Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.3
2.5
Journals
Applied Sciences
Special Issues
Novel Thermal and Non-thermal Technologies towards Sustainability and Microbiological Food...
applsci-logo
Submit to Applied Sciences Review for Applied Sciences Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Novel Thermal and Non-thermal Technologies towards Sustainability and Microbiological Food Safety and Quality

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 6145

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sotirios Oikonomou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Ln, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Interests: cold plasma; 3D printing; microfluidics; food processing; food microbiology; food safety
Dr. Anastasia Kyriakoudi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: green extraction; isolation and characterization of plant bioactive compounds; encapsulation of bioactive compounds; valorization of agricultural byproducts and wastes; determination of bioaccessibility/bioavailability; assessment of antioxidant activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the globalisation of the food trade and the emergence of new consumer habits, food production, processing, and distribution have undergone significant changes. These changes have continuously challenged the global food systems. However, every effort is being made to ensure that the food produced is healthy and safe, which is crucial to guarantee public health and well-being.

Thermal methods are generally performed in the food industry to prolong the product’s shelf life and inactivate spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Novel thermal technologies, such as ohmic heating and dielectric heating (e.g., microwave heating and radio frequency heating), have been developed to improve the effectiveness of heat processing whilst warranting food safety and eliminating undesirable impacts on the organoleptic and nutritional properties of foods.

The needs and preferences of consumers keep evolving, and the food industry must keep pace with the changes to grow and succeed. Consumers now demand products that are minimally processed and safe, with added value and long shelf lives, while also being more sustainable. This has led to the development of several green and non-thermal technologies that can help reduce energy consumption in the production, processing, and packaging of food. High-hydrostatic-pressure (HHP) processing, ultrasound (US), cold plasma (CP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), and electrolysed water (EW) are some methods that show the potential to be applied by the food industry. In addition, microfluidic technology and green extraction techniques are interdisciplinary with a diversity of applications, including in food processing.

This Special Issue focuses on the impact of both thermal and non-thermal technologies on the safety, quality and sustainability of food products.

Dr. Sotirios Oikonomou
Dr. Anastasia Kyriakoudi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • thermal technologies
  • non-thermal technologies
  • high hydrostatic pressure
  • cold plasma
  • food microbiology
  • food safety
  • food quality
  • shelf life
  • sustainability

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 1326 KiB  
Article
Microwave and Ultrasound Assisted Rotary Drying of Carrot: Analysis of Process Kinetics and Energy Intensity
by Dominik Mierzwa and Grzegorz Musielak
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(22), 10676; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210676 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 250
Abstract
Convective drying is one of the most commonly employed preservation techniques for food. However, the use of high temperatures and extended drying times often leads to a reduction in product quality and increased energy consumption. To address these issues, hybrid processes combining convective [...] Read more.
Convective drying is one of the most commonly employed preservation techniques for food. However, the use of high temperatures and extended drying times often leads to a reduction in product quality and increased energy consumption. To address these issues, hybrid processes combining convective drying with more efficient methods are frequently employed. This study investigates the convective rotary drying of carrot (cv. Nantes), assisted by microwaves and ultrasound, using a hybrid rotary dryer. In total, four distinct drying programs—comprising one convective and three hybrid approaches—were evaluated. The study assessed drying kinetics, energy consumption, and product quality. The use of ultrasound increased the drying rate by 13%, microwaves by 112%, and microwaves and ultrasound together by 140%. The use of microwaves reduced energy consumption by 30%, whereas ultrasound resulted in a slight increase. All processes resulted in a significant reduction in water activity. Ultrasound decreased the color difference index, while microwaves increased it compared to convective drying. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Thermal and Non-thermal Technologies towards Sustainability and Microbiological Food Safety and Quality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1213 KiB  
Article
Impact of High-Pressure Processing on Quality and Safety of High-Oil-Content Pesto Sauce: A Comparative Study with Thermal Processing
by Ehsan Shad, Kaisa Raninen, Svetlana Podergina, Lok In Chan, Kam Pui Tong, Heidi Hälikkä, Marjo Huovinen and Jenni Korhonen
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(20), 9425; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14209425 - 16 Oct 2024
Viewed by 778
Abstract
High-pressure processing (HPP) is a promising technology for increasing the shelf life of food, with minimal effects on the nutritional or sensory quality. However, there has been a concern that high-oil-content foods may protect food pathogens in HPP, and that HPP can affect [...] Read more.
High-pressure processing (HPP) is a promising technology for increasing the shelf life of food, with minimal effects on the nutritional or sensory quality. However, there has been a concern that high-oil-content foods may protect food pathogens in HPP, and that HPP can affect the quality of lipids. We inoculated Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium into 34% and 54% oil-content pesto sauce, processed them either with HPP (600 MPa, 4 min) or thermal processing (82 °C, 5 min), and analyzed bacteria counts, pH, GC-MS (Terpene compounds), the time–kill kinetic study, and lipid oxidation value for 60 days in refrigerating storage (5 ± 2 °C). Our findings show that HPP significantly reduced the number of bacteria (more than 4-log) compared to thermal processing or non-processing. Additionally, we discovered terpene compounds (highest-level terpene: L-linalool, eugenol, and 1,8-cineol) in pesto oil that exhibit antimicrobial activity. Different oil content did not have any significant effect on bacteria levels. Regarding chemical results, all samples were of acceptable quality, and the processes did not show any negative effect on lipid oxidation (Peroxide and P-Anisidine value under 10 meq per kilogram of oil). In conclusion, our study indicates that HPP is a suitable method for high-oil-content pesto sauce. In addition, functional compounds naturally present in pesto may contribute to maintaining its microbial and chemical quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Thermal and Non-thermal Technologies towards Sustainability and Microbiological Food Safety and Quality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 5042 KiB  
Article
Thermal Behavior and Infrared Absorbance Bands of Citric Acid
by Costas Tsioptsias, Afroditi Panagiotou and Paraskevi Mitlianga
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(18), 8406; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14188406 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 678
Abstract
Citric acid is widely used in the Food and Pharmaceutical Industry. Various issues regarding its thermal behavior and infrared spectrum require clarification. Here, we studied citric acid monohydrate (raw, heated, freeze-dried and recrystallized from D2O) via Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric Analysis, [...] Read more.
Citric acid is widely used in the Food and Pharmaceutical Industry. Various issues regarding its thermal behavior and infrared spectrum require clarification. Here, we studied citric acid monohydrate (raw, heated, freeze-dried and recrystallized from D2O) via Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric Analysis, Infrared Spectroscopy, and antioxidant capacity assay. Also, we used ab initio Density Functional Theory calculations for further supporting the interpretations of the experimental results. Citric acid monohydrate exhibits desolvation inability and upon heating does not dehydrate but esterifies. Nor by freeze drying can it be dehydrated. The heated sample is not anhydrous, it exhibits melting inability, and any fluidization occurs simultaneously with decomposition. In other words, the interpretations regarding the two endothermic peaks in the DSC curve of citric acid that have been attributed to water evaporation and melting are not correct. The increase in the molecular weight due to esterification is most likely responsible for the increased antioxidant/chelation capacity of the heated sample. We concluded that what we call citric acid monohydrate and anhydrous do not exist in a pure form (in the solid state) and actually are mixtures of different compositions of citric acid, water and a citric acid oligomer that is produced through esterification. The esterification reaction seems to be able to proceed easily under mild heating or even at room temperature. The presence of the ester oligomer and water affect the infrared spectrum of citric acid monohydrate and anhydrous and is responsible for the existence of multiple peaks in the C=O stretching region, which partially overlaps with the water H-O-H bending vibration. The insights presented in this work could be useful for optimizing the design, performance and quality of food and drug products in which citric acid is used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Thermal and Non-thermal Technologies towards Sustainability and Microbiological Food Safety and Quality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 4523 KiB  
Article
Development of a Disposable, Amperometric Glycerol Biosensor Based on a Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode, Modified with the Electrocatalyst Meldolas Blue, Coated with Glycerol Dehydrogenase and NAD+: Application to the Analysis of Wine Quality
by Sotirios I. Ekonomou, Adrian Crew, Olena Doran and John P. Hart
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(14), 6118; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14146118 - 14 Jul 2024
Viewed by 887
Abstract
This paper describes the design and development of a novel electrochemical biosensor for measuring glycerol in wine. Our initial detailed studies were aimed at deducing the optimum conditions for biosensor operation by conducting hydrodynamic voltammetric and amperometric studies. The resulting voltammograms revealed a [...] Read more.
This paper describes the design and development of a novel electrochemical biosensor for measuring glycerol in wine. Our initial detailed studies were aimed at deducing the optimum conditions for biosensor operation by conducting hydrodynamic voltammetric and amperometric studies. The resulting voltammograms revealed a maximum electrocatalytic current at 0.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl, which we used for all further studies. We also examined the effect of pH (8–10) on the amperometric responses of different glycerol concentrations over a range of 0.04 to 0.20 mM. Based on our findings, we propose that pH 9 would be suitable as the supporting electrolyte for further studies with the amperometric biosensor. The biosensor was constructed by immobilising 10 units of GLDH and 660 μg NAD+ onto the MB-SPCE surface using glutaraldehyde (GLA) as a cross-linking agent. Calibration studies were performed with glycerol over the 1.0–7.5 mM concentration range. Chronoamperometry was the electrochemical technique chosen for this purpose as it is convenient and can be performed with only 100 μL of sample directly deposited onto the biosensor’s surface. In the current study, we observed linear calibration plots with the above standard solutions using current measurements at a selection of sampling times along the chronoamperograms (30–340 s). We have evaluated the glycerol biosensor by carrying out an analysis of commercially available red wine. Overall, these findings will form a platform for the development of novel rapid technology for point-of-test evaluation of glycerol in the production and quality control of wine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Thermal and Non-thermal Technologies towards Sustainability and Microbiological Food Safety and Quality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

13 pages, 2035 KiB  
Review
How Hydrogen (H2) Can Support Food Security: From Farm to Fork
by Grace Russell, Alexander Nenov and John T. Hancock
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 2877; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14072877 - 29 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2948
Abstract
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a low-molecular-weight, non-polar and electrochemically neutral substance that acts as an effective antioxidant and cytoprotective agent, with research into the effects of H2 incorporation into the food chain, at various stages, rapidly gaining momentum. H2 [...] Read more.
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a low-molecular-weight, non-polar and electrochemically neutral substance that acts as an effective antioxidant and cytoprotective agent, with research into the effects of H2 incorporation into the food chain, at various stages, rapidly gaining momentum. H2 can be delivered throughout the food growth, production, delivery and storage systems in numerous ways, including as a gas, as hydrogen-rich water (HRW), or with hydrogen-donating food supplements such as calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg). In plants, H2 can be exploited as a seed-priming agent, during seed germination and planting, during the latter stages of plant development and reproduction, as a post-harvest treatment and as a food additive. Adding H2 during plant growth and developmental stages is noted to improve the yield and quality of plant produce, through modulating antioxidant pathways and stimulating tolerance to such environmental stress factors as drought stress, enhanced tolerance to herbicides (paraquat), and increased salinity and metal toxicity. The benefits of pre- and post-harvest application of H2 include reductions in natural senescence and microbial spoilage, which contribute to extending the shelf-life of animal products, fruits, grains and vegetables. This review collates empirical findings pertaining to the use of H2 in the agri-food industry and evaluates the potential impact of this emerging technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Thermal and Non-thermal Technologies towards Sustainability and Microbiological Food Safety and Quality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop