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Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of incorporation of different plant‐based polysaccharides (pectin, maltodextrin (MD) and gum arabic (GA)) with pea protein isolate (PPI) to obtain maximum encapsulation efficiency (EE), gastrointestinal (GI) stability and yield of probiotic Lactobacillus casei through spray drying. Several characteristics of encapsulated vegan probiotic powders were evaluated including functional, structural, and thermal characteristics. Findings: The results showed that the highest EE (93.9%) and in vitro GI stability (8.58 log CFU/mL) was obtained with the powder encapsulated with PPI + GA. Variation in particle size was observed for all the samples. Confocal laser micrographs and vital staining revealed the highest viability of probiotic L. casei cells that were obtained with those encapsulated in PPI + GA. Thermal properties showed that the incorporation of GA increased the glass transition temperature up to 189.2°C, which represented a higher thermal stability of the powder. Conclusions: PPI + GA coated powder was found with acceptable powder characteristics and maximum probiotic survivability. Significance and Novelty: In this study, spray drying was used to encapsulate the probiotic bacteria which is a convenient and effective process for industrial applications. Characterization of the spray‐dried encapsulated probiotic powder has been done, which helps to understand the behavior of powder in terms of solubility, flowability, thermal stability, and probiotic viability. PPI was used as carrier material, which bridges the gap between already available spray‐dried products containing MD as carrier material, which could spike blood sugar levels if consumed over an extended period of time. As per the results, target product applications could include sports bars, cereals, and baking where dispersibility is not imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With population growth expected in the near future and the planet's limited resources, alternative food sources are already being looked for. In this context, spirulina is called the food of the future due to its rich nutritional composition. This blue–green alga is primarily a valuable source of protein (55–70%) containing all essential amino acids. In its composition, it also contains unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and pigments, including the valuable protein–pigment complex—phycocyanin. Due to its high content of complete protein and minerals such as iron and calcium, it is an excellent addition to diets, especially those of vegans and vegetarians. Despite several limitations to the use of spirulina, including its distinctive marine flavour, low consumer awareness, or relatively high price, scientists are attempting to enrich many food products with the microalga. This is supported not only by the improved nutritional composition of the fortified product but also by spirulina's impact on sustainable food production. Therefore, this review aims to create consumer attention by presenting spirulina as a valuable and sustainable food source with health-promoting potential and great future significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged people to adopt healthier lifestyles, yet available information remains scarce. Marketers often utilize advertising to educate the public, but ads must be engaging to capture attention. Therefore, this study seeks to examine how the content and sources of advertisements influence attitudes toward vegan food using the S-O-R Theory. Design/Methods/Approach: This study conducts experiments on social media apps, manipulating vegan food ads across different designs and endorsers using a 2x2 factorial design between subjects with 160 participants. It utilizes vegan meat as a stimulus and conducts manipulation checks before distributing questionnaires. Findings: The findings indicate that classical aesthetics are more effective in shaping attitudes toward vegan food advertising. Consumers purchase vegan food to maintain their health, and by using classical aesthetics, consumers perceive the food as healthier. Originality/Value: Previous research on vegan food has focused on various aspects such as values, claims, motivation, and ideologies. In contrast, this study explores how vegan food ads positively influence consumer attitudes, with unique visual aesthetics findings in these advertisements. Practical/Policy Implication: Marketers must focus on visual aesthetics and choose suitable endorsers for effective vegan food ads, shaping positive consumer attitudes and purchase intentions.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged people to adopt healthier lifestyles, yet available information remains scarce. Marketers often utilize advertising to educate the public, but ads must be engaging to capture attention. Therefore, this study seeks to examine how the content and sources of advertisements influence attitudes toward vegan food using the S-O-R Theory. Design/Methods/Approach: This study conducts experiments on social media apps, manipulating vegan food ads across different designs and endorsers using a 2x2 factorial design between subjects with 160 participants. It utilizes vegan meat as a stimulus and conducts manipulation checks before distributing questionnaires. Findings: The findings indicate that classical aesthetics are more effective in shaping attitudes toward vegan food advertising. Consumers purchase vegan food to maintain their health, and by using classical aesthetics, consumers perceive the food as healthier. Originality/Value: Previous research on vegan food has focused on various aspects such as values, claims, motivation, and ideologies. In contrast, this study explores how vegan food ads positively influence consumer attitudes, with unique visual aesthetics findings in these advertisements. Practical/Policy Implication: Marketers must focus on visual aesthetics and choose suitable endorsers for effective vegan food ads, shaping positive consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There is a growing interest in harnessing bioactive peptides derived from food-grade raw materials, especially for the development of functional foods. Tempeh milk protein hydrolysates (TMPHs) are interesting sources of bioactive peptides. In the current study, TMPHs were characterized by their bioactive peptides, dietary polyphenols and antioxidant activity. Material and methods. TMPHs were made from Rhizopus oligosporus fermented tempeh with fermentation times of 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 days, designated as TMPH0, TMPH1, TMPH2, TMPH3 and TMPH4, respectively. The morphological appearance of tempeh was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The analyzed characteristics of TMPHs were physicochemical properties, total soluble proteins (TSP), trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptides, bioactive peptides, antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds (TPCs) and total flavonoid compounds (TFCs). Results. The morphological appearance and microstructure of tempeh with varied fermentation times were different under SEM due to the growth of R. oligosporus. The pH of TMPHs remained constant at 7 for samples with fermentation times of 0, 1 and 2 days and continuously decreased for those fermented for 3 and 4 days. However, total acidity continuously increased from the first day of fermentation. TMPH3 had the highest level of total soluble proteins and trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptides. SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that TMPHs consist of various protein fractions with large molecular weights from 25 kDa and with lower molecular weights. Their SDS-PAGE patterns were different, indicating protein alteration during fermentation. In DPPH and ABTS assays, TMPH3 exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity. These results agreed with those from the analysis of total phenolic compounds (TPCs) and total flavonoid compounds (TFCs) showing that TMPH3 had the highest TPC and TFC.Conclusion. This study demonstrates that TMPHs possess the capability to yield bioactive peptide-derived proteins with active biological properties, a favorable degradation mechanism, and enhanced bioaccessibility, making them suitable for use in the production of functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the structural relationships between vegan restaurant attributes, perceived benefits, consumption value, and future intention using an attribute–benefit–value–intention (ABVI) linkage, as an extension of the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model. Data were sourced from 330 respondents who were members of two vegan associations in Hong Kong and had experienced vegan food at vegan restaurants. The study finds connections between food quality, healthy food, restaurant quality, and space for veganism as antecedents of social, health, epistemic, and emotional benefits by contributing to environmental protection. The results of this study have academic and practical implications for understanding vegans' psychological and behavioral mechanisms using an ABVI linkage. This study is an initial empirical attempt to understand vegan food consumption experiences through the ABVI relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cream-type emulsions containing candelilla wax-based oleogels (EC) were analyzed for their physicochemical properties compared to palm oil-based creams (EP). The microstructure, rheological behavior, stability, and color of the creams were determined by means of non-invasive and invasive techniques. All the formulations exhibited similar color parameters in CIEL*a*b* space, unimodal-like size distribution of lipid particles, and shear-thinning properties. Oleogel-based formulations were characterized by higher viscosity (consistency index: 172–305 mPa·s, macroscopic viscosity index: 2.19–3.08 × 10−5 nm−2) and elasticity (elasticity index: 1.09–1.45 × 10−3 nm−2), as well as greater resistance to centrifugal force compared to EP. Creams with 3, 4, or 5% wax (EC3–5) showed the lowest polydispersity indexes (PDI: 0.80–0.85) 24 h after production and the lowest instability indexes after environmental temperature changes (heating at 90 °C, or freeze–thaw cycle). EC5 had particularly high microstructural stability. In turn, candelilla wax content ≥ 6% w/w accelerated the destabilization processes of the cream-type emulsions due to disintegration of the interfacial layer by larger lipid crystals. It was found that candelilla wax-based lipids had great potential for use as palm oil substitutes in the development of novel vegan cream analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Black soybean cooking water (BSCW), a by‐product of the soybean paste industry, is a novel foaming and emulsifying material. Its application, however, is limited to sauces and bakery goods. To expand its use, this research explored its binding and texturising abilities on a plant‐based patty. This vegan patty was developed including methylcellulose (MC) at 3% or BSCW powder at 3, 6 and 12%, and their functional and textural characteristics were analysed. Adding BSCW powder at 12% resulted in enhanced fluid retention parameters, namely, decreased cooking loss (9.98 ± 0.72%; control: 12.64 ± 0.36%) and increased binding capacity (86.18 ± 0.47%; control: 83.26 ± 1.94%). Texturally, BSCW powder enhanced the hardness and adhesiveness of the patties. Consequently, BSCW powder could improve the characteristics of a minced‐type vegan food similar to MC constituting an alternative plant‐based ingredient that is environmentally friendly due to being sourced from an upcycled material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food industry has been focusing on alternatives to replace chicken eggs in vegetable-based culinary formulations to reach the groups of people who do not consume eggs, either due to health concerns (allergies, cholesterol, avian flu) or ethical, social, environmental, and political reasons (for example, veganism). In addition, the rheological properties of the formulations need to maintain the quality or replicate the rheological properties of eggs. The aim of this review is to highlight and compile recent research regarding the development of potential chicken egg substitutes. In brief, a total of 151 publications were retrieved from different bibliographic databases, of which 25 articles were retained for analysis after applying the exclusion criteria: articles published between 2017 and 2022, original articles, and vegetable origin of the egg replacers. The selected papers were classified into six groups, taking into consideration the origins of the studied vegetables: legumes, cereals and seeds, vegetable mixes, hydrocolloids, commercial products, and other vegetable sources. This systematic review provides information regarding the main vegetable sources utilized as chicken egg substitutes, describes the results obtained from the incorporation of these plants in different culinary preparations as well as the results obtained from sensory properties analysis, and shows the efficacy of various types of vegetables for the benefit of human nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vegan food industry is gaining popularity nowadays. Ganoderma sp. is mainly used in the health and food industries as a medicinal, edible mushroom with high nutritional potential. Through two-stage cultivation methods, the study optimized the production of mycelial pellets for vegetarian food. When soybean powder was used as an alternative to egg yolk powder to meet vegetarian requirements, the number of pellets increased from 1100 to 1800 particles/dL, however, the pellet diameter reduced up to 22% (3.2–2.6 mm). The culture was expanded to the second stage using the Taguchi method coupled with Plackett-Burman Design and quantification by ImageJ software for enlarging pellets size. The optimal conditions were 10 mL of the first-stage broth inoculum, yeast powder (0.5 g/dL), glucose (0.5 g/dL), and MgSO4 (0.2 g/dL) at 100 rpm in the dark for 7 days. In 500 mL pilot scale production, the biomass yield was 0.31 g/dL and 3400 mycelium pellets/dL with a 5.2 mm diameter with appearance characteristics suitable for direct development as food. The study may help to develop a novel pellet food of filamentous fungi for the vegetarian market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the antioxidant, techno-functional and vegan cheese properties of black cumin cake protein concentrate (BPC) with those of commercial proteins. The BPC (63% protein, w/w) showed greater antioxidant potential (TEAC: 247 μmol Trolox/g; ORAC: 211 μmol Trolox/g; iron chelation capacity: 35.5 μmol Trolox/g) than potato protein isolate (PPI), but comparable antioxidant potential with soy protein isolate (SPI). The BPC had slightly lower water binding capacity (7 g/g) than SPI (8.8 g/g), but 1.7 and 1.9-fold higher oil binding capacity (5.4 g/g) than PPI and SPI, respectively. All proteins showed similar emulsion capacity (EC) and stability (ES) at high protein concentrations (≥1%), but BPC showed the highest EC and ES at low protein concentrations (≤0.5%). BPC showed higher least gelling concentration (LGC: 14%) than PPI and SPI (LGCs for both 10%). However, the texture profile analysis showed that the heat-induced gels of BPC were firm but easily chewable. Moreover, BPC gels showed the highest springiness and resilience. The BPC-based spreadable vegan cheese was softer (firmness: 5.52 N), more easily spreadable (spreadability value: 6.23 N s), but less adhesive and sticky than SPI- and PPI-based spreadable vegan cheeses. SPI-based cheese showed the highest viscoelastic moduli followed by PPI and BPC with similar viscoelastic moduli. SPI-based cheese demonstrated the most favorable sensory properties, but BPC showed acceptable overall sensory properties. This work proved that black cumin proteins could be utilized to novel spreadable black vegan cheese. Further studies are needed to develop novel black-colored vegan food such as black milk, ice-cream, sausage, cake, crackers etc. [Display omitted] • Black cumin protein (BPC) was extracted from cold-pressed black cumin seed cake. • Techno-functional properties of BPC and commercial proteins were compared. • BPC showed outrsanding water/oil binding, emulsification and antioxidant capacity. • BPC formed hard, consistent and cohesive gels at lest gelling concentration. • Novel vegan spreadable cheese with black cumin protein shows commercial potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cream-type emulsions containing candelilla wax-based oleogels (EC) were analyzed for their physicochemical properties compared to palm oil-based creams (EP). The microstructure, rheological behavior, stability, and color of the creams were determined by means of non-invasive and invasive techniques. All the formulations exhibited similar color parameters in CIEL*a*b* space, unimodal-like size distribution of lipid particles, and shear-thinning properties. Oleogel-based formulations were characterized by higher viscosity (consistency index: 172–305 mPa·s, macroscopic viscosity index: 2.19–3.08 × 10−5 nm−2) and elasticity (elasticity index: 1.09–1.45 × 10−3 nm−2), as well as greater resistance to centrifugal force compared to EP. Creams with 3, 4, or 5% wax (EC3–5) showed the lowest polydispersity indexes (PDI: 0.80–0.85) 24 h after production and the lowest instability indexes after environmental temperature changes (heating at 90 °C, or freeze–thaw cycle). EC5 had particularly high microstructural stability. In turn, candelilla wax content ≥ 6% w/w accelerated the destabilization processes of the cream-type emulsions due to disintegration of the interfacial layer by larger lipid crystals. It was found that candelilla wax-based lipids had great potential for use as palm oil substitutes in the development of novel vegan cream analogues.

BACKGROUND: The vegan food market is one of the fastest growing markets worldwide for ethical, environmental, and health reasons. However, vegan food is still relatively unfamiliar to Korean consumers. Their liking for vegan burger patties is in the early phase of development; thus, it is necessary to place the patties in an appropriate context or 'frame'. RESULTS: We investigated consumer (n = 269) liking for vegan patty under different frame conditions. The implicit frame condition was manipulated by evaluating a target sample along with four other vegan or meat samples. Consumers were further divided into two explicit groups that were exposed to or not exposed to a video clip on ethical food consumption before evaluating the samples. A control group evaluated the target sample only. The results showed that the implicit frame formed during the sample evaluation had a stronger influence than the explicit frame created by the video clip. Perceived familiarity with the target vegan patty drastically decreased when evaluated with other meat samples and negatively influenced the liking for it. CONCLUSION: The findings show that the type of samples evaluated sequentially together with the target vegan burger patty within the same session had a greater effect on the target sample than the information provided explicitly. To introduce the target vegan burger patty effectively to consumers who are relatively new to the vegan food product category such as Koreans, it is suggested that the product should be positioned under the category of vegan foods rather than the category of conventional burger patties. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of vegan-friendly restaurant customers' experiences by investigating the "delighters" and "frustrators" characteristics. A qualitative approach is used to examine the semantic networks of vegan-friendly restaurant customers' online reviews. Results indicate that salient factors which delight vegan-friendly restaurant customers relate to the attributes of vegan food and menus, social interaction, and unique characteristics of a vegan-friendly restaurant. By contrast, factors that frustrate vegan-friendly restaurant customers associate with perceived overpriced vegan foods, poor restaurant staff attitudes/negative service encounters, and hygiene issues. The results of this study have academic and practical implications through the use of an attribute performance model to understand the experiences of vegan restaurant customers. This research is an initial empirical attempt to thoroughly understand vegan-friendly restaurant experiences using big data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veganism is gaining popularity around the world day by day. Vegan nutrition is a diet in which not all animal foods are used. A vegan diet does not contain meat, fish, milk and dairy products, and eggs and consists of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts. Vegan diets maintain energy balances in a wide variety of plant foods. So, health problems can be seen due to nutrient and mineral deficiencies in the long-term continuation of the vegan diet. Due to insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and zinc, energy and protein balance in the body may not be achieved by vegan individuals. The contents of aluminum, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and lead have been analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) in 10 different vegan foods purchased from Turkey. Certified reference material (1547 peach leaves) was used for validating the digestion procedure. Dry, wet, and microwave processes were compared, and it was found that the microwave digestion method was the best. Element levels in the analyzed samples were found below the legal limits. The purpose of this work is to investigate the trace element content of various foods used in vegan nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people now consider social networking to be an indispensable tool. There are now over 4.6 billion social media users, who leave a digital footprint through their online interactions. These big data provide enormous research potential for identifying the social and cultural aspects of the monitored topic. Moreover, the use of social media platforms has been found to have an impact on eating habits. The analysis of these social networks is thus essential to understand the factors that influence eating habits. To this aim, we identified the main topics associated with food bloggers on Twitter using the Social Media Analysis based on the Hashtag Research Framework of 686,450 Tweets captured from 171,243 unique users from 1 January 2017 to 30 May 2022. Based on the analysis of communication on Twitter, the most communicated hashtags in the food blogger sphere were as follows: #yummy, #healthy, #homemade, and #vegan. From the point of view of communities, three major clusters were identified, including (1) healthy lifestyle, (2) home-made food, and (3) fast food, and two minor clusters were identified, namely, (4) breakfast and brunch and (5) food traveling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: With growing concerns of food fortification, dairy ingredient alternatives and waste management have risen the need for food manufacturers to review their recipes. Hence, this study was aimed to extract watermelon seed protein concentrates (WSPC) with ultrasonication and develop vegan ice cream with improved functional properties. Coconut fat and coconut milk were used as fat replacer and total solids source along with extract of WSPC substituting milk solids‐not‐fat (MSNF). Various functional properties of WSPC were assessed. Rheological, structural and sensory quality of vegan ice cream were comparable with standard dairy ice cream formulation. Melting resistance, viscosity and textural hardness were increased with increasing concentration of WSPC and found maximum in IC4 except overrun which was highest (62.02 ± 0.16) in IC0V. Whereas, protein, total solids and total soluble solids were highest in IC4 in contrast to fat and pH which was maximum in IC0D (9.96 ± 0.016) and IC0V (6.82 ± 0.01), respectively. All treatments were found acceptable but highly satisfactory sample, concerning sensory acceptability, was IC2 with 10% WSPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people now consider social networking to be an indispensable tool. There are now over 4.6 billion social media users, who leave a digital footprint through their online interactions. These big data provide enormous research potential for identifying the social and cultural aspects of the monitored topic. Moreover, the use of social media platforms has been found to have an impact on eating habits. The analysis of these social networks is thus essential to understand the factors that influence eating habits. To this aim, we identified the main topics associated with food bloggers on Twitter using the Social Media Analysis based on the Hashtag Research Framework of 686,450 Tweets captured from 171,243 unique users from 1 January 2017 to 30 May 2022. Based on the analysis of communication on Twitter, the most communicated hashtags in the food blogger sphere were as follows: #yummy, #healthy, #homemade, and #vegan. From the point of view of communities, three major clusters were identified, including (1) healthy lifestyle, (2) home-made food, and (3) fast food, and two minor clusters were identified, namely, (4) breakfast and brunch and (5) food traveling.

The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using selected bacterial strains (lactic acid bacteria – LAB) isolated from traditional fermented plant-origin food, to produce potentially functional (probiotic and/or synbiotic) cereal-based vegan desserts. The scope of the study included: optimization of the recipe and fermentation conditions of cereal raw materials, taking into account the an adequate concentration of the number of probiotic bacteria in the product at a minimum level of 6 log CFU g−1), an accepted sensory quality of the final product after the fermentation process and estimation of microbiological and sensory quality of developed products after 21 days refrigerated storage. The level of vitamin B12 in fresh products and after refrigerated storage was also determined. The results showed that it is possible to develop safe, potentially functional cereal-based vegan desserts with an appropriate number of LAB bacteria, accepted sensory quality and content of vitamin B12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eating less meat and dairy is healthy and environmentally sustainable, but food labeled as "vegan" is relatively unpopular. Here, we examined the effect of different labels for promoting choices for food without meat and dairy, among a representative U.S. sample (N = 7341). Participants chose between one gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy and another with meat and dairy that were available from an actual online store. They were randomly assigned to one of five conditions, in which the gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy was labeled as "vegan", "plant-based," "healthy," "sustainable," or "healthy and sustainable." Ten participants were randomly selected to receive the gourmet food gift basket of their choice. Overall, the gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy was less likely to be chosen when its label focused on its content (stating "vegan" or "plant-based") rather than on its benefits (stating "healthy", "sustainable" or both). Specifically, the "plant-based" label did only slightly better than the "vegan" label, leading, respectively, to 27% and 20% of participants choosing the gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy. However, 42% of participants chose the gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy when it was labeled "healthy," 43% when it was labeled "sustainable," and 44% when it was labeled "healthy and sustainable." This labeling effect was consistent across socio-demographics groups but was stronger among self-proclaimed red-meat eaters. Labels provide a low-cost intervention for promoting healthy and sustainable food choices. • We tested labels for promoting vegan food, or food without meat and dairy. • Participants chose between two gourmet food gift baskets: one had no meat or dairy. • Few chose the vegan basket when labels said "vegan" (20%) or "plant-based" (27%). • More than 40% chose the vegan basket when labels said "healthy" or "sustainable". • Labels are a cost-effective way to promote healthy and sustainable food choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European legal framework on vegan and vegetarian claims is under current revision. The lack of harmonized rules was not a concern initially, probably because of the minor issues this represented among foodstuff. Today, the rise of alternatives to animal-based products generates an increasing legislative gap between vegan or vegetarian foods and other products.Member States have sparsely started to address this in their national rules or practices, while the CJEU positions push vegan and vegetarian claims to the wall. Conjuncture seems to be more favourable than ever for a specific regulation on vegan and vegetarian claims. The recent European Commission's engagement therefore can only be greeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundnut seeds were used to get a milk-like product and to create yoghurt. The produced milk-like products and yoghurts were subjected to some physicochemical and sensorial analysis by using control cow milk and yoghurt. The groundnut milk and its yoghurt had higher total solids, fat, protein and carbohydrates, water holding capacities comparing than cow milk and yoghurt. Groundnut milk contained higher total solids (15.923 g/100 g), fat (5.74 g/100 g) and its yoghurt contained 18.153 g/100 g total solids and 5.430 g/100 g fat. These products also had a higher calorific value, 417 kJ/100 g and 379.5 kJ/100 g respectively. The apparent viscosity of groundnut milk was higher than cow milk at all shear rates and there was a close relationship between viscosity and shear rates. The water holding capacity of groundnut milk yoghurt was 65.68 g/100 g and significantly higher than cow milk yoghurt sample (44.27 g/100 g). The syneresis of groundnut milk yoghurt was 27.40 ml/100 ml and significantly lower than cow milk yoghurt (37.63 ml/100 ml). Both the groundnut milk and yoghurt contained higher amount of unsaturated fatty acids and amino acids compared to cow milk and its yoghurt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop a nutritious vegan brownie with fiber and bioactive compounds, sensorially accepted by consumers using phenolic compounds extracted from defatted chia flour (a coproduct of the production of chia oil) and chia mucilage. The brownies were developed by evaluating the replacement of 2, 4, and 6% of the flour with the freeze-dried extract obtained from defatted chia flour. The extract obtained from the coproduct presented ferulic acid (1.91 ± 0.006 mg g−1) and rosmarinic acid (3.79 ± 0.03 mg g−1). The brownies prepared with 2, 4, and 6% extract showed 70%, 89%, and 92% of ferulic acid and 60%, 75%, and 91% rosmarinic acid added to the formulation, respectively. Proximate composition analyses demonstrated that replacing egg with chia seed mucilage decreased fat and protein and increased fiber in vegan brownies. However, the addition of phenolic extract obtained from defatted chia flour increased the fat content of vegan brownies. A residual lipid fraction present in the chia flour was probably extracted during the extraction of phenolic compounds. The technological analyzes (firmness, specific volume, symmetry, and uniformity) showed that the physical characteristics of the brownies were not affected by the different formulations used. However, the color of the products was affected by the addition of the mucilage, which appears grayish, and by the extract containing the phenolic compounds, which presents a yellowish color. The 4% replacement brownie was chosen for sensory analysis with the vegan control brownie. The results of the sensorial analysis indicated an excellent acceptance (76%) of the brownie with 4% of the extract, not differing from the vegan control. In this way, we demonstrated the possibility of producing a sensorially acceptable vegan brownie using a phenolic extract obtained from a coproduct of the food industry. [Display omitted] • Freeze-dried phenolic extract compounds from defatted chia flour remained in brownies even after baking. • Chia seed mucilage reduces fat and increases fiber content of vegan brownies compared to traditional brownies with eggs. • The addition of the extract derived from defatted chia flour increased the fat content of vegan brownies. • Sensory analysis showed good acceptability of the brownie, which did not differ from the vegan control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae (including cyanobacteria) are promising organisms for sustainable products for use as feedstocks for food, feed, fine chemicals, and biofuels. They can synthesize a broad range of products with medium- to high-value market price such as β-1,3-glucan polysaccharide, single-cell-protein, carotenoids and phycobilin pigments, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that are commercialized in the food industry as dietary supplements and functional foods, in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries as cosmaceuticals and flavorants, and in the therapeutic field as nutraceutical compounds. These microorganisms are also exceptional producers of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic, docosahexaenoic, and arachidonic acids that have been linked to several human health benefits. The aim of this paper is to review the main existing high-value products that can be derived from microalgae with a particular focus on food science and technology applications. It also describes the gross and fine chemical composition of various algal species and details the nutritive importance of selected constituents. Finally, nutritional quality standards and legislative provisions to ensure food safety in the use of algal biomass are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, vegan food has received increased attention from Italian consumers. Despite this fact, it has rarely been the subject of analysis. Our study focuses on consumer preferences for breadsticks in North-Eastern Italy. We applied a choice experiment where a hypothetical market was designed to analyze five characteristics of breadsticks (country of origin, vegan product certification, production method, type of flour, and price). We collected data by interviewing 487 consumers and analyzed them by means of the random parameter logit model. Results suggest that 8% of respondents are willing to pay a premium price for vegan breadsticks and that there is the opportunity to develop local chains for vegan niche markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two on-line experiments were used to evaluate the effect of vegan and meat-sounding labelling on plant-based products. • In the first study the meat-sounding labelling influenced positively only the perception of the healthiness of the plant-based food. • In the second study the vegan labelling negatively influenced the perception of the tastiness and healthiness and the willingness to buy of the plant-based foods. • The more the people preferred meat-eating over veganism the more the vegan labelling exerted a negative effect on respondents' acceptance of the plant-based foods. • Future policy design for plant-based foods labelling should be based on experimental evidence. Plant-based meat alternatives have grown tremendously in recent years, with an unprecedented increase in vegan and meat-sounding labelled products appearing on European Union shelves. However, a regulation clarifying what the "vegan" label means and if "meat-sounding" names should be allowed when referring to plant-based foods is still lacking. Led by opposite reasons, both vegetarian and meat producers' associations are demanding to fill this legal void. Our paper contributes to this debate by providing the results of two online experiments that measures how consumers perceive plant-based meat substitutes based on vegan vs. meat-sounding labelling. The results of the first study showed that meat-sounding labels applied to plant-based food altered perceived healthiness, but not other characteristics of the product. The second study indicated that vegan labelling exerted a negative effect on the consumers' perception of tastiness and healthiness, and willingness to buy of plant-based foods. Importantly, these effects were moderated by the consumers' attitudes towards meat-eating and veganism. In line with these results, we propose that the explicit use of the "vegan" label might be counterproductive to increase the sales of plant-based foods, and that the biasing impact of meat-sounding labels on plant-based food's perception is weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]