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Background: The use of grains as an alternative to wheat in breadmaking has rapidly grown in the last few years, driven by the Sustainable Development Goals toward improving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. Flours from legumes, pseudo-cereals, minor cereals and milling by-products, such as bran, are of particular interest. The production of partially substituted or wheat-free bread is, however, a challenging task in terms of texture and flavour attributes. Scope and approach: The present review covers recent advances in the application of dextrans in improving dough rheology, baking performance and bread flavour characteristics. Emphasis has been given to in situ application of dextran via sourdough technology as a & lsquo;clean label & rsquo; alternative to commercial hydrocolloid additives. Key findings and conclusions: In-situ dextran production leads to bread with higher specific volume, softer crumbs and increased moisture content. Dextran also provides an anti-staling effect attributable to its ability to reduce water mobility and retard starch retrogradation. A structure & ndash;function relationship has suggested that dextran with high molecular weight and less branching is superior in enhancing bread quality. Furthermore, mild acidification favours the functionality of dextran in dough and bread systems, while intensive acidification results in adverse effects. Lactic acid bacterial strains belonging to the genus Weissella exhibiting mild acidification are therefore appreciated in regard to the utilisation of in-situ produced dextran. This review highlights the novel application of dextran as a flavour masking agent to minimise off-flavours (e.g. beany flavour, bitter taste, and aftertaste) originating from non-wheat grains, consequently improving the acceptability of the final products.

The comprehensive, reliable, and comparable meat inspection (MI) data of broiler chickens (i.e. broilers) are essential for the monitoring and surveillance of broiler health and welfare at the national and European Union (EU) levels. We compared the condemnation causes issued to broiler carcasses during MI in four large Finnish broiler slaughterhouses (SHs) by investigating the similarities and differences between local MI instructions used in the SHs. The way in which MI condemnations were recorded in the Finnish Food Authority's (FFA's) MI statistics were also explored. We additionally analysed the FFA's official MI data from the 2015-2019 period. The study showed that the MI criteria used in the SHs differed from one another regarding how severe or extensive a broiler defect or disease must be to cause condemnation during MI. In Finland, the annual total condemnation prevalence of whole broilers varied between 2.6% and 4.8% in 2015-2019, and a significant difference was observed between the SHs' monthly total condemnation prevalences, except in two SH pairs. Mistakes in recording the FFA's MI statistics and differences in the SH operators' reasons to reject broilers from the food chain affect the comparability of the condemnation prevalences between the SHs. Only half of the SHs partially condemned broiler carcasses and collected data concerning these condemnations. Cellulitis (0.3-1.0%), ascites (0.3-0.4%), and body cavity disorders (0.2-0.3%) were the most common causes for condemning whole broiler carcasses in 2015-2019. The MI data can be used for monitoring and surveillance purposes only once the differences between the SH data and data reliability are known. Although the harmonization of all condemnation causes is impossible, harmonizing the condemnations of carcasses with diseases that most threaten broiler health and welfare and cause the largest economic losses would be important.

Formation of thaw loss cannot generally be avoided when meat is frozen and then thawed. Explanations have mainly focused on the damage to muscle fibers resulting from ice crystallization and the freezing-induced denaturation of myofibrillar proteins, the latter of which has, however, not received much research focus. This review discusses the relationship between myofibrillar protein denaturation and water-holding capacity of meat in freezing-thawing with the aim to improve the understanding the relative importance of protein denaturation in the formation of thaw loss. The contribution of decreased pH and high ionic strength in the unfrozen water in freezing is emphasized and we hypothesize that these two factors are causing protein denaturation and conformational changes within muscle fibers, and consequently loss of water-holding capacity. Slow freezing produces more thaw loss than fast freezing, and this is discussed here in relation to the impacts on myofibrillar protein denaturation induced by the freezing rate.

Poultry meat has been a vehicle of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. Yet, the diversity of selective pressures associated with their maintenance in the poultry-production chain remains poorly explored. We evaluated the susceptibility of Enterococcus spp. from chicken meat collected 20 years apart to antibiotics, metals, acidic pH and peracetic acid-PAA. Contemporary chicken-meat samples (n = 53 batches, each including a pool of neck skin from 10 single carcasses) were collected in a slaughterhouse facility using PAA as disinfectant (March-August 2018, North of Portugal). Broilers were raised in intensive farms (n = 29) using CuSO4 and organic acids as feed additives. Data were compared with that of 67 samples recovered in the same region during 1999-2001. All 2018 samples had multidrug resistant-MDR isolates, with >45 % carrying Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium or Enterococcus gallinarum resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, ciprofloxa-cin, chloramphenicol or aminoglycosides. Resistance rates were similar (P > 0.05) to those of 1999-2001 samples for all but five antibiotics. The decrease of samples carrying vancomycin-resistant isolates from 46 % to % between 1999-2001 and 2018 was the most striking difference. Isolates from both periods were similarly susceptible to acid pH [minimum-growth pH (4.5-5.0), minimum-survival pH (3.0-4.0)] and to PAA (MIC90 = 100-120 mg/L/MBC90 = 140-160 mg/L; below concentrations used in slaughterhouse). Copper tolerance genes (tcrB and/or cueO) were respectively detected in 21 % and 4 % of 2018 and 1999-2001 samples. The tcrB gene was only detected in E. faecalis (MICCuSO4 > 12 mM), and their genomes were compared with other international ones of chicken origin (PATRIC database), revealing a polyclonal population and a plasmid or chromosomal location for tcrB. The tcrB plasmids shared diverse genetic modules, including multiple antimicrobial resistance genes (e.g. to tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B-MLSB, aminoglycosides, bacitracin, coccidiostats). When in chromosome, the tcrB gene was co-located closely to merA (mercury) genes. Chicken meat remains an important vehicle of MDR Enterococcus spp. able to survive under diverse stresses (e.g. copper, acid) potentially contributing to these bacteria maintenance and flux among animal-environment -humans.

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This study was carried out to validate a questionnaire for assessing sensory quality control (SQC) knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). The questionnaire, containing 24 knowledge, 13 attitudes, and nine practices items, was submitted to company representatives in South Africa and Nigeria. Confirmatory factor analysis and group comparisons among respondents and companies were carried out to validate the questionnaire. The final SQC-KAP questionnaire consists of 24 knowledge (one scale), 11 attitudes (A bifactor scale, with a general scale and two subscales representing individual attitudes to SQC and those towards company SQC) and nine practices (one scale) items. The knowledge items had acceptable indices for difficulty and discrimination, and the attitudes and practices items had acceptable item-total correlations. The final questionnaire can be used for the rapid assessment of SQC related knowledge and attitudes of food company employees and assessment of company practices. Practical Applications This study is the first to validate a questionnaire for assessing SQC related knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the food industry. The SQC-KAP questionnaire can be used to rapidly assess SQC knowledge and attitudes of food company employees for sensory services, and to identify SQC training needs. Stakeholders can also use it to assess the sensory quality practices of food companies to gauge their compliance to good practice and identify potential areas of improvement of their SQC programs.

Faba bean, processed into ingredients (flour, protein concentrate, protein isolate), can be extruded to meat al-ternatives with a fibrous texture. Despite its importance for consumer acceptance, not enough is known about the flavor of faba bean ingredients nor about the chemical and sensory changes caused by high-moisture extrusion. Therefore, the aim of this work was to describe the flavor of faba bean ingredients and the corresponding extrudates and to understand how their composition affects the perception of sensory attributes. Firstly, faba bean protein ingredients and extrudates were characterized for lipid-degrading enzymatic activities, flavor precursors, and volatile and non-volatile flavor-active compounds. Secondly, sensory profiling was conducted. Thirdly, partial least squares regression was applied to understand the relationship between chemical and sen-sory data. This study showed that faba bean protein concentrate had the strongest taste and aftertaste (respec-tively 7 and 6, on a 0-10 intensity scale), bitterness (6-7), and pea flavor and odor (respectively 6 and 5), whereas faba bean protein isolate had the strongest cereal flavor (4) and odor (4), and off-flavor (2) and off-odor (3). Faba bean flour had the mildest flavor. High-moisture extrusion brought several chemical changes to the ingredients, including the formation of several volatile compounds and inactivation of lipid-degrading enzymes. Only traces of tannins were found in extrudates. The presence of free phenolics, vicine, and convicine was linked to strong taste and aftertaste, bitterness, and a drying sensation of the mouth, whereas lipid oxidation products were related to pea, cereal, and off-odors and flavors.

Achieving a sustainable and healthy diet requires increased replacement of red meat with more sustainable foods. There is a call for novel methodologies to assess the potential of different interventions and policies in enhancing the transition from the current to more sustainable choices. We aimed to characterize consumer clusters with similar preferences in protein sources, to compare the purchase prices of these foods, and to identify ongoing transitions from one protein source to another. Grocery purchase data with individual attributes on 29,437 consenting loyalty card holders were analyzed over 2.3 year period. We designed a sequence analysis to group participants to clusters with similar purchase preferences over the follow-up period and to estimate transition probabilities between preferences. We studied the determinants of prevalent purchase profiles by ordinal logistic models. We identified six participant profiles with similar preferences in four protein sources: red meat, poultry, fish, and plant-based foods. Red meat dominated the purchase preferences and showed the highest persistence over time. The majority (70%) of the participants demonstrated somewhat mixed purchase profiles. A step-by-step transition from red meat towards plant-based food preference seems most likely via poultry and fish. Overall, low income was not a barrier to a more sustainable purchase profile, while price may deter the purchase of fish. The most important resources in choosing more sustainable profiles were education and stage of family life. Societal incentives for sustainable food choices seem most crucial at transition stages of life course and for the less educated. Here, we also demonstrate that grocery purchase data offer a valuable tool for monitoring the progressive transition towards a healthy and sustainable food system.

The aim of this study was to understand the processability of thirty pure cultivar oat batches and how the physical properties of oat groats and flakes affect the characteristics of oat flake flour. This was conducted by investigating the relationship between the chemical composition of oats and the physical characteristics of oat groats, flakes and flours produced by industrial scale milling process. It was clearly shown that the oat batches behaved differently in the milling process and that the physical characteristics of oat groats, flakes and flours were interrelated. For example, separation of bran and endosperm particles of oat flours by dry fractionation was connected to the chemical composition as well as particle size distribution of the flours. Furthermore, it was shown that flowability properties of oat flours affect the bran-endosperm separation of oat flour by dry fractionation. This study demonstrated the role of the oat raw material in the milling process as well as the relationship between the different mill products, which deepens the understanding of oat milling process and is important when aiming at producing oat products with high quality.

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The aim of this study was to compare the antioxidant potential of the yogurt and kefir produced from ewe, camel, goat, and cow milk. The antioxidant activity of the samples was assessed by measuring total phenolic content (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical reducing capacity during 20-day storage at 4 ºC. Kefir and yogurt prepared from ewe and camel milk had significantly higher antioxidative potential than samples made from goat and cow milk (P

Fusarium basal rot (FBR) of onion is a serious disease problem worldwide. The Fusarium species causing FBR can also produce mycotoxins that are potentially harmful to humans and animals. In this study, a multiple reaction monitoring technique with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (MRM UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for onion matrix to study Fusarium mycotoxins in the harvested onions. This study was focused on fumonisins B1, B2, and B3 (FB1, FB2, and FB3), beauvericin (BEA), and moniliformin (MON), which are the main mycotoxins produced by Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium proliferatum. In the in-house validated protocol, the onion samples were extracted with methanol:water (3:1) using magnetic stirring for 15 min. FBs and BEA were determined directly from the filtered extracts, whereas MON required sample concentration prior to analysis. No cleanup of extracts was needed prior to analysis. The target mycotoxins were separated on an Acquity UPLC system BEH C18 column with gradient elution. Mycotoxins were identified and quantified using 13C-FB1 as internal standard. Minor matrix effect was compensated using multi-point matrix-matched calibration curves with uninfected onion sample. For the mycotoxins studied, a good linearity was obtained (R2 ≥ 0.99) and the recoveries were in the range of 67–122%, with the highest standard deviation for MON, 22%. The limits of quantification were from 2.5 to 10 ng g−1 in onion matrix. The method was successfully employed for the analysis of mycotoxins in harvested onions showing FBR symptoms and found to be infected with F. oxysporum and F. proliferatum.

The effect of pre-rigor temperature incubation on the activity and distribution in sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar fractions of calpains, and meat quality attributes was investigated. Porcine longissimus thoracis muscles were incubated pre-rigor at 14, 22, 30 and 38 degrees C to 6 h postmortem, followed by another 2 h incubation at 14 degrees C. Thereafter, muscles were stored at 2 degrees C for 1 or 4 days. With higher pre-rigor temperature, sarcoplasmic Ca2+ concentration, purge loss and myofibril-bound calpain-1 content increased, while shear force declined. Water-holding capacity of isolated myofibrils was lower after pre-rigor incubation at 38 degrees C. Desmin and troponin T degradation, and myofibril fragmentation was greater upon incubation of isolated myofibrils with added Ca2+ in the order 800 mu M Ca2+ > 40 mu M Ca2+ > no Ca2+, suggesting that calpain-1 and calpain-2 were associated to myofibrils and proteolytically active with sufficient Ca2+. Activity of myofibril-bound calpain-1 in muscle incubated pre-rigor at 22 and 30 degrees C were higher than when incubated at 14 and 38 degrees C. These results indicate that calpains translocate from the sarcoplasm onto myofibrils with higher pre-rigor temperature to 30 degrees C and the proteolytic potential of myofibril-associated calpains is thereby increased.

Among different cereals, oat is becoming more popular due to its unique composition and health benefits. The increase in oat production is associated with an increase in related side streams, comprising unutilized biomass that is rich in valuable components, such as polysaccharides, proteins, and antioxidants. To valorize such biomass, it is fundamental that side streams enter back into the food production chain, in respect of the circular economy model. Here, we propose the use of soluble and insoluble oat-production side-stream in suspensions and emulsions, avoiding any further extraction, fractionation, and/or chemical derivatization. Our approach further increases the value of these side streams. To this aim, we first studied the effect of thermal and mechanical processes on the behavior and properties of both soluble and insoluble oat side-stream fractions in water and at air/water interface. Then, we characterized the emulsifying and stabilizing abilities of these materials in oil-in-water emulsions. Interestingly, we found that the insoluble fraction was able to form stable suspensions and emulsions after mechanical treatment. The oil droplets in the emulsions were stabilized by anchoring at the surface of the insoluble particles. On the other hand, the soluble fraction formed only stable viscous solutions. Finally, we demonstrated that the two fractions can be combined to increase the storage stability of the resulting emulsion.Our results highlight that oat production side streams can be used as novel bio-based emulsifiers, showing the great potential behind the underutilized cereal-side-stream biomass. Graphical Abstract

Relying on auto-ethnography, I reflect on the role sourdough and bread-making practices have played during the COVID-19 pandemic. I engage with phenomenological and post-humanist approaches to explore the agency of a non-human entity—such as the sourdough—and the relations that emerge from taking care of it. In particular, I explore what living relationally means for a female foreign scholar in a time that is not only challenging, due to the pandemic and consequent lockdown, but forces one to face the discomfort of having a temporary job and not living in one’s country of origin. Sourdough and bread-making practices allow for new relations to be created, recreated, reinforced, and fully lived in the present. I thus indicate to what extent such practices allow for kin making and knowledge making practices, slowing down and pacing oneself, and rediscovering a dialogue with one’s senses and feeling fully present while granting the present moment with depth.

The present study aims to measure the sarcomere lengths in normal broiler muscles and in non-lesion sites of breast muscles focally affected by Wooden Breast (WB). For this purpose, twenty Pectoralis major muscles (10 unaffected and 10 WB-focally affected cases) were sampled and used to measure sarcomere length by laser diffraction method. When compared with their unaffected counterpart, WB cases exhibited 13% longer sarcomeres (1.91 vs. 1.69 μm; p

This study aimed to develop a fermentation process that allows the concomitant production of dextran (a texture-enhancing agent) and vitamin B12 (in situ fortification) for bread applications. Mixed fermentation of soya flour or rice bran using Propionibacterium freudenreichii DSM 20271 and Weissella confusa A16 with added sucrose resulted in substantial quantities of dextran (5.6-5.8% dry matter) and B12 (7.9-8.9 mu g/100 g fresh weight), together with antifungal metabolites (e.g. acetic and propionic acids). In addition to an extended mould-free shelf life, the bread containing 50% (dough weight) fermented soya flour or rice bran not only contained adequate levels of B12 but also exhibited improved texture and sensory quality compared to the control, such as a higher loaf volume, a softer crumb, and a more cohesive and moister mouthfeel. The mixed fermentation reduced the beany or cooked-rice flavour but increased sour and cheesy flavours and aftertaste. Dextran pro-duced during the fermentation process exhibited a masking effect on the beany and sour notes and aftertaste, consistently with reduced levels of green or grassy volatiles (e.g. hexanal, heptanal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, and 2-pentylfuran). Overall, the mixed fermentation method using P. freudenreichii DSM 20271 and W. confusa A16 showed potential for B12 fortification of bread products with high sensory quality.

Demand for plant-based meat alternatives has increased in recent years due to concerns about health, ethics, the environment, and animal welfare. Nevertheless, the market share of plant-based meat alternatives must increase significantly if they are to support sustainable food production and consumption. Flavor is an important limiting factor of the acceptability and marketability of plant-based meat alternatives. Undesirable chemosensory perceptions, such as a beany flavor, bitter taste, and astringency, are often associated with plant proteins and products that use them. This study reviewed 276 articles to answer the following five research questions: (1) What are the volatile and nonvolatile compounds responsible for off-flavors? (2) What are the mechanisms by which these flavor compounds are generated? (3) What is the influence of thermal extrusion cooking (the primary structuring technique to transform plant proteins into fibrous products that resemble meat in texture) on the flavor characteristics of plant proteins? (4) What techniques are used in measuring the flavor properties of plant-based proteins and products? (5) What strategies can be used to reduce off-flavors and improve the sensory appeal of plant-based meat alternatives? This article comprehensively discusses, for the first time, the flavor issues of plant-based meat alternatives and the technologies available to improve flavor and, ultimately, acceptability.

Wheat is a well-known source of B vitamins but also contains significant amounts of vitamin E and related tocols, which have a number of positive health benefits. However, there are no reports on increasing the tocol content of wheat. A prerequisite for increasing the tocol content is the identification of variation in its amount within wheat and related cereals. We therefore determined the tocol content and composition in the grain of 230 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of a diverse biparental wheat population (Mv Toborzó/Tommi), showing variation in the total content from 13.69 to 45.18 μg/g d.m. The total content also showed transgressive segregation in the population. The effect of the genotype on the variance components of tocols was studied, and the broad-sense heritability was calculated to be 0.71. The lines were also grouped based on their tocol content and analyzed for their chemical composition and breadmaking quality. The high heritability value and the wide variation found in the total amount indicate that increasing the content of tocols is a possible breeding strategy.

The aim of the present study was to improve the properties of soy press cake to be utilized as an ingredient of meat analogues. Soy press cakes were fermented with lactobacillus strains, and separately hydrolyzed by cellulase/xylanase mixture and α-amylase. Meat analogues were produced with 10% fermented or hydrolyzed soy press cakes. The effect of applied processes on protein oxidation, physical and functional properties of soy press cakes were analyzed, as well as sensory and textural properties of meat analogues. The results indicated that soy press cake was a suitable source of fibre and energy with low content of saturated fatty acids, and provided plant-based proteins and essential amino acids. The study demonstrated the potential of lactic acid fermentation, and enzymatic hydrolysis to improve water- and oil-holding capacity and reduce protein oxidation in soy press cakes. L. acidophilus 336 and cellulase/xylanase mixture were recommended for fermentation and hydrolysis of soy press cakes, respectively, regarding reduction of protein oxidation. Fermentation of soy press cakes with L. plantarum P1 improved the texture of meat analogues. Press cakes fermentation reduced bitterness, increased juiciness, and balanced the taste of meat analogues. Fermented soy press cake was recommended for the production of meat analogues.

Food studies is an interdisciplinary research that addresses phenomena related to food. It is necessary to give an overview of this new research area and develop teaching programs to learn food studies. This article introduces textbooks and anthologies on food studies and Japanese food. This paper takes four food studies textbooks Food: The Key Concepts, Food Studies: An Introduction to Research Methods, Food: A Very Short Introduction, Food Studies: A Hands-On Guide, three food studies anthologies (Food and Culture: A Reader, Routledge Handbook of Food Studies, The Handbook of Food Research), and three academic books on Japanese food culture and history (Devouring Japan: Global Perspectives on Japanese Culinary Identity, Japan's Cuisines: Food, place and identity, Branding Japanese Food: from Meitbutsu to Washoku), which are used in higher education in Europe and the United States. This paper reviews the outline, the authors and editors, and how to utilize each books and essays. Non

Cultured meat, fish, or dairy produced in vitro are discussed as one of the most substantial disruptions the food sector might encounter in the coming decades. These cultured proteins are proposed as a potential solution to the detrimental effects industrial food farming and fishing have on the environment and animal welfare as they would allow people to continue consuming meat, fish, or dairy products while at the same time substantially reducing the burden for the planet. For most people, however, this technology is still unknown, and it is largely unclear how they position themselves toward it. This paper presents the results of a representative survey (N = 3,864) in three Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark, and Finland). After briefly introducing the technological background, respondents spontaneously assessed their general attitude toward cultured proteins, their willingness to try them, and the likelihood that changes in 24 features of cultured protein would improve the respondents' attitude toward cultured protein products. The results showed that people in the studied countries have a neutral to a slightly positive view of cultured protein products. More familiarity seems to improve acceptance. Males, younger people, and vegans/vegetarians are particularly positive. The anticipated attitude change profiles showed that meat-eating identity, social norms, environmental concern, and country yielded the clearest profile differences, whereas health identity, age, innovativeness, income, education, and gender have smaller effects. People on a vegan or vegetarian diet cared less about most of the positive and negative aspects of cultured proteins compared to meat-eaters, with the exception of environmental and ethical aspects.

Food fraud is an increasingly acknowledged problem that can cause unfair competition in the market, contribute to the grey economy, cause financial losses and threaten the health of consumers. Even so, little research exists on food-related criminal cases. The aim of this study was to characterize Finnish food-related criminal cases in order to improve understanding of the prevention of food-related crime. We investigated 127 cases resolved by the police, prosecutors, or district courts under the titles of food offence, health offence or marketing offence from 2008 to 2019. The analysis revealed that the incidence of cases was low and varied regionally, which may be due to varying abilities to detect cases and differences in reporting them to the police. The most common non compliances in the cases we analysed were unapproved or unregistered premises or activities (43.3%), false or misleading information provided on food products (39.4%), and insufficient or incorrect, false or misleading documents (31.5%). Safety hazards were associated with 45.7% of cases, while 2.4% involved verifiable instances of illness, which demonstrates that preventing food crime is important for consumer safety. The majority of cases (51.2%) were detected during food control inspections, highlighting the importance of performing inspections on-site. In addition, tip-offs to food control authorities about possible food-related crime (29.1% of cases) were an important mode of detection and could possibly be even more important if Finland were to have a centralized anonymous whistleblowing system. In total, 59.8% of cases led to a conviction or a sanction, and the most common type of punishment was a fine. Nevertheless, the fines tended to be rather low, and the proceeds of crime were recovered in only a few cases. More training for food control inspectors on the detection of food related crime, harmonized reporting practices, and increased legal praxis throughout the country could improve the detection and prevention of food crime in the future.

Correction: Volume13, Issue 8 Page: 4770-4770 DOI: 10.1039/d2fo90028a Published: APR 20 2022 Birch-derived glucuronoxylan (GX)-rich hemicellulose extract is an abundantly available by-product of the forest industry. It has multifunctional food stabilizing properties, and is rich in fiber and polyphenols. Here, we studied its effects on colonic metabolism and gut microbiota in healthy rats. Male and female Wistar rats (n = 42) were fed AIN-93G-based diets with 10% (w/w) of either cellulose (control), a polyphenol and GX-rich extract (GXpoly), or a highly purified GX-rich extract (pureGX) for four weeks. Both the GXpoly and pureGX diets resulted in changes on the gut microbiota, especially in a higher abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae than the cellulose containing diet (p < 0.001). This coincided with higher concentrations of microbial metabolites in the luminal contents of the GX-fed than control rats, such as total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (p < 0.001), acetate (p < 0.001), and N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) (p = 0.001). The difference in the concentration of NOCs was not seen when adjusted with fecal weight. GX supplementation supported the normal growth of the rats. Our results indicate that GXpoly and pureGX can favorably affect colonic metabolism and the gut microbiota. They have high potential to be used as prebiotic stabilizers to support more ecologically sustainable food production.

Both the liberation and stability of endogenous folate are relevant to the bioaccessibility of folate. Since folates are unstable, in addition to studying the natural folate content in foods, bioaccessibility should be considered. To understand folate changes during digestion, a mixture of standard folate compounds was subjected to a static in vitro gastrointestinal digestion assay. Next, different types of bread were analysed to study how food matrices influence folate bioaccessibility. Folates were identified and quantitated by a UHPLC-PDA/FL method. Folic acid and 10-formylfolic acid were stable throughout the digestion, and the conversions among formyl folates and 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate were triggered at the gastric phase. Tetrahydrofolate began to degrade during the oral phase and was lost completely during the gastric phase. During the intestinal phase, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate began to degrade and suffered a 60% loss. With bread matrices, folate conversions and the decrease of reduced folates were also common, but the extent of changes varied. Generally, rye breads had the highest (80–120%) bioaccessibility of folate, while oat breads had the lowest (31–102%). The high proportion of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate could result in low bioaccessibility because of its relatively low stability during digestion in bread matrices. An increase in 10-formylfolic acid content was observed for all the breads, but 10-formyldihydrofolate seemed to be more stable in rye breads than in oat and wheat breads. The results showed that folates undergo significant changes during digestion and that food matrices could be modified to affect these changes towards better folate bioaccessibility.

Food waste is economically and ecologically unsustainable; the benefits of food waste reduction are indisputable. Yet knowledge of the economic trade-offs and knock-on effects of such reduction is deficient. This study examines the economic effects of food waste reduction in a rural region that is a nationally important producer of agricultural and food products in Finland. We built a detailed social accounting matrix to trace the transactions among the economic agents. Five different simulations of food waste reduction were run by applying a computable general equilibrium model. In the simulations, households and food services halved their food waste. The results indicated that food waste reduction is economically worthwhile in terms of regional investments and gross domestic product at market prices. However, the reduction induced economic trade-offs and welfare redistribution. The value added to the agriculture and food industries and the welfare of agricultural households decreased, albeit that the simulated compensations alleviated the effects. In the long run, falling agricultural wages and factor incomes entail closedowns and, finally, decrease local food production. This aspect is worth considering in terms of policy planning under the principle of just transition of the European Green Deal.

Food-grade enzymes (alpha-amylase, amyloglucosidase, maltogenic amylase, and protease) were investigated for recycling waste bread back to wheat bread-making process. Waste bread was efficiently hydrolyzed into sugars (up to 93% glucose yield) and the best combination of enzymes was alpha-amylase (0.05 g/kg bread) and amyloglucosidase (2.5 g/kg bread). Selected enzyme hydrolysis processes were tested in wheat bread making as a (a) hydrolyzed slurry, that is hydrolyzed waste bread without solid/liquid separation and (b) syrup, that is liquid supernatant after centrifugation of the hydrolyzed waste bread. Both hydrolyzed bread slurry and syrup were successfully utilized to replace sucrose (2 and 4%) in bread making without affecting the bread quality when compared to the control bread. Techno-economic assessment revealed that this approach is 12% more economical than the current mean to dispose the bakery waste. This recycling concept showed both technical and economic potential for bakery industries to overcome their excess bread production. Novelty impact statement A new recycling process was developed by using enzymes to efficiently hydrolyze surplus bread into sugars. The use of those sugar-rich slurries and syrups in bread rework did not affect the bread quality when compared to the control bread. The recycling concept was more economical than current means to dispose waste bread, revealing the technical and economic potential for bakery industries to overcome their excess bread production.

Greater nitrogen efficiency would substantially reduce the economic, energy and environmental costs of rice production. We hypothesized that synergistic balancing of the costs and benefits for soil exploration among root architectural phenes is beneficial under suboptimal nitrogen availability. An enhanced implementation of the functional-structural model OpenSimRoot for rice integrated with the ORYZA_v3 crop model was used to evaluate the utility of combinations of root architectural phenes, namely nodal root angle, the proportion of smaller diameter nodal roots, nodal root number; and L-type and S-type lateral branching densities, for plant growth under low nitrogen. Multiple integrated root phenotypes were identified with greater shoot biomass under low nitrogen than the reference cultivar IR64. The superiority of these phenotypes was due to synergism among root phenes rather than the expected additive effects of phene states. Representative optimal phenotypes were predicted to have up to 80% greater grain yield with low N supply in the rainfed dry direct-seeded agroecosystem over future weather conditions, compared to IR64. These phenotypes merit consideration as root ideotypes for breeding rice cultivars with improved yield under rainfed dry direct-seeded conditions with limited nitrogen availability. The importance of phene synergism for the performance of integrated phenotypes has implications for crop breeding.

We proposed a novel phenomic approach to track the effect of short-term exposures of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides to environmental pressure induced by brewers' spent grain (BSG)-derived saccharides. Water-soluble BSG-based medium (WS-BSG) was chosen as model system. The environmental pressure exerted by WS-BSG shifted the phenotypes of bacteria in species- and strains-dependent way. The metabolic drift was growth phase-dependent and likely underlay the diauxic profile of organic acids production by bacteria in response to the low availability of energy sources. Among pentosans, metabolism of arabinose was preferred by L. plantarum and xylose by Leuc. pseudomesenteroides as confirmed by the overexpression of related genes. Bayesian variance analysis showed that phenotype switching towards galactose metabolism suffered the greatest fluctuation in L. plantarum. All lactic acid bacteria strains utilized more intensively sucrose and its plant-derived isomers. Sucrose-6-phosphate activity in Leuc. pseudomesenteroides likely mediated the increased consumption of raffinose. The increased levels of some phenolic compounds suggested the involvement of 6-phospho-beta-glucosidases in beta-glucosides degradation. Expression of genes encoding beta-glucoside/cellobiose-specific EII complexes and phenotyping highlighted an increased metabolism for cellobiose. Our reconstructed metabolic network will improve the understanding of how lactic acid bacteria may transform BSG into suitable food ingredients.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the extension of use of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. The NF (beta-GOS) is produced from milk lactose using a beta-galactosidase derived from Bifidobacterium bifidum and it is proposed to be used in food for special medical purposes (FSMP). The target population is the general population from 4 years of age onwards. GOS produced according to the same production process are already authorised and included in the EU Union list of novel foods. The applicant stated that the maximum daily intake from the use in FSMP is 8.25 g GOS. GOS are already authorised for use in food supplements up to a daily dose of 16.2 g. FSMP containing GOS are not intended to be used if food supplements containing GOS are consumed on the same day. The information provided on the proposed use levels and anticipated intake does not raise safety concerns. The Panel concludes that the proposed extension of use of GOS in FSMP is safe under the proposed conditions of use.

Application of barrier dispersion coatings on paperboards, which must have proper moisture and grease resistance for food applications, has always been an interesting subject for the packaging industry. In this study, paperboards were coated with a novel dispersion barrier coating prepared through mixing soy protein isolate (SPI) and polyethylene wax (PE-wax). Different characterization methods were used to study the effects of coating and its composition on the physical, mechanical, and barrier characteristics of paperboards. The results indicated that the incorporation of PE-wax into the coating formulation caused significant reduction of the viscosity of coating slurries. It had no effect on the coating weight of the samples but increased the thickness of the coated paperboards as compared with those coated with SPI only. The increase of the wax content led to a reduction of 5-16% in the tensile strength values in comparison with the uncoated paperboards. Barrier characteristics, i.e., water vapor permeability (WVP), surface wettability, and water resistance, improved by adding PE-wax. In addition, it was found that there was a critical level for the addition of PE-wax, 50% of SPI, as no oil migration was detected when the paperboards coated with SPI coatings contained less than 50% PE-wax.

Food sovereignty has emerged as a leading sense-making framework for the nascent conceptualization of an agroecological urbanism – a radically new paradigm for urbanization, grounded in political agroecology. At present, discourses like food democracy are often isolated from food sovereignty and agroecology in the urban context, potentially resulting in missed opportunities for creating holistic, inclusive, and scalable transformation in the urban food system. This study used data from existing municipal food policy in Seattle, U.S.A. and interviews with Seattle community gardeners to probe resident practices and policy recommendations in relation to the conceptual frameworks of food sovereignty and food democracy. The findings identify two key dimensions of food democracy as notably absent from the food sovereignty framework within this contextualized landscape, including mechanisms that enable vertical deliberation between food system stakeholders and opportunities for strengthened self and community efficacy – thus, exposing a potential gap in the ongoing development of an actionable agroecological urbanism. Working in tandem within the frame of agroecological urbanism, the food sovereignty and food democracy frameworks may support transition from unsustainable growth patterns and enable agroecological massification in an urban Global North context.

PurposeThe critical role of diet in climate change mitigation has raised behavioural approaches to the top of the agenda. In this paper, the authors take a critical look at these behavioural approaches and call for a more dynamic, practice-oriented understanding of long-term changes in sustainable food consumption and supply.Design/methodology/approachThis approach is based on the experiences from a long-term experiment promoting sustainable eating in a workplace lunch restaurant using a series of informational and nudging techniques. In the experiment, the authors found that focussing solely on eating behaviours did not help to capture the multi-level change processes mobilised. The authors therefore propose a more dynamic, practice-oriented methodology for examining long-term changes in sustainable eating. The emprical data of the experiment are based on qualitative and quantitative data, consisting of customer survey, customer and kitchen personnel focus group discussions and monitoring data on the use of food items in the restaurant and their climate impacts.FindingsThe results draw attention to a series of practical challenges restaurants face when promoting sustainable eating. Directing analytical attention to tinkering helped to reveal the tensions brought about by labelling and nudging in menu planning and recipe development. The results show how tinkering required attentiveness to customers' wishes in both cases. Nudging offered more freedom for the restaurant to develop menus and recipes. In the case scrutinised, however, nudging customers towards tastier and more satiating vegetarian dishes included the use of dairy. This partly watered down the climate benefits gained from reduced meat consumption.Originality/valueRather than looking separately at changes in consumer behaviour and in the supply of food, the authors show how we need analytical concepts that enable the evaluation of their mutual evolution. Tinkering can assist us in this endeavour. Its adaptive, adjustive character, however, calls for caution. The development of praxis in food services and catering requires critical companions from the transdisciplinary research community. Research can provide systematic knowledge on the impacts of labels and nudges on kitchen praxis. However, research itself also needs to tinker and learn from experiments. This necessitates long-term speculative research strategies.

Introducing and increasing the use of insect-based foods as an alternative source of protein has recently aroused academic and commercial interest in Europe. In this research, we examined Finnish consumers’ intentions to consume insect-based foods in the near future. As a theoretical background we used Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour (TPB), where individuals’ intentions to change their behaviour are affected by their attitude (A), subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioural control (PBC). The data was obtained by using an online questionnaire and convenience sampling. For measuring TPB-components a self-administered 58-item Likert-type questionnaire was used. Food neophobia (FN) was measured by using the food neophobia scale. Respondents’ (n=564) intentions to consume insect-based foods were explained significantly (80%) by their A (β=0.749, P

The demand for sustainable foods and an increased consciousness of health and well-being, as well as other societal changes, create opportunities to develop novel foods. However, consumers are programmed from early childhood to prefer familiar foods. We now know that individual variations in disposition determine responses to novelty. Disgust, along with food neophobia and related traits, has been identified as a major barrier to accepting novel food alternatives. In this paper, we present two novel foods trends (meat alternatives and products for health and well-being) as examples of current research. We conclude that successfully launching novel foods require a deep understanding of product perception and the consumer traits that determine rejection or acceptance.

Listeria ivanovii is one of the two pathogenic species within the genus Listeria, the other being L. monocytogenes. In this study, we generated a stable pediocin resistant mutant Liv-r1 of a L. ivanovii strain, compared phenotypic differences between the wild-type and the mutant, localised the pediocin-induced mutations in the chromosome, and analysed the mechanisms behind the bacteriocin resistance. In addition to pediocin resistance, Liv-r1 was also less sensitive to nisin. The growth of Liv-r1 was significantly reduced with glucose and mannose, but less with cellobiose. The cells of Liv-r1 adsorbed less pediocin than the wild-type cells. Consequently, with less pediocin on the cell surface, the mutant was also less leaky, as shown as the release of intracellular lactate dehydrogenase to the supernatant. The surface of the mutant cells was more hydrophobic than that of the wild-type. Whole genome sequencing revealed numerous changes in the Liv-r1 chromosome. The mutations were found e.g., in genes encoding sigma-54-dependent transcription regulator and internalin B, as well as in genes involved in metabolism of carbohydrates such as glucose and cellobiose. Genetic differences observed in the mutant may be responsible for resistance to pediocin but no direct evidence is provided.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of vegetable waxes on the kinetics of lipid oxidation of linseed oil. Apple and orange waxes were obtained using supercritical carbon dioxide. The capacity of waxes to inhibit or retard the oxidation of linseed oil was determined by isothermal calorimetry at 298 K. The results show that waxes were able to slow down linseed oil autoxidation, with apple waxes being more active than orange waxes. However, such activity was visible only at relatively high concentrations (>1% of waxes), greatly higher than the concentration used with radical chain breakers like BHT (0.2%). The inhibition activity was explained by considering three different mechanisms: (1) residual polyphenol content in the wax, (2) high termination rate of the radical chain process, and (3) physical hindrance of the oxidation process by change in viscosity. All these mechanisms were possible, although the latter seemed to be the most important. Finally, the importance of waxes in the inhibition of lipid autoxidation was determined by testing their inhibition activity in combination with primary antioxidants. A mixture of waxes with BHA, ethoxyquin and alpha-tocopherol showed a higher rate of inhibition than when present individually. This suggested a strong cooperative radical scavenging activity, whose beneficial effect might pave the way to the formulation of novel functional ingredients.

Pure oats are generally accepted to be safe for most celiac patients, and consumption of oats provides advantageous dietary fibers. However, oats can be contaminated by gluten proteins from wheat, barley, and/or rye. The analytical challenge lies in the reliability of the quantification method and how to maintain the contamination level under a gluten-free food threshold of 20 mg/kg. In this study, we investigated barley-spiked oat flour samples at four levels using four gluten ELISA kits. The largest recovery variance was with the R5 kit that gave 5-6 times overestimation; the G12 kit cross-reacted with oat proteins and gave 4-5 times overestimation at all spiked levels. The Total Gluten and Morinaga kits gave satisfactory recoveries. Total barley hordeins were isolated and characterized to be used as a common calibrator in all four kits aiming at harmonizing the results and to test the kits' performance. Immunoblotting of total hordein isolate revealed that Total Gluten and Morinaga antibodies provided an overall detection, while R5 and G12 antibodies recognized specific hordein groups leading to a larger difference when wheat and barley were used as the calibrant. Calibration with total hordein isolate corrected the overestimation problem and decreased the variability between the four gluten kits.