, equipments and tools, pest control, waste management, personal hygiene, sanitation, storage, documentation, and training), making a total of 69 questions. The implementing modification cost to the found nonconformities was also determined so that it could work with technical data as a based decision-making prioritization. The average nonconformity percentage at schools concerning to prerequisite program was 36%, from which 66% of them own inadequate installations, 65% waste management, 44% regarding documentation, and 35% water supply and sanitation. The initial estimated cost for changing has been U.S.$24,438 and monthly investments of 1.55% on the currently needed invested values. This would result in U.S.$0.015 increase on each served meal cost over the investment replacement within a year. Thus, we have concluded that such modifications are economically feasible and will be considered on technical requirements when prerequisite program implementation priorities are established.

AbstractIn this study, the enterotoxigenic potential of Staphylococcusstrains (n= 574) isolated from raw milk samples (n= 140) was determined for their capacity to produce staphylococcal enterotoxins. In addition, the relationship between the presence of enterotoxins, coagulase, and thermonuclease (Tnase) was assessed. The results showed that 19% of Staphylococcuswas enterotoxigenic, being able to produce at least one of the staphylococcal enterotoxins (A, B, C, and D). Most of the strains were able to produce enterotoxin D (68.8%), whereas 12.8% of the Staphylococcusstrains were able to produce staphylococcal enterotoxin A. Besides, the production of more than one type of enterotoxins by the same strain was observed. Tnase was considered the best marker for enterotoxigenic potential of isolates, although some of them were negative for coagulase and Tnase but positive for enterotoxin production. Therefore, either the use of Tnase to assess Staphylococcusenterotoxigenic potential or the use of simple and easy screening tests for enterotoxin production should receive more attention when evaluating the pathogenic potential of foodborne Staphylococcusstrains. Due to the association of both coagulase positive Staphylococcusand coagulase negative Staphylococcuswith foodborne disease outbreaks, regulators and industries should pay more attention to enterotoxigenic Staphylococcusrather than focusing only on S. aureusor coagulase positive Staphylococcus. Finally, data found here suggest a high risk of staphylococcal intoxication with the consumption of raw milk or dairy products made from raw milk.

The objective of the present study was to determine the microbiological quality of bottled mineral water marketed in commercial establishments and by street vendors and to evaluate the influence of the storage and maintenance conditions on the microbiological quality of the product. Ten samples from the same batches of five different brands of water were analyzed, for a total of 50 samples. Of the five brands analyzed, only one (brand A), when collected in a commercial establishment, complied with the legal Brazilian standards for mineral water with respect to the presence of total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The remaining samples failed to comply with these microbiological standards for at least one of the parameters evaluated. The water samples obtained from street vendors were inferior in microbiological quality to samples from the same batch that were obtained from commercial establishments.

In December 2017, the world was following a news story about a Salmonella entericaoutbreak linked to infant formula produced in France. The outbreak resulted in a massive recall and destruction of more than 12 million infant formula packages, shook consumer's confidence, and raised the question about processing practices. In addition to Salmonella, other pathogens are found in milk powder and among them Cronobacter sakazakiiis known to provoke several cases of neonate infection every year. The microbial safety of milk powder has a central importance in public health due to its role in numerous other food industries and its use to make infant formulas. Salmonellaand Cronobacterare frequently associated with outbreaks involving powdered infant formula and milk powder-based products. Nevertheless, to date, their ability to survive desiccation and spray-drying is more and more understood but not fully elucidated and needs further investigation. This review presents recent information regarding milk powder's food safety and powdered infant formula and how spray-drying can impact microbial inactivation in these foods.

•Predictive mycology is increasingly used for shelf life estimations in foodstuffs.•Mycotoxin risks have been calculated using probability models.•Predictive modelling is useful to evaluate the impact of climate change in mycotoxins.•Modelling of spectroscopic responses of samples is used to predict mycotoxin presence.

•Effects of high-intensity ultrasound with microbial purposes were approached.•Mechanism of action of different ultrasonic intensities were explained.•The use of different energy measurements to explain the US effects was discussed.•Current applications in dairy products were presented.

AbstractThis study aimed to verify the pasteurization efficiency and the microbiological quality of milk sold in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The microbial quality of pasteurized milk samples was assessed by sample testing for the presence of Salmonellaspp., coliforms at 35°C, coliforms at 45°C, and mesophilic bacterial counts. In addition, the pasteurization efficiency was verified through tests of neutral phosphatase and peroxidase enzymes. Salmonellaspp. were not detected in any (100%) of the analyzed samples. However, 85 (70.8%) and 69 (57.5%) of the samples were noncompliant with current legal standards for coliforms at 35°C and 45°C, respectively. As for the aerobic mesophilic bacteria, 48 (40.0%) of the samples were noncompliant. From the 120 samples of pasteurized milk studied, 100% were negative for neutral phosphatase, whereas 12 (10.0%) were negative for peroxidase. Logistic regression indicated the absence of relationship between present lactoperoxidase and all the microbiological parameters studied, which suggested that the quality of pasteurized milk was associated with factors related to steps before or after heat treatment.