Search

Sustainable food practices are intrinsically linked to human nutrition in the preservation of the ecosystem. This study, therefore, evaluates the effectiveness, challenges, environmental impacts, and new food strategies related to plant and animal products, with a view to promoting more sustainable and healthy eating practices. The search stages were conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Science Direct, and SciElo. The studies selected included those published from 2018 to 2024 and government documents, available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. The 34 articles analyzed in this study showed the environmental impacts related to the production of plant and animal proteins, highlighting the urgency of implementing changes in this sector. However, factors such as land use, carbon footprint, and water footprint show remarkable differences depending on the type of crop cultivated, agricultural practices adopted, and stages involved in the supply chain. As final considerations, the analysis suggests that achieving sustainability in food systems requires an integrate approach that combines the optimization of plant protein production with a reduction in environmental impacts and the development of technologies that that support the efficiency and resilience of the industry. Meeting the nutritional needs of the population in a sustainable way will only be possible through regional actions and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable food practices are intrinsically linked to human nutrition in the preservation of the ecosystem. This study, therefore, evaluates the effectiveness, challenges, environmental impacts, and new food strategies related to plant and animal products, with a view to promoting more sustainable and healthy eating practices. The search stages were conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Science Direct, and SciElo. The studies selected included those published from 2018 to 2024 and government documents, available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. The 34 articles analyzed in this study showed the environmental impacts related to the production of plant and animal proteins, highlighting the urgency of implementing changes in this sector. However, factors such as land use, carbon footprint, and water footprint show remarkable differences depending on the type of crop cultivated, agricultural practices adopted, and stages involved in the supply chain. As final considerations, the analysis suggests that achieving sustainability in food systems requires an integrate approach that combines the optimization of plant protein production with a reduction in environmental impacts and the development of technologies that that support the efficiency and resilience of the industry. Meeting the nutritional needs of the population in a sustainable way will only be possible through regional actions and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities.

The trend in today's society is to increase the intake of vegetable protein instead of animal protein. Therefore, there is a concern to find new sources of alternative protein. In this sense, legumes are the main protein source of vegetable origin. Of all of them, lupins are the ones with higher protein content, although they are currently undervalued as an alternative for human consumption. In this sense, it is vital to characterize and obtain protein isolates from this legume, which satisfies the growing demand. Therefore, in the present work, the procedure for obtaining a lupin (Lupinus luteus) protein isolate (LPI), based on basic solubilization followed by isoelectric precipitation, has been optimized and validated. The optimized LPI, as well as the lupin flour, were subsequently characterized. The chemical composition, physicochemical, as well as the technofunctional properties of the LPI were analyzed. The results show that the proposed procedure had a high yield (23.19 g LPI/100 g flour) and allowed to obtain high-purity protein isolates (87.7 g protein/100 g LPI). The amino acid composition and the chemical scores show high proportions of essential amino acids, being protein deficient only in methionine and valine. Therefore, it can be affirmed that it is a high-quality protein that meets the requirements proposed by the FAO. Regarding the lipid fraction, it is mainly composed of unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1n-9 and C18:2n-6), which is also advisable in order to follow a healthy diet. Finally, LPI showed interesting technofunctional properties (foaming, gelling, emulsifying, water and oil absorption, and solubility), which makes it especially attractive for use in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wine phenolic compounds, particularly proanthocyanidins (PAs), play a significant role in wine sensory characteristics, specifically bitterness and astringency. Although not consensual, flavan-3-ols and oligomeric PAs are generally considered the primary contributors to wine bitterness. Patatin, a vegetable protein fining agent, has been explored as an alternative to animal and synthetic fining agents for reducing wine bitterness. However, contradictory results exist regarding its effectiveness in removing flavan-3-ols and oligomeric PAs in red wines. In this work, a UPLC–Q-TOF MS/MS method was optimized and validated for accurately measuring flavan-3-ols, as well as dimeric and trimeric PAs, in red wines. The MS/MS analysis of flavan-3-ols, in addition to the typical fragmentation described in the literature, revealed an intense mass fragment resulting from the loss of C3O2 and C3O2 + H2O from the parent ion. It was observed that flavan-3-ols and PAs undergo oxidation during sample preparation, which was reversed by the addition of 5 g/L of ascorbic acid. The method demonstrated good linearity range (2 mg/L to 20 mg/L), detection limit (0.3 mg/L to 0.7 mg/L), quantification limit (0.8 mg/L to 2.2 mg/L), precision (repeatability 2.2% to 7.3%), and accuracy (recovery 98.5% to 100.5%). The application of patatin at different doses (5 g/L to 30 g/L) in two different red wine matrices did not reduce the levels of monomeric, dimeric, and trimeric PAs in red wines. However, similar behaviors were observed for pea protein and gelatin. Therefore, wine fining trials and efficiency measurements of the treatments in each matrix are strongly advised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat gluten (WG) and peanut protein powder (PPP) mixtures were extruded at high moisture to investigate the potential application of this mixture in meat analog production. Multiple factors, including the water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), rheological properties of the mixed raw materials, die pressure, torque and specific mechanical energy (SME) during high moisture extrusion, texture properties, color, water distribution, and water activity of extrudates were analyzed to determine the relationships among the raw material characteristics, extruder response parameters, and extrudate quality. At a WG ratio of 50%, the extrudates have the lowest hardness (2.76 kg), the highest springiness (0.95), and a fibrous degree of up to 1.75. The addition of WG caused a significant rightward shift in the relaxation time of hydrogen protons in the extrudates, representing increased water mobility and water activity. A ratio of 50:50 gave the smallest total color difference (ΔE) (about 18.12). When the added amount of WG was 50% or less, it improved the lightness and reduced the ΔE compared to >50% WG. Therefore, clarifying the relationship among raw material characteristics, extruder response parameters, and extruded product quality is helpful in the systematic understanding and regulation of the fiber textural process of binary protein meat analogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identified the effect of the type and concentration of vegetable oil on the quality of meat analogs and analyzed the differences in their physiochemical characteristics. Various vegetable oils, such as castor oil, orange oil, palm oil, shortening, and margarine, were added to meat analogs. The meat analog was prepared by adding 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 g of each vegetable oil based on 100 g of textured vegetable protein. The cooking loss, water content, liquid-holding capacity, texture, and antioxidant content of the meat analogs were assessed, and a sensory evaluation was performed. The meat analog with orange oil had a higher water content than the others, regardless of the amount of added oil, and it had a relatively high liquid-holding capacity. The DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity of the meat analog with orange oil was higher than that of the others. The sensory evaluation also showed a decrease in soy odor and an increase in juiciness. Therefore, adding orange oil improves the preference, juiciness, soy odor, and quality of meat analogs. Our results demonstrate that orange oil has positive effects on the productivity of meat analogs and can help to improve meat analog consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trend in today’s society is to increase the intake of vegetable protein instead of animal protein. Therefore, there is a concern to find new sources of alternative protein. In this sense, legumes are the main protein source of vegetable origin. Of all of them, lupins are the ones with higher protein content, although they are currently undervalued as an alternative for human consumption. In this sense, it is vital to characterize and obtain protein isolates from this legume, which satisfies the growing demand. Therefore, in the present work, the procedure for obtaining a lupin (Lupinus luteus) protein isolate (LPI), based on basic solubilization followed by isoelectric precipitation, has been optimized and validated. The optimized LPI, as well as the lupin flour, were subsequently characterized. The chemical composition, physicochemical, as well as the technofunctional properties of the LPI were analyzed. The results show that the proposed procedure had a high yield (23.19 g LPI/100 g flour) and allowed to obtain high-purity protein isolates (87.7 g protein/100 g LPI). The amino acid composition and the chemical scores show high proportions of essential amino acids, being protein deficient only in methionine and valine. Therefore, it can be affirmed that it is a high-quality protein that meets the requirements proposed by the FAO. Regarding the lipid fraction, it is mainly composed of unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1n-9 and C18:2n-6), which is also advisable in order to follow a healthy diet. Finally, LPI showed interesting technofunctional properties (foaming, gelling, emulsifying, water and oil absorption, and solubility), which makes it especially attractive for use in the food industry.

Wheat gluten (WG) and peanut protein powder (PPP) mixtures were extruded at high moisture to investigate the potential application of this mixture in meat analog production. Multiple factors, including the water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), rheological properties of the mixed raw materials, die pressure, torque and specific mechanical energy (SME) during high moisture extrusion, texture properties, color, water distribution, and water activity of extrudates were analyzed to determine the relationships among the raw material characteristics, extruder response parameters, and extrudate quality. At a WG ratio of 50%, the extrudates have the lowest hardness (2.76 kg), the highest springiness (0.95), and a fibrous degree of up to 1.75. The addition of WG caused a significant rightward shift in the relaxation time of hydrogen protons in the extrudates, representing increased water mobility and water activity. A ratio of 50:50 gave the smallest total color difference (ΔE) (about 18.12). When the added amount of WG was 50% or less, it improved the lightness and reduced the ΔE compared to >50% WG. Therefore, clarifying the relationship among raw material characteristics, extruder response parameters, and extruded product quality is helpful in the systematic understanding and regulation of the fiber textural process of binary protein meat analogs.

This study identified the effect of the type and concentration of vegetable oil on the quality of meat analogs and analyzed the differences in their physiochemical characteristics. Various vegetable oils, such as castor oil, orange oil, palm oil, shortening, and margarine, were added to meat analogs. The meat analog was prepared by adding 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 g of each vegetable oil based on 100 g of textured vegetable protein. The cooking loss, water content, liquid-holding capacity, texture, and antioxidant content of the meat analogs were assessed, and a sensory evaluation was performed. The meat analog with orange oil had a higher water content than the others, regardless of the amount of added oil, and it had a relatively high liquid-holding capacity. The DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity of the meat analog with orange oil was higher than that of the others. The sensory evaluation also showed a decrease in soy odor and an increase in juiciness. Therefore, adding orange oil improves the preference, juiciness, soy odor, and quality of meat analogs. Our results demonstrate that orange oil has positive effects on the productivity of meat analogs and can help to improve meat analog consumption.

The extraction of bioactive compounds in a biorefinery context could be a way to valorize agri-food byproducts, but there is a remaining part that also requires attention. Therefore, in this work the integrated extraction of phenolic compounds, including the bioactive oleuropein, and proteins from olive mill leaves was addressed following three schemes, including the use of ultrasound. This affected the total phenolic content (4475.5−6166.9 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g), oleuropein content (675.3−1790.0 mg/100 g), and antioxidant activity (18,234.3−25,459.0 µmol trolox equivalents/100 g). No effect was observed on either the protein recovery or the content of sugars and lignin in the extraction residues. Concerning the recovery of proteins, three operational parameters were evaluated by response surface methodology. The optimum (63.1%) was achieved using NaOH 0.7 M at 100 °C for 240 min. Then, the selected scheme was applied to olive leaves from the field, observing differences in the content of some of the studied components. It also changed the lignocellulosic profile of the extraction residues of both leaf types, which were enriched in cellulose. Overall, these results could be useful to diversify the valorization chain in the olive sector.

The extraction of bioactive compounds in a biorefinery context could be a way to valorize agri-food byproducts, but there is a remaining part that also requires attention. Therefore, in this work the integrated extraction of phenolic compounds, including the bioactive oleuropein, and proteins from olive mill leaves was addressed following three schemes, including the use of ultrasound. This affected the total phenolic content (4475.5–6166.9 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g), oleuropein content (675.3–1790.0 mg/100 g), and antioxidant activity (18,234.3–25,459.0 µmol trolox equivalents/100 g). No effect was observed on either the protein recovery or the content of sugars and lignin in the extraction residues. Concerning the recovery of proteins, three operational parameters were evaluated by response surface methodology. The optimum (63.1%) was achieved using NaOH 0.7 M at 100 °C for 240 min. Then, the selected scheme was applied to olive leaves from the field, observing differences in the content of some of the studied components. It also changed the lignocellulosic profile of the extraction residues of both leaf types, which were enriched in cellulose. Overall, these results could be useful to diversify the valorization chain in the olive sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]