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The aim of this work is to study new, extruded products based on corn flour enriched with carob bean and the evaluation of its functional quality to develop novel gluten-free food products. Five samples based on corn flour with added carob bean flour (5 to 12.5%) were formulated. Extrusion was performed using a single-screw laboratory extruder at pilot plant scale. Extrusion parameters such as color and carbohydrate content (fiber, sucrose, and starch) were evaluated. Carob bean addition led to an increase in starch, soluble fiber, and insoluble fiber. Texture parameters related to hardness (crunchiness) were significantly reduced with the addition of CB (p < 0.05), detectable from a 5% addition of CB and not significant with more CB content. Samples became browner with the addition of CB; however, when the concentrations of CB are high (>5%) no major differences in color were observed. The extrusion process reduced the content of soluble and insoluble fiber, and sucrose in all formulated samples. Extruded samples with 5–7.5% CB seem to be the best formulation in terms of fiber content, color, and texture parameters. These innovative gluten-free foods could be considered as a source of fiber, and a healthier alternative to some commercially available snacks.

Vegetables and legume soups contain various essential and bioactive constituents such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolics. Antioxidant activity characteristics related to those compounds are well known to contribute profusely to human health. The cooking technique affects the bioavailability of nutrients and bioactive compounds, making it crucial to explore optimal alternatives to maximize them. The objective of this study was to explore the influence of different cooking techniques (boiling, pressure cooking, sous-vide, and cook-vide) on the physicochemical properties and bioactive characteristics of a ready-to-eat vegetable lentil soup. For this, the bioaccessibility of those compounds was assessed through an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal methodology. The firmness of vegetables was established to define treatments’ cooking times, allowing subsequent comparison of the nutritional and functional properties of the soups. The color of vegetables was also evaluated as a quality parameter, which contributed to providing a global vision of the process impact. The results revealed that in vitro digestion (IVD) caused a decrease in all bioactive compound determinations for all cooking treatments of up to 72% for total phenols, 92% for lycopene, 98% for carotenoids, and 100% for vitamin C. Additionally, the antioxidant activity of the soups after thermal treatment improved up to 46% measured by the DPPH method. This study emphasizes the importance of considering the digestion process in the selection of the most adequate cooking technique. After IVD, traditional cooking (boiling) reached the maximum total carotenoid and lycopene contents; cook-vide and pressure-cooking techniques provided the highest total phenol content, showing these three techniques to have the maximum antioxidant capacity.

Andean roots can be used as an alternative to gluten-free food. The objective of this study was to enhance the technological and nutritional properties of Andean root flours to promote their industrial applicability. The water content and activity of the flour were lower than those required to prevent mold growth. The bulk density of the flour was comparable to that of wheat flour. The flour of Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. exhibited the lowest water absorption capacity of the tested samples. However, both this flour and Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz & Pavón showed a higher fat absorption capacity. The samples exhibited type-II isotherms, indicating that the flours were highly hygroscopic. The Guggenheim, Anderson, and de Boer GAB model showed a higher coefficient of determination in mathematical modeling. The chroma of T. tuberosum Ruiz & Pavón flour was higher than the other samples, which was related to total carotenoids and lycopene. Furthermore, I. batatas (L.) Lam. exhibited the highest phenol value.

The demand for gluten-free products has increased due to improved diagnoses and awareness of gluten-related issues. This study investigated the effect of HPMC, psyllium, and xanthan gum in gluten-free bread formulations. Three tests were conducted, varying the amount of these ingredients: in the first formulation, the amount of HPMC was increased to 4.4 g/100 g of flour and starch; in the second, psyllium husk fiber was increased to 13.2 g/100 g of flour and starch; and in the third formulation, xanthan gum was removed. Differences were observed among the formulations: increasing HPMC reduced extrusion force without affecting bread quality; adding psyllium increased dough elasticity but also crumb gumminess and crust hardness. Eliminating xanthan gum altered dough rheology, resulting in a softer and less gummy crumb, and a less reddish color in the final bread.

Andean roots, such as zanahoria blanca, achira, papa China, camote, oca, and mashua, contain high amounts of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and fructo-oligosaccharides. This study aimed to demonstrate the possibility of obtaining healthy second-generation (2G) snacks (products obtained from the immediate expansion of the mixture at the exit of the extruder die) using these roots as raw materials. Corn grits were mixed with Andean root flour in a proportion of 80:20, and a Brabender laboratory extruder was used to obtain the 2G snacks. The addition of root flour increased the water content, water activity, sectional expansion index, hygroscopicity, bulk density, and water absorption index but decreased the porosity. However, all 2G snacks manufactured with Andean root flour showed better characteristics than did the control (made with corn grits) in texture (softer in the first bite and pleasant crispness) and optical properties (more intense and saturated colors). The developed snacks could be considered functional foods due to the high amount of carotenoids and phenolic compounds they exhibit after the addition of Andean root flours. The composition of raw roots, specifically the starch, fiber, and protein content, had the most impact on snack properties due to their gelatinization or denaturalization.

The beneficial health effects of prebiotics have been demonstrated in numerous research papers. However, their incorporation into daily food remains unfamiliar to consumers. This work evaluates the effects of the addition of resistant maltodextrin (RMD) on the sensory attributes of pasteurised orange juice, together with the physico-chemical properties and the aromatic profile. RMD addition increased the sweetness and decreased the acidity and bitterness, resulting in a higher overall panellists’ rating of orange juice. It also proportionally increased °Brix together with density and decreased acidity. Colour changes were registered with higher RMD concentrations. Orange pulp presence affected the volume particle size distribution analysis, while RMD addition did not have any effect. The aroma volatile compounds were also analysed. Pulp-added samples showed a higher quantity of alcohol and aldehydes, whereas pulp-free samples registered higher terpene and terpenoid values. Ketones and acids were also quantified. RMD had a moderate impact on volatile compound quantifications, with the orange pulp presence playing a much more decisive role. A correspondence analysis was also performed to relate instrumental and sensory determinations for all samples. This work proves that the addition of RMD to orange juice is technologically feasible while also achieving a good response at the sensory level.

Different statistical approaches were used to analyze the rheological properties of a rice-protein-based product before and after printing. The printing ink was composed of 30% rice protein and 70% water, with the addition of 0.5% xanthan gum. Printing parameters: The layer height (1 and 1.5 mm), printing speed (50 and 35 mm/s), and nozzle diameter (1.2 and 1.7 mm) were evaluated. Rheological properties were determined before and after printing using an oscillatory test from 0.1 to 10 Hz at 1 Pa. The decomposition of the curves into principal components helped us better understand the variations of the rheological properties along the frequency, differentiating the samples before and after printing.

Gluten-free bread is a new option for a population unable to digest gliadins and glutenins. This study compared the texture and color of four formulations, each containing varying amounts of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), psyllium, xanthan gum, and water. It was found that removing xanthan gum reduced the hardness and gumminess of the breadcrumbs. Increasing the amount of psyllium increased gumminess and redness. Interestingly, increasing the amount of HPMC in the formulation did not show significant differences. This suggests that HPMC may not have a pronounced effect on texture and color compared to the control formulation.

Third-generation (3G) rice pellets were obtained using rice flour (RF) and rice grits (RG), raw materials of similar compositions but different particle sizes. The samples were mixed with water to 25% moisture and extruded using a laboratory single-screw extruder (Kompakt KE 19/25 extruder) and three compression ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1). The pellets were expanded using a microwave oven subjected to 1000 W/g power. After evaluating the expansion kinetics and the sectional expansion index (SEI), it was observed that the 3:1 compression ratio allowed for greater expansion, while the particle difference showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the SEI.

In recent years, scientific research has focused on studying Andean roots and tubers due to their attractive agricultural and nutritional qualities; however, as they contain a high level of moisture, it is imperative to dry them to extend their useful life. Likewise, analysing food-drying kinetics and food stability (regarding water activity) is essential to control moisture removal and the marketing progress. The drying process carried out in this study (65 °C for 8 h) showed three clear stages: adaptation, the drying period at a constant velocity, and a third stage with a gradual drop in the drying rate. The experimental data were satisfactorily adjusted to seven mathematical models, with the Page model highlighted since it presented higher coefficient-of-determination values. Likewise, this model estimated that the mean-error and percentage-of-relative-mean-deviation values were less than 1. The isotherms showed a type-II sigmoidal shape, showing that the samples were hygroscopic due to the structural changes undergone by the matrix during the process. Finally, the GAB model showed a higher coefficient of determination. All the Andean tubers and tuberous root flours must be dried until reaching a humidity below 10 gwater/gdry mass and stored in environments with a relative humidity lower than 60% to remain stable for longer.

Chefs often say, “You eat with your eyes first.” This means that, while taste, smell, and vision are distinct senses, visual stimuli generate expectations through learned associations, and these expectations exert cognitive top–down influences that can and sometimes do alter assessments of taste and flavour. This study investigates the intangible values associated with the visual assessment of high-end pastry cakes among individuals from diverse food cultures. Using word association, the study explored the emotions, sensations, and impressions evoked by the visual representation of five high-end pastry cakes. Thematic content analysis was conducted to interpret and group the evoked words into dimensions. Across all cultures, “Organoleptic properties” emerged as the most highly rated dimension, aligning with expectations for food product visual assessments.

Five varieties of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; Futura 75, Futura 83, Felina 32, Earlina 08 FC and Henola) were planted to produce grain and then to study their potential as an alternative source of nutritional compounds due to their fat, carbohydrate and protein content. The lipid fraction can account for 35% of the total composition of hemp seeds; therefore, the aim of this study was to determine their fat content, focusing mainly on the characterisation of the fatty acid profile of the different varieties of hemp seeds through gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector for possible use of the whole grains or the oil extracted from them. The fat content of the seeds ranged between 23 and 31% of the total composition, with Earlina 08 FC significantly (p < 0.05) being the richest in fat content. We also found that 87% of the total fatty acids were unsaturated, being polyunsaturated acids the main group and linoleic acid the most abundant fatty acid. In addition, linoleic acid acts as a precursor of biologically active molecules involved in many physiological processes. Thus, hemp seeds may be considered a valuable source of healthy fatty acids to include in plant-based food formulation, regarding that further studies are being conducted to characterise other nutritional components.

The consumption of food supplements in Latin America represents 7% of the world’s consumption, as reported by the Latin American Alliance of Responsible Nutrition (ALANUR) in 2021. Developing high-quality Andean-grain supplements could be interesting for enhancing the country’s food security. A supplement has been developed that contains high-quality protein and carbohydrates sourced from a blend of precooked quinoa and amaranth flours. Additionally, it includes omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids derived from microencapsulated sacha inchi and chia oils, along with vitamins and minerals. The process for obtaining the precooked flours involved cooking at 75 °C for 12 min, followed by drying in a tray dryer at 70 °C for 8–9 h, grinding in a disk mill, and sieving to achieve a particle size of 150 µm. Pasta tests were conducted using RVA and DSC to check their gelatinization. The supplement’s composition adheres to the mandatory nutrient requirements specified by the Ecuadorian standard NTE INEN1334-2, 2011. Moreover, the supplement satisfies the sensory criteria related to taste and consistency. To evaluate the impact of the processing on the nutrients’ attributes, assessing their bioaccessibility becomes significant. To accomplish this, the static in vitro digestion method was employed, both before and after the digestion process. The digestion protocol involves the following steps: an oral phase with amylase, a gastric phase with pepsin, and an intestinal phase with pancreatin. The resulting digest was subsequently centrifuged and filtered. The apparatus utilized consisted of a reactor equipped with precise controls for temperature, pH, and agitation. The in vitro digestibility percent for the supplement shake was determined to be 96.7% (IVD). Essential amino acids were quantified through HPLC analysis with a fluorescence detector. As a result, lysine and histidine exhibited the highest bioaccessibility values of 97% and 79%, respectively, while methionine had the lowest value of 32%. The remaining amino acids showed intermediate values.

Three-dimensional food printing is one of the modern techniques for food customization. The difficulty of this technique lies in the formulation of new matrices. These new formulations must have good extrusion characteristics and, at the same time, maintain the structure once printed. These qualities are related to textural and rheological properties. Printability studies are those whose objective is to know the above properties. Some authors have correlated printability with rheological and physicochemical parameters. The aim of this study was to characterize three gels to test prediction models and to determine the most important rheological and textural parameters (G′, G″, Tanδ, maxF, average) in printability. The formulations studied were bovine gelatin (4%) with kappa-carrageenan (0.5%) (Gb + K), porcine gelatin (5%) plus iota-carrageenan (2%) (Gp + I), and methylcellulose (4%) (MC). The samples were characterized by an oscillatory test for the rheological properties and an extrusion test for the textural properties. In addition, the density was obtained to apply the predictive models and correlate the rheological and textural parameters to determine their influence. Gp + I and Gb + K showed higher values of maximum force in the extrusion test than MC, but MC had less deviation in the mean force during the test. All the samples showed a predominantly elastic behavior and damping factor (Tanδ) between 0.14 (Gb + K) and 0.37 (MC). It was observed that the tangent of the phase angle (Tanδ) had a large positive influence on the maximum and average force studied in the extrusion tests. The sample results did not match 100% with the predictions made from the models. It was possible to print samples that were higher in height without obtaining deformations over time of more than 5%. Further work is needed to optimize models and parameters for more accurate prediction.

The purpose of this study was to obtain a functional, stable powder product from Cucumis melo subsp. melo Var. flexuosus (L.) to promote its consumption and reduce waste and production losses. The melons were ground and freeze-dried with or without biopolymers (pea protein (PPSM) or pea fibre (PFSM)). The physicochemical, structural, and functional properties of the powder were studied. The water content, water activity, bulk density, porosity, Hausner ratio, Carr index, hygroscopicity, water solubility, water absorption index, particle size, colour, and microstructure of the powder were determined. In addition, vitamin C, folates, chlorophyll a, total phenols and carotenoids, antioxidant capacity, and powder encapsulation efficiency were analysed. Snake melon (SM) powders contained vitamin C, folates, carotenoids, chlorophyll a, and phenols, which contributed to their antioxidant capacity. The incorporation of PP or PF in the formulation before lyophilisation generated stable encapsulates that protected the bioactive compounds. PPSM and PFSM were less hygroscopic and more free-flowing and had lower water content and water activity compared to the SM. PFSM showed higher encapsulation efficiency and smaller particles with a smooth surface and oval shape.

Concern about food waste has become a major global concern. The waste generated by the agri-food industry poses an environmental challenge. However, the development of 3D printing technology offers an opportunity to address this problem. By incorporating food waste into inks, it can create personalized food tailored to individual needs. The aim of this study is the valorization of orange by-products (OBP) in 3D printed gels to obtain a final product in the form of a fiber-enriched snack. Gelatin gels were printed with different concentrations of apricot pulp (30, 50, and 70%) and OBP was added. These gels were subjected to a freeze-drying process. The rheology of the gels before and after printing, the printing precision, and the post-treatment of the freeze-dried product, including color, shear force, and the presence of bioactive compounds, were evaluated. The addition of OBP resulted in an increase in the elasticity (997–1242u) of the samples and improved the printability of them. However, an increase in the hardness (173–184u) was observed in the freeze-dried samples. The use of OBP not only improves the printability of the gels but also enables obtaining fiber-enriched snacks, which could contribute to the reduction in food waste and the promotion of healthy and sustainable food.

Andean tubers and tuberous roots have nutritional and medicinal properties transferred through ancestral generations. In this study, we aim to promote cultivation and consumption by developing a snack based on these crops. Corn grits were thoroughly mixed with sweet potato, mashua, and three varieties of oca flour (white, yellow, and red) in an 80:20 ratio, and a single-screw laboratory extruder was utilized to produce third-generation (3G) dried pellets. Microwave expansion was studied, and the dried 3G pellets and expanded snacks were characterized. The microwave expansion curves of the dried 3G pellets were adjusted to the Page, logarithmic, and Midilli–Kucuk models. During the characterization, the influence of the raw material composition was observed in sectional expansion, water content, water activity, water absorption, water solubility, swelling, optical and textural properties, and bioactive compounds. According to global color variation (mixture vs. expanded and dried vs. expanded) and bioactive compound analysis, the mashua suffered little chemical change or nutritional loss during the process. The extrusion process was shown to be an ideal method for manufacturing snacks from Andean tuber flours.

There is currently a growing trend towards the consumption of vegetable protein, even if it shows some deficiencies in essential amino acids. It has been driven by consumer passion for health and wellness, environmental sustainability, animal welfare and the flexitarian lifestyle. However, the formulation of plant protein food analogues to meat products is complicated by the technological properties of isolated plant protein. One of the processes used to improve these properties is the texturisation of the protein by extrusion, as well as the use of other plant materials that can enrich the formulation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pea protein (PP) enriched with lucerne (L), spinach (S) and Chlorella (C) in powdered and texturised forms on the physicochemical properties and extrusion parameters, and to evaluate its technological and sensory quality as a meat analogue in vegetal hamburgers. Texturisation reduced the number of soluble components released, thus reducing the molecular degradation in extruded material. The texturised samples were significantly (p < 0.05) less hygroscopic than the non-textured samples. Once the properties of the powder and texturised had been analysed, they were used to prepare vegetal hamburgers. The addition of vegetable-enriched texturised samples with high chlorophyll content led to more intense colour changes in the vegetal hamburgers during cooking, with PP+C providing the darkest colouring, and also resulted in a final product more similar to a traditional meat hamburger, with higher overall and meat odour/flavour intensity, hardness, juiciness and chewiness, and less legume and spice odour and flavour. Overall, texturisation improved the technological properties of the enriched protein isolate, allowing for more efficient production of vegetal hamburgers.

The process of 3D food printing is a rapidly growing field that involves the use of specialized 3D printers to produce food items with complex shapes and textures. This technology allows the creation of customized, nutritionally balanced meals on demand. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of apricot pulp content on printability. Additionally, the degradation of bioactive compounds of gels before and after printing was evaluated to analyze the effect of the process. For this proposal, physicochemical properties, extrudability, rheology, image analysis, Texture Profile Analysis (TPA), and bioactive compounds content were evaluated. The rheological parameters lead to higher mechanical strength and, thus, a decrease in elastic behavior before and after 3D printing as the pulp content increases. An increase in strength was observed when the pulp content increased; thus, sample gels with 70% apricot pulp were more rigid and presented better buildability (were more stable in their dimensions). On the other hand, a significant (p < 0.05) degradation of total carotenoid content after printing was observed in all samples. From the results obtained, it can be said that the gel with 70% apricot pulp food ink was the best sample in terms of printability and stability.

Legumes are a good source of vegetal protein that improves diets worldwide. Cowpea has been used as fortification agents in some traditional corn foods in developing countries such as Colombia. The work aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties of extruded mixtures of corn and cowpea flours to assess the use of these mixes as vegetable protein ingredients. Corn flour was mixed with 15, 30, and 50% of cowpea flour and extruded for this proposal. After extrusion, mixtures were ground to produce a powder. Techno-functional properties of powders as water content, hygroscopicity, water absorption, fat absorption, water solubility index, swelling index, bulk density, Hausner ratio, Carr index, and porosity were evaluated in the mixtures, extrudates, and obtained powders to assess the effect of the addition of cowpea on these properties. Results showed that processing powder obtained by extrusion and drying could be used as a powder to regenerate with water as a source of protein. Moreover, storing processing samples in sections (pellet format) is convenient to avoid wetting since this format is less hygroscopic and the same mass occupies less storage volume than powders.

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is an important root vegetable crop and a valuable food source of micronutrients and bioactive constituents. In this study, the bioaccessibility of minerals, organic acids, and betacyanins in beetroot powder during simulated gastrointestinal digestion was investigated, as well as the antioxidant activity of the final fractions of each phase of the process. Mineral elements were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), organic acids by ultra-fast liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (UFLC-PDA), and betacyanins by liquid chromatography with diode-array detection and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn). The oxidative hemolysis inhibition assay was used to assess the ex vivo antioxidant activity. The bioaccessibility of minerals at the end of gastrointestinal digestion ranged from 43 to 65%, depending on the mineral element. Among these, Mg was the most bioaccessible, while Ca and Fe had the lowest bioaccessibility. For organic acids, a major release during digestion was observed for quinic acid. It was also found that betanin (the major betalain in beetroot) was highly unstable during the digestion process, probably due to its hydrophilic nature, which agreed with the significant (p < 0.05) decrease in antioxidant/antihemolytic activity. These results suggest that beetroot antioxidant compounds are unstable under gastrointestinal conditions, and could be useful for future development of novel and more stable beetroot food formulations.

Food waste is becoming a growing and important concern at both local and global levels. One-third of all food production is lost or wasted globally. It is necessary to look for alternatives that allow the use of agri-food waste or byproducts and that can provide value to other foodstuffs. The utilization of beetroot byproducts for producing value-added third generation (3G) snacks was the main aim of this work. These snacks are obtained by indirect expansion by extrusion and later heat expansion. In order to achieve this aim, a corn grits base was used and the influence of water content and beetroot byproduct content effect was studied on expansion kinetics by microwave energy and on texture, colour, extrusion parameters and bioactive compounds of expanded 3G snacks. The microwave expansion kinetics study determined the appropriate time to expand the formulations studied. Samples with higher water content in the mixtures needed more expansion time. In terms of expansion, all samples presented acceptable values; however, samples with 25% water in the mixtures showed better results. Furthermore, these snacks showed more crunchiness and less hardness. Beetroot byproduct incorporation provided additional functional value to the snacks. The betalains and phenols contained in the beetroot byproduct were presented in the expanded snacks and increased the antioxidant capacity of the snacks. With this study, it can be recommended to use 25% water content and 10% beetroot byproduct in corn mixture to obtain a third-generation snack with added value.

A 3D food-printing technique has great potential for food customization. It offers a great variety of shapes, dimensions, etc. To obtain new suitable printing formulations, it is important to carry out printability studies. These studies seek to know the shape stability of formulations that are related to rheological and textural properties. Some authors are correlating printability with rheological and physico-chemical parameters. The objective of this study was to characterize the textural and rheological properties by means of extrusion and oscillatory tests, respectively, of three gels of different formulations for predicting their printability. The gels are composed of porcine gelatin plus iota-carrageenan (Gp + I), bovine gelatin with kappa-carrageenan (Gb + K) and methylcellulose (MC). t. The results showed that Gp + I and Gb + K need higher values of maximum force in an extrusion test than MC, but MC had less deviation in force value during the extrusion test. The three samples showed a predominantly elastic behavior and damping factor (tan δ) between 0.14 (Gb + K) and 0.37 (MC). It was estimated that the maximum height of the samples should be 0.8 cm, 1 cm and 0.008 cm for Gp + I, Gb + K and MC, respectively, to exhibit 5% deformation after 1 h for a 3 cm diameter printed cylinder.

A Brabender Kompakt extruder KE 19/25 was used to create third-generation corn pellets using a high moisture content (25, 30, and 35%) and moderate temperature. The pellets were subjected to microwave expansion, and the drying curves were fitted to Page, Logarithmic, and Midilli–Kucuk mathematical models. The Page model best fits the experimental data, closely followed by the Midilli–Kucuk model. The variables evaluated were appearance, sectional expansion index (SEI), and volumetric expansion index (VEI), and they showed a strong dependency on moisture content. According to the results, the recommended expansion times for mixtures with a 25, 30, and 35% moisture content are 50, 60, and 60–75 s, respectively.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an excellent technology for creating food products of any shape and dimension, with desired flavors and nutritional compositions. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of apricot pulp content on the stability and printability of bovine gelatin gels. °Brix, pH, Texture Profile Analysis (TPA), and image analysis after 3D printing were measured. Bovine gelatin gels (5%) were formulated with different concentrations of apricot pulp (30%, 50%, and 70%), and cylinders of 3 cm in diameter and 1 cm in height were printed. An increase in firmness of the printed gel was observed with the rise in the pulp concentration. Concerning image analysis, it was observed that as the concentration of apricot pulp (AP) in the samples increased, there was minor deformation of the height dimension. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in pieces for the cylinder area, and all presented a 12% area deformation. From the results obtained, it can be said that the 70% apricot pulp sample has the best texture profile and is the sample with the slightest deformation.

This Special Issue is dedicated toward the understanding of the physicochemical properties and structure changes of food products during processing [...]

Rosa canina pseudo-fruits contain interesting bioactive compounds. This work aims to evaluate the use of different biopolymers as encapsulating agents on the content of organic acids, minerals, fibers, phenols, carotenoids, and the antioxidant activity of the powdered product. Fruits were ground and freeze-dried with or without biopolymers (maltodextrin, resistant maltodextrin, cyclodextrin, and pea protein). Rosehip formulated purees with encapsulating agents are an interesting food ingredient rich in fiber and minerals that could be used in the food industry in order to obtain different functional foods. Results obtained in this study show that all formulated samples are a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese. Both rosehip without biopolymers and rosehip with pea protein formulations are also a good source of Zn. Formulation with pea protein can be claimed as a good source of Fe. All formulations are food ingredients with a very high content of ascorbic acid. Comparing the encapsulating agents, depending on the studied bioactive compound samples behaved differently. In conclusion, it can be indicated that pea protein is recommended as an encapsulating agent since the rosehip with pea protein sample has the highest content of fiber, minerals, organic acids, and carotenoids among the encapsulating agents studied.

Three-dimensional (3D) food printing is a technique that satisfies the criteria for manufacturing personalized food and for specific consumer groups, both in terms of sensorial and nutritional properties. Rose hips are recognized as valuable food and medicine constituents due to their high-level content of bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the printability in terms of dimensional properties (variation in length, width and height) of 3D-printed, rectangular base (7 × 3 cm), gluten free bread doughs containing rosehip powder or rosehip powder encapsulated with maltodextrin. The effect of the addition of rose hips on rheology and the colour of dough plus texture and colour of final product was studied. The addition of rosehip increased both elastic and viscous modulus of dough and changed its colour from white to orange. After printing process, height effect on figure dimension was remarkable in comparison with dough formulation. The addition of rosehip powder in dough and the use of 2 cm of figure height improve the printability in terms of dimensional properties, achieving 3D structures with more stability and resistance to baking.

Thinking of the present gastronomic trends is inevitable when talking about innovation in haute pastry. Launching a successful product that meets consumers’ high expectations despite the rising demand for new creations is increasingly complex. For this reason, sensory analysis studies are more and more interested in studying the emotional response evoked by these products to better understand and improve user experiences. The main goal of this work was to conduct a study to analyze the emotional arousal of consumers after the visualization of five haute patisserie cakes. An online questionnaire with the EsSense Profile® scale and CATA methodology were used for data collection. The EsSense Profile® is a predefined and validated scale that measures food-related emotions, which includes 39 terms. When analyzing the emotions expressed by all the participants, 22 were statistically significant, of which 14 were classified as positive, 6 as neutral, and only 2 were negative. By analyzing the responses by gender, we observed differences in the number of elicited emotional terms: females showed significant differences between cakes for 18 emotion terms compared to 8 terms for males. The results obtained support the importance of the emotional profile to understand consumers’ expectations and behavior.

The design of functional foods through 3D printing is proposed here as one of the most appropriate technologies to provide closer food personalization for the population. However, it is essential to study the properties of the biomaterials intended to be printed. This work will evaluate the incorporation of rosehip as a functional ingredient in a gluten-free dough. Three types of dough (control, rosehip, and encapsulated rosehip) were printed in a rectangular figure of dimensions 7 cm long, 2 cm wide, and 1, 2, and 3 cm high. Changes in printed figures before and after baking were evaluated by image analysis. Physicochemical properties, total phenols (TP), antioxidant capacity (AC), and total carotenoids (TC) were determined both in the pre-printed doughs and in the printed and baked samples. The bread enriched with rosehips presented more orange colors in dough and crumbs. They were also more acidic than control, probably due to the ascorbic acid content of rosehip. The addition of rosehip generally makes the product more resistant to breakage, which could be due to the fiber content of the rosehip. It was observed that the incorporation of rosehip notably improved the functional properties of the bread.

The rosehip (Rosa canina L.) fruit has gained researchers′ attention due to its rich chemical composition in vitamin C, phenols, carotenoids, and high antioxidant activity; meanwhile, polymers such as pea protein are generally recognized as exhibiting a protection role against the extrusion process. Corn snacks extrudates obtained by replacing corn flour with 10% R. canina powder (R) and 10% R. canina with pea protein (RPP) were evaluated for the physicochemical, textural, optical, and nutritional characteristics. A sample manufactured without R. canina powder was used as a control. Hardness, crispiness, chewiness, and solubility index (WSI) of the final extrudates were improved by addition of R. canina and pea protein powder (PP); meanwhile, b* (yellow/blue coordinate), C (chroma), and h* (tone) optical parameters were significantly different from the control sample (p < 0.05). Extrusion highlighted a negative impact on total phenols, carotenoids, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity extrudates, while PP exhibited a good protection against the extrusion process. In vitro digestion increased the bioaccessibility of vitamin C, folate, antioxidant activity, total phenols, and total carotenoids mainly on RPP extrudates.

Nowadays, the consumer is looking for healthier, more attractive, ready-to-eat, and safer foodstuffs than fresh products. Despite freeze drying being known for providing high added value products, it is a slow process which is conducted at low pressures, so, in terms of energy consumption, it turns out to be quite costly for the food industry. With the purpose of obtaining a freeze-dried orange puree, previously formulated with gum Arabic and bamboo fiber, which can be offered to consumers as a snack at a low economic cost, the impact of the process conditions on energy consumption has been considered. The product temperature evolution and the energy consumption were registered during the drying of frozen samples at different combinations of chamber pressures (5 and 100 Pa) and shelf temperatures (30, 40 and 50 °C). In each case, the time processing was adapted in order to obtain a product with a water content under 5 g water/100 g product. In this study, the secondary drying stage was considered to start when the product reached the shelf temperature and both the pressure and the temperature affected the duration of primary and secondary drying stages. The results obtained led to the conclusion that the shorter duration of the process when working at 50 °C results in significant energy saving. Working at a lower pressure also contributes to a shortening of the drying time, thus reducing the energy consumption: the lower the temperature, the more marked the effect of the pressure.

Serious issues and challenges of the world’s population are represented by dwindling natural food resources and the scale-up of sustainable food manufacturing. Therefore, the valorization of co-products from the food industry represents new methods for food development. The principal goal of the study was to capitalize rose hip (Rosa canina) co-product powder in extrudates, highlighting its influence on extrusion parameters, physicochemical, and nutritional characteristics. The water absorption index, swelling index, and hygroscopicity increased with the rose hip co-product addition. Furthermore, water solubility index, expansion index, porosity, image parameters (area and perimeter) of the extrudates decreased. Lycopene, β-Carotene, Zea-esters, and lutein were the main carotenoids identified in the extrudates; whereas Catechin, Di-gallic acid, Procyanidin dimmer 1, Procyanidin dimmer 2, and Isorhamnetin-glucuronide were the main flavonoids. Strong Pearson correlations were identified between carotenoids, total flavonoids, vitamin C, total folate, and antioxidant activity. Valorization of the Rosa canina powder co-product led to value-added products—corn extrudates—rich in bioactive compounds.

The aim of this study was to add cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour to dried mixtures of chucula to obtain a mixture with higher protein content without altering the typical properties of the traditional product. An experimental design with three factors (cricket flour, cacao and other flours) was performed. From this, 27 experiments were carried out. The water and protein content, particle size, water solubility and water absorption index, and color of samples were determined. All samples presented water content values less than or equal to 3%, typical of this type of product. Crude protein content increased significantly with increasing cricket flour content. The particle size of the samples with lower cocoa contents were higher, however those with lower cricket flour contents were lower. The water absorption and solubility indices were not affected by the factors in the ranges studied. The sample with lower content of the generic flours presented lower luminosity values, that is, they were darker. The sample with the highest cocoa content in its formulation showed more orange-reddish tones compared to the rest. The addition of cricket flour could be an alternative to increase the protein content in powdered chucula without altering its traditional characteristics. According to results, 7% of cricket flour, 25% of cacao and 68% of general flour was recommended to improve the final product.

Thinking of present gastronomic trends is inevitable when talking about innovation in Haute Pastry. Despite the rising demand for new creations, launching a successful product that meets the high expectations of consumers is increasingly complex. For this reason, sensory analysis studies are more and more interested in studying the emotions generated by these products to understand and improve user experiences. The main goal of this work was to conduct a study to analyze the emotional arousal of consumers after the visualization of five special cakes. For data collection, an online questionnaire with EsSense Profile® scale and CATA methodology has been used. EsSense Profile® is a predefined and validated scale that measures emotions generated by food that includes 39 terms. When analyzing the emotions expressed by all the participants, 22 were statistically significant, of which 14 were classified as positive, 6 as neutral, and only 2 were negative. The results obtained support the importance of the emotional profile in understanding consumers’ expectations and behavior.

Wild Rose canina fruit represents a rich source of bioactive compounds such as minerals, phenolic compounds, vitamins, carotenoids, folate, and antioxidant activity that still needs to be further exploited. Thus, this study aimed to use wild Rosa canina fruit encapsulated powder with different biopolymers aiming to manufacture ready-to-eat products, such as corn extrudates. To achieve this goal, extrudate physicochemical characteristics, such as water content (xw), water activity (aw), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), swelling index (SWE), hygroscopicity (Hy), expansion index (SEI), bulk density (ρb), porosity (ε), textural, optical; nutritional; and functional analysis (phenolic acids, flavonoids, ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids, vitamin C, carotenoids, folates, antioxidant activity, and minerals) were determined. Results highlighted that 4 and 8% addition of wild Rose canina fruit encapsulated powder could be successfully used in the corn extrudates, showing the positive influence on its nutritional and functional value. Strong positive Pearson correlations were identified between antioxidant capacity and total flavonoids, carotenoids, folates, and vitamin C of mixtures and extrudates Minerals increased their amount during the extrusion process, reaching the highest values at an addition of 8% rosehip encapsulated with pea protein biopolymer. Furthermore, from the biopolymers used in the present study, pea protein powder exhibited the highest protection on the analyzed bioactive compounds against the extrusion process.

Beetroot is a root vegetable with carotenoids, phenols, vitamins, minerals, and water-soluble betalain pigments such as betacyanins (red-violet color) and betaxanthins (yellow-orange color), which have many nutritional and health benefits. Its use in the food industry is mainly as a powdered natural dye. This study aims to investigate the effect of adding pea protein to beetroot juice as an encapsulating agent, and the spray-dried temperature on the physicochemical, structural, and functional properties of the powder. The spray drying was conducted at 125 and 150 °C with 3.5% and 7% pea protein used in the mixtures with the beetroot juice. The water content, bulk density, porosity, hygroscopicity, water solubility, water absorption index, color, and microstructure of the obtained powder were determined. In addition, betacyanin, total phenols, antioxidant capacity, and powder encapsulate efficiency were analyzed. Using pea protein in the spray drying of beetroot juice had shown high yields of spray drying and good characteristics of the powdered product. Beetroot powder with 7% of pea protein was more porous and luminous, and less hygroscopic than beetroot powder with 3.5% of pea protein. However, the use of 7% of pea protein increased the amount of water immobilized by the samples and reduced the soluble solids present in the product compared to beetroot powder with 3.5% of pea protein. The use of 7% of pea protein protected beetroot bioactive compound higher than the use of 3.5%. Higher spray-drying temperature (150 °C) significantly decreased phenols content and antioxidant capacity of the beetroot powders (p < 0.05). Results showed using 7% pea protein mixed with beetroot juice and a 125 °C spray-drying temperature gave the most content of the studied bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. Moreover, the proposal gives more stable powders from a functionality viewpoint because it showed the higher encapsulate efficiency.

Sandwiches are the most common “casual-food” consumed by all age groups in Spain. Due to the importance of visual appearance to promote unplanned or impulse buying, foodservice and hospitality companies focus on improving the visual impression of their food menus to create an expectation that satisfies both sensory and hedonic consumer experiences. To provide a list of attributes about the visual appearance of sandwiches, 25 students were recruited from a university and were invited to participate in two nominal group technique (NGT) sessions. To understand whether a sandwiches’ appearance can influence the expectation of consumers, 259 participants completed an online survey specially designed from the results of the NGT sessions. Data were analyzed using conjoint, internal preference mapping and cluster analysis; the interaction effect by gender was also studied. The conjoint results indicate that visual perception about the filling (vegetal or pork based) plays the most key role overall in consumer expectation. When consumers choose vegetables as the filling, the consumers’ perceived sandwiches as healthier, but the pork filling was perceived as more attractive and satiating. Interaction effect by gender was observed in filling when females perceived pork filling as less healthy than vegetable. By acceptance, consumers were segmented into three groups. The first cluster (n = 80) selected the pork filling. The smaller group (cluster 3, n = 36) prioritized the vegetal filling, and the most numerous cluster 2 (n = 140) liked sandwiches with multigrain bread. These results may help companies to build tailor-made marketing strategies to satisfy consumer segments.

Resistant maltodextrin (RMD) is a water-soluble and fermentable functional fiber. RMD is a satiating prebiotic, reducer of glucose and triglycerides in the blood, and promoter of good gut health, and its addition to food is increasingly frequent. Therefore, it is necessary to study its potential effects on intrinsic bioactive compounds of food and their bioaccessibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding RMD on the bioactive compounds of pasteurized orange juice with and without pulp, and the bioaccessibility of such compounds. RMD was added at different concentrations: 0 (control sample), 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%. Ascorbic acid (AA) and vitamin C were analyzed using HPLC, whereas total phenols, total carotenoids (TC), and antioxidant capacity were measured using spectrophotometry. After that, sample in vitro digestibility was assessed using the standardized static in vitro digestion method. The control orange juice with pulp presented significantly higher values of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity than the control orange juice without pulp (p < 0.05). RMD addition before the juice pasteurization process significantly protected all bioactive compounds, namely total phenols, TC, AA, and vitamin C, as well as the antioxidant capacity (AC) (p < 0.05). Moreover, this bioactive compound protective effect was higher when higher RMD concentrations were added. However, RMD addition improved phenols and vitamin C bioaccessibility but decreased TC and AA bioaccessibility. Therefore, the AC value of samples after gastrointestinal digestion was slightly decreased by RMD addition. Moreover, orange pulp presence decreased total phenols and TC bioaccessibility but increased AA and vitamin C bioaccessibility.

Currently, extrudates are considered unhealthy products, being characterized as high in calories; rich in fat, sugar, and salt; and low in nutritional compounds. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of lucerne (Medicago sativa) on the physicochemical, nutritional, and functional characteristics of corn extrudates. In order to achieve these goals, water content, water activity, expansion index, bulk density, porosity, hygroscopicity, optical properties, antioxidant activity, individual phenolic acids, folates, individual flavonoids, and volatile compounds were analyzed. The results showed that the typical characteristics of corn extrudates such as expansion, crunchiness, and density were maintained with 10% lucerne addition, highlighting a strong negative Pearson correlation (p < 0.05) between all studied parameters and lucerne addition. On the other hand, the lucerne addition caused a linear increase of bioactive compounds, showing positive Pearson correlations between flavonoids, folates, and antioxidant activity. The volatile profile of corn extrudates improved with the addition of lucerne leading to volatile compounds such as limonene, β-mircene, and hexanal. Overall, considering the textural, nutritional, and functional characteristics of corn extrudates, we determined that a percentage addition on 10% lucerne could be successfully used in the manufacturing of corn extrudates.

Resistant maltodextrin (RMD) is a water-soluble fibre that can be fermented in the colon and exert prebiotic effects. Therefore, its addition to food and beverage products could be beneficial from both technological and nutritional viewpoints. However, to date, most studies have focused on the stability of the prebiotic fibre rather than its impact in the original food matrices. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the addition of RMD on the physico-chemical properties of pasteurised orange juice (with and without pulp). °Brix, pH, acidity, particle size distribution, density, turbidity, rheology, and colour were measured in orange juices with increasing RMD concentrations (2.5, 5, and 7.5%). Control samples without RMD were also prepared. RMD added soluble solids to the orange juice, affecting the °Brix, density, turbidity, and rheology. Slight colour differences were observed, and lower citric acid content was achieved because of orange juice replacement with RMD. Differences in particle size distribution were exclusively because of pulp content. Further studies are needed to elucidate if potential consumers will appreciate such physico-chemical changes in organoleptic terms.

A projected global population growth by 2050 and climate change crises have led to increasing demand in edible protein sources; thus, scientific research and food industries are searching for alternatives. In this study, we investigated the incorporation of plant- and insect-based protein sources in wheat-based formulations. The Alveographic properties of dough and the effects on bread physicochemical and sensory characteristics were analysed. Including pea protein or insect powder improved the nutritional value, increasing protein content, but influenced the dough and bread properties. Pea protein significantly increased the dough extensibility (L), tenacity (P), and their ratio (P/L) in dough with insect blends and the control. Bread texture properties were significantly affected by the addition of pea and insect flour. Higher amounts of pea protein incorporation increased hardness values and showed a mean cell area lower than the control bread. Crust colour analysis showed significant differences concerning the control bread, while crumb colour was affected by the flour colour. Word association analysis showed insect bread was associated with an emotional dimension, wheat bread was linked with “tradition”, and pea bread was associated with “fruit and vegetable”.