Quality Assessment and Processing of Farm Animal Products

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Product Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 March 2025 | Viewed by 925

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Resources and Technology, Faculty of Food and Animal Sciences, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Life Sciences, 8 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iasi, Romania
Interests: animal productions; animal husbandry; feed and food quality; developing novel food

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Resources and Technologies, Faculty of Food and Animal Sciences, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Life Sciences, 8 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iasi, Romania
Interests: poultry; animal production; animal nutrition; feed formulation; meat quality; animal physiology; dairy science; dairy; food analysis; food biochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since ancient times, products of animal origin have been considered a "noble food", as our ancestors hunted a food that provided them strength, longevity and even health. Today, foods of animal origin are often considered to be too rich in fat and cholesterol, with an undesirable balance of fatty acids. The quality inspection of such products could be approached by specialists from a nutritional, sensory, technological, hygienic and sanitary perspective, so that later political decision-makers can establish guidelines for the evaluation and control of the quality, safety, packaging and labeling of foods of animal origin. Regardless of the context, such as during food shortages or when there is competition to sell a surplus of animal products, consumers are concerned about the quality of food, with product safety and appropriate labelling being the first requirements. This Special Issue focuses on the quality assessment of products from farm animals, the influence of farm-level factors on their performance, and the ultimate quality and safety of raw or processed products. The quality and safety of foods are primarily associated with their genetics, nutrition and the farming system used, and later with the processing technologies, storage and marketing. The quality of animal products can be evaluated through various physical and chemical parameters depending on their origin (meat, eggs, dairy, bee products) using sensory criteria or in relation to important hygiene issues associated with the risk of animal-borne diseases or the good practices employed in processing flows. This Special Issue invites all researchers to share their findings regarding the identification and optimization of food’s quality and safety, and of consumers’ lifestyle and nutritional choices.

Dr. Simeanu Cristina
Prof. Dr. Razvan Mihail Radu-Rusu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • farm animals
  • food quality and safety
  • animal products
  • sensory characteristics
  • physical parameters
  • chemical parameters
  • microbiology
  • food hygiene
  • nutrition facts
  • healthy lifestyle

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

30 pages, 1595 KiB  
Article
Assessing Honey Quality: A Focus on Some Physicochemical Parameters of Honey from Iasi County (Romania)
by Aida Albu, Florin Dumitru Bora, Simona-Maria Cucu-Man, Vasile Stoleru, Cătălin-Emilian Nistor, Ioan Sebastian Brumă and Oana-Raluca Rusu
Agriculture 2025, 15(3), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15030333 (registering DOI) - 3 Feb 2025
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Abstract
The study of honey in Iasi County reveals its ecological, economic and health importance, emphasizing its unique properties, role in biodiversity and value in promoting sustainable beekeeping and regional identity. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of honey from Iasi County, Romania, [...] Read more.
The study of honey in Iasi County reveals its ecological, economic and health importance, emphasizing its unique properties, role in biodiversity and value in promoting sustainable beekeeping and regional identity. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of honey from Iasi County, Romania, analyzing 27 samples collected in 2020 and 2021. The samples include tilia (8 raw, 7 commercial), acacia (2 raw, 2 commercial), rapeseed (3 raw), sunflower (3 raw) and lavender (2 raw) honey. Analyses were carried out under Romanian/EU standards, assessing parameters such as color, electrical conductivity, moisture, total soluble solids (TSS), acidity (free, lactone, total), pH, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), ash and mineral composition (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe). The results revealed significant differences between raw and commercial honeys. Notably, in commercial tilia honey, higher values were found for color (38.58 mm Pfund vs. 24.14 mm Pfund), total acidity (25.93 meq·kg−1 vs. 17.36 meq·kg−1) and HMF levels (8.84 mg·kg−1 vs. 3.68 mg·kg−1). Conversely, water-insoluble solids (0.08% vs. 0.15%) and ash content (0.21% vs. 0.30%) were lower in commercial samples. Potassium was the most abundant mineral detected, while copper and zinc levels were the lowest. Significant correlations were observed between several parameters, including ash with electrical conductivity and HMF with acidity. This study underscores the impact of processing on honey quality and highlights the importance of understanding honey composition for consumers and producers alike. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Assessment and Processing of Farm Animal Products)
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21 pages, 2156 KiB  
Article
Valorization of Betalain Pigments Extracted from Phytolacca americana L. Berries as Natural Colorant in Cheese Formulation
by Ionuț Dumitru Veleșcu, Ioana Cristina Crivei, Andreea Bianca Balint, Vlad Nicolae Arsenoaia, Alexandru Dragoș Robu, Florina Stoica and Roxana Nicoleta Rațu
Agriculture 2025, 15(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15010086 - 2 Jan 2025
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Abstract
In response to consumer demand for more sustainable and health-conscious products, the food sector is increasingly shifting towards the use of natural additives. Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.) is a medicinal plant that contains valuable biologically active compounds, including betacyanins, which serve as [...] Read more.
In response to consumer demand for more sustainable and health-conscious products, the food sector is increasingly shifting towards the use of natural additives. Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.) is a medicinal plant that contains valuable biologically active compounds, including betacyanins, which serve as its red pigments, along with phenolic acids, flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds, and others. Phytolacca americana (P. americana) is a plant renowned for its bioactive compounds, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. This study investigates the potential of betalain pigments extracted from the berries of P. americana as a natural colorant for cheese formulation. The impact of these pigments on the color attributes, sensory qualities, and physicochemical and phytochemical composition of the cheeses was systematically evaluated. The Phytolacca americana (PA) powder demonstrated significant levels of total polyphenols (111.95 ± 1.60 mg GAE/g dw) and antioxidant activity (21.67 ± 0.19 µmol TE/g dw). The incorporation of PA powder increased the physicochemical and phytochemical contents and antioxidant activity in the final product (4.40 ± 0.22 µmol TE/g dw for CPAP1 and 6.11 ± 0.22 µmol TE/g dw for CPAP2). The sensory study revealed that the PA-supplemented cheeses were acceptable. The enhanced cheeses present a distinctive color profile, attracting health-conscious consumers looking for innovative dairy products. The study concludes that PA powder can effectively enhance cheese, producing a phytochemical-enriched product that appeals to health-conscious consumers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Assessment and Processing of Farm Animal Products)
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