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Various types of natural fiber-rich ingredients are added into bakery-based products to improve their fiber content for health promotional purposes. But the majority of these products usually include exotic dietary fiber components. The aim of this study was to develop biscuits incorporated with wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder and to evaluate the effects on physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability of these different biscuit samples. Wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder was used to substitute refined wheat flour in biscuit samples at different levels (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%). The effect of wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder incorporation on proximate composition, physical characteristics, texture profile, color and sensory evaluation of biscuit samples were investigated. The moisture content of the product showed a significant (p ≤ 0.01) decreasing trend while as protein showed increasing trend with increasing level of incorporation of wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder. Also there was a considerable effect on L*(darkness to lightness), a*(greeness to redness), and b*(blueness to yellowness) values of biscuit samples. Among the physical parameters diameter and thickness decreased non-significantly (p ≤ 0.01) with the addition of different fibers whereas spread ratio and weight increases. Sensory attributes showed a significant (p ≤ 0.01) increasing trend with an increase in the level of incorporation of different fibers. Based on sensory evaluation biscuits prepared with 15% wheat bran, 15% rice bran, and 10% banana peel powder were rated best. The biscuits were packed in high density polyethylene (HDPE) boxes and were analyzed on different intervals viz. 0, 30, and 60th day. In samples of optimized biscuits, the ash content, protein, fat and color exhibited a non- significant tendency of declining over storage. It was discovered that the ash content dropped from0.86 to 0.67% in Wb4, 0.95 to 0.75% in Rb4, and 1.15to 0.92% in Bpp3. However there was a considerable increase in moisture content during storage.

The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of agricultural products has often been carried out using traditional, i.e., destructive, techniques. Due to their inherent disadvantages, non-destructive methods that use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with chemometrics could be useful for evaluating various agricultural products. Advancements in computational power, machine learning, regression models, artificial neural networks (ANN), and other predictive tools have made their way into NIRS, improving its potential to be a feasible alternative to destructive measurements. Moreover, the incorporation of suitable preprocessing techniques and wavelength selection methods has arguably proven its practical feasibility. This review focuses on the various computation methods used for processing the spectral data collected and discusses the potential applications of NIRS for evaluating the quality and safety of agricultural products. The challenges associated with this technology are also discussed, as well as potential future perspectives. We conclude that NIRS is a potentially useful tool for the rapid assessment of the quality and safety of agricultural products.

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major causes of cardiovascular ailments. The study has been conducted on the hypothesis that hypercholesterolemia can be modulated by microencapsulated curcumin due to its enhanced bioavailability. In this context, curcumin obtained from fresh rhizomes of Curcuma longa by conventional (CSE) and supercritical fluid (SFE) extractions, has been successfully microencapsulated using a mixture of gelatin and maltodextrin. The microencapsulated curcumin CSE&SFE, has been added as supplemented diet and has been resulted in maximum plasma concentration of curcumin at 100 min as 529.31 ± 8.73 and 405.23 ± 7.12 μg/mL, respectively compared to non-encapsulated turmeric powder used as control. During the bio evaluation trial, turmeric powder (3%), microencapsulated curcuminCSE (1%) and microencapsulated curcuminSFE (0.5%) were provided to designate rat groups categorized by normal; N1, N2, and N3 and hypercholesterolemic; H1, H2, and H3 conditions, respectively. The incorporation of microencapsulated curcuminSFE in the supplemented diet caused a reduction in serum cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides, athrogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk ration (CRR) as 5.42 and 12.81%, 7.25 and 15.42%, 3.17 and 9.38%, 15.38 and 29.28%, and 10.98 19.38% in normo- and hypercholesterolemic rat groups. Additionally, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and anti-atherogenic index (AAI) indicated a significant increase in all treated rat groups. Conclusively, the inclusion of turmeric and curcumin microencapsulates in the dietary module has been proven effective to alleviate hyperlipidemia. Therefore, the present study is proven that curcumin absorption via the gastrointestinal tract and its stability toward metabolization in the body increased via microencapsulation using maltodextrin and gelatin. Microencapsulated curcumin reaches the target site via oral administration because of sufficient gastrointestinal residence period and stability in the digestive tract.

Many studies have demonstrated the use of synthetic preservatives and chemical additives in food is causing poisoning, cancer, and other degenerative disorders. New solutions for food preservation with quality maintenance are currently emerging. As a result, public concern has grown, as they desire to eat healthier products that use natural preservatives and compounds rather than synthetic ones. Clove is a highly prized spice used as a food preservative and for a variety of therapeutic reasons. Clove essential oil and its principal active component, eugenol, indicate antibacterial and antifungal action, aromaticity, and safety as promising and valuable antiseptics in the food sector. Clove essential oil and eugenol are found to have strong inhibition effects on a variety of food-source bacteria, and the mechanisms are linked to lowering migration and adhesion, as well as blocking the creation of biofilm and various virulence factors. This review emphasizes the importance of CEO (clove essential oil) in the food industry and how it can be explored with edible coatings to deliver its functional properties in food preservation.

The processing industry discards avocado seeds, which increases production and ultimately pollutes the environment. It would be advantageous to handle these waste by-products both economically and environmentally. Avocado seeds are rich in polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive substances. The nutritional and phytochemical composition of avocado seeds has been well studied and discussed. Avocado-seed extracts also have many health-related bioactive properties, such as anti-hyperglycaemic, anticancer, anti-hypercholesterolemia, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-neurogenerative effects are clearly demonstrated how these properties can be used to formulate or fortify food. The health-promoting properties of avocado seeds have been studied. These properties are attributed to various phytochemicals, such as acetogenin, catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B1, estragole, etc. Additionally, items made from valorized avocado seeds that people can consume have been explored. The best applications of valorized by-products have been created for the pharmaceutical, functional food, and nutraceutical sectors while considering quality and safety. More clinical testing and product development research are required to prove the effectiveness of avocado seeds.

Food quality has recently received considerable attention from governments, researchers, and consumers due to the increasing demand for healthier and more nutritious food products. Traditionally, food quality is determined using a range of destructive and time-consuming approaches with modest analytical performance, underscoring the urgent need to develop novel analytical techniques. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (called Industry 4.0) is progressing exponentially, driven by the advent of a range of digital technologies and other innovative technological advances. “Food Quality 4.0” is a new concept referring to the use of Industry 4.0 technologies in food analysis to achieve rapid, reliable, and objective assessment of food quality. In this review, we will first discuss the fundamentals and principles of Food Industry 4.0 technologies and their connections with the Food Quality 4.0 concept. Then, the most common techniques used to determine food quality will briefly be reviewed before highlighting the advancements made in analytical techniques to assess food quality in the era of Industry 4.0. Food Quality 4.0 is characterized by growing digitalization and automation of food analysis using the most advanced technologies in the food industry. Key aspects of Food Quality 4.0, including, among others, non-destructive fingerprinting techniques, omics technologies and bioinformatics tools, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, have great potential to revolutionize food quality. Although most of these technologies are still under development, it is anticipated that future research will overcome current limitations for large-scale applications.

Food intake and body weight regulation are of special interest for meeting today's lifestyle essential requirements. Since balanced energy intake and expenditure are crucial for healthy living, high levels of energy intake are associated with obesity. Hence, regulation of energy intake occurs through short- and long-term signals as complex central and peripheral physiological signals control food intake. This work aims to explore and compile the main factors influencing satiating efficiency of foods by updating recent knowledge to point out new perspectives on the potential drivers of satiety interfering with food intake regulation. Human internal factors such as genetics, gender, age, nutritional status, gastrointestinal satiety signals, gut enzymes, gastric emptying rate, gut microbiota, individual behavioral response to foods, sleep and circadian rhythms are likely to be important in determining satiety. Besides, the external factors (environmental and behavioral) impacting satiety efficiency are highlighted. Based on mechanisms related to food consumption and dietary patterns several physical, physiological, and psychological factors affect satiety or satiation. A complex network of endocrine and neuroendocrine mechanisms controls the satiety pathways. In response to food intake and other behavioral cues, gut signals enable endocrine systems to target the brain. Intestinal and gastric signals interact with neural pathways in the central nervous system to halt eating or induce satiety. Moreover, complex food composition and structures result in considerable variation in satiety responses for different food groups. A better understanding of foods and factors impacting the efficiency of satiety could be helpful in making smart food choices and dietary recommendations for a healthy lifestyle based on updated scientific evidence.

Naturally occurring phytochemicals with promising biological properties are quercetin and its derivatives. Quercetin has been thoroughly studied for its antidiabetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer's, anti-arthritic, antioxidant, cardiovascular, and wound-healing properties. Anticancer activity of quercetin against cancer cell lines has also recently been revealed. The majority of the Western diet contains quercetin and its derivatives, therefore consuming them as part of a meal or as a food supplement may be sufficient for people to take advantage of their preventive effects. Bioavailability-based drug-delivery systems of quercetin have been heavily studied. Fruits, seeds, vegetables, bracken fern, coffee, tea, and other plants all contain quercetin, as do natural colors. One naturally occurring antioxidant is quercetin, whose anticancer effects have been discussed in detail. It has several properties that could make it an effective anti-cancer agent. Numerous researches have shown that quercetin plays a substantial part in the suppression of cancer cells in the breast, colon, prostate, ovary, endometrial, and lung tumors. The current study includes a concise explanation of quercetin's action mechanism and potential health applications.

The growing consumer awareness of climate change and the resulting food sustainability issues have led to an increasing adoption of several emerging food trends. Some of these trends have been strengthened by the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (or Industry 4.0), and its innovations and technologies that have fundamentally reshaped and transformed current strategies and prospects for food production and consumption patterns. In this review a general overview of the industrial revolutions through a food perspective will be provided. Then, the current knowledge base regarding consumer acceptance of eight traditional animal-proteins alternatives (e.g., plant-based foods and insects) and more recent trends (e.g., cell-cultured meat and 3D-printed foods) will be updated. A special focus will be given to the impact of digital technologies and other food Industry 4.0 innovations on the shift toward greener, healthier, and more sustainable diets. Emerging food trends have promising potential to promote nutritious and sustainable alternatives to animal-based products. This literature narrative review showed that plant-based foods are the largest portion of alternative proteins but intensive research is being done with other sources (notably the insects and cell-cultured animal products). Recent technological advances are likely to have significant roles in enhancing sensory and nutritional properties, improving consumer perception of these emerging foods. Thus, consumer acceptance and consumption of new foods are predicted to continue growing, although more effort should be made to make these food products more convenient, nutritious, and affordable, and to market them to consumers positively emphasizing their safety and benefits.

Despite the fact that researchers have been working on the preservation of raw milk at room temperature for several decades, most of the processes are limited to the use of chemical preservatives. One of the major problems of raw milk self-life is its spoilage at ambient temperature during the summer season. Therefore, in the present study, research has been conducted to control raw milk spoilage at 4 °C and 35 °C (considered in different regions’ ambient temperatures). ε-Polylysine, a natural preservative approved for food use, was isolated from the fermentation broth of Bacillus licheniformis PL26 grown in an M3G medium, and its antimicrobial preservation properties for milk applications were tested. The raw milk samples containing 0.02% w/v ε-polylysine could be stored at 4 °C for up to 16 days without spoilage, however, raw milk samples without ε-polylysine as preservative spoiled on the 8th day even at 4 °C refrigeration conditions. Raw milk containing 0.02% ε-polylysine in combination with 0.2% sodium bicarbonate (added to avoid acidification) could be stored at ambient temperature (35 °C) for up to 48 h. The changes in milk composition, especially of the casein, lactose, and fat stability, during storage under different conditions with/without ε-polylysine, were studied as well. The present study proves that ε-polylysine can be successfully used as a new biopreservative. Therefore, for the dairy industry, a natural preservative to store milk at room temperature during the summer season, replacing synthetic preservatives derived from renewable sources, can be proposed. Once again, marine bacteria seem to be one of the promising sustainable and renewable sources of biologically active compounds such as new food biopreservatives

Lotus seed starch was cross-linked using sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) in varying amounts (1, 3, and 5%), and its rheological, pasting, thermal, and physicochemical properties were investigated. These cross-linked lotus seed starches (CL-LS-1, CL-LS-3, CL-LS-5) were also used to produce films (CL-LSFs), which were then examined for their mechanical characteristics, water vapor permeability, moisture content, opacity, thickness, and water solubility. After cross-linking, the solubility, amylose content, and swelling power of all the starch samples decreased. Cross-linking resulted in an increased pasting temperature, while peak viscosity (PV) decreased, with CL-LS-5 exhibiting the lowest peak viscosity (1640.22 MPa·s). In comparison to native starch, the thermal characteristics of CL-LS demonstrated greater gelatinization temperatures (To, Tp, Tc) and gelatinization enthalpy (ΔHgel). The gelatinization enthalpy of CL-LS varied between 152.70 and 214.16 J/g, while for native LS the value was 177.91 J/g. Lower moisture content, water solubility, and water vapor permeability were observed in the CL-LSFs. However, the cross-linking modification did not produce much effect on the film thickness. The highest tensile strength (12.52 MPa) and lowest elongation at break (26.11%) were found in CL-LSF-5. Thus, the starch films’ barrier and mechanical qualities were enhanced by cross-linking.