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Recent Advances in the Processing and Preservation of Agricultural Products
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Recent Advances in the Processing and Preservation of Agricultural Products

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Packaging and Preservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 5147

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Antonela Ninčević Grassino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: analytical chemistry; food chemistry; food packaging; waste and by-product valorization; innovative extraction technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global production of agricultural products, such as cereals, sugar, fruit and vegetables, has increased rapidly due to consumer demand for fresh, safe and high-quality products. However, a large proportion of agricultural products are lost from the field to the plate due to infestation by microorganisms. Among various agricultural products, fruits and vegetables have higher post-harvest losses due to high water activity, which is not only associated with microbial but also chemical and enzymatic reactions that negatively affect product quality. In order to extend the shelf life of agricultural products and avoid changes in colour, nutritional value and phytochemical properties, various preservation and processing techniques have been developed in combination with packaging methods.Thermal (e.g., cold treatment and drying) and non-thermal methods (e.g., UV radiation, cold plasma, ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure) and their combinations have been developed to determine the suitability for processing various agricultural products. The aim of this Special Issue is, therefore, to compile the latest findings on the processing and preservation of agricultural products, their principles and process design, as well as the effectiveness of the nutritional and bioactive composition of the newly obtained products. Both original studies and reviews on advances, strategies and the quality of processed and preserved agricultural products are welcome.

Dr. Antonela Ninčević Grassino
Guest Editor

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. Foods 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 2900 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

  • agricultural products
  • processing
  • preservation
  • thermal technique
  • non-thermal technique
  • drying methods
  • drying pretreatment
  • ultrasound-assisted extraction
  • physicochemical properties
  • bioactive composition

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1259 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Plant-Based Raw Materials Used in Meat Analog Manufacture
by Viorica Bulgaru, Mihail Mazur, Natalia Netreba, Sergiu Paiu, Veronica Dragancea, Angela Gurev, Rodica Sturza, İlkay Şensoy and Aliona Ghendov-Mosanu
Foods 2025, 14(3), 483; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14030483 - 3 Feb 2025
Viewed by 144
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to investigate the characteristics of different plant-based sources rich in protein, chickpea flour (CPF), hazelnut oil cake (HOC), soy protein isolate (SPI) and concentrate (SPC), and pea protein isolate (PPI) for their subsequent use in the manufacture [...] Read more.
The purpose of this research was to investigate the characteristics of different plant-based sources rich in protein, chickpea flour (CPF), hazelnut oil cake (HOC), soy protein isolate (SPI) and concentrate (SPC), and pea protein isolate (PPI) for their subsequent use in the manufacture of meat analogs. The protein sources were analyzed for dry matter, ash, protein, fat, starch, dietary fiber, water holding capacity, granulosity, color parameters (L*, a*, b*, C*, YI), antioxidant activity before and after gastrointestinal in vitro digestion, and amino acid and mineral compositions. The highest dry matter content was determined in hazelnut oil cake and pea protein isolate. For the protein content, maximum values were obtained for the protein isolate and concentrate samples, from 52.80% to 80.50%, followed by hazelnut oil cake and chickpea flour. The water-holding capacity of all plant sources was directly influenced by the values of protein content, dietary fiber, and granulosity. The results obtained after gastrointestinal digestion also showed quite significant antioxidant activity, which is due to the process of hydrolysis and denaturation of plant-based protein sources in the gastrointestinal tract. Major amino acids identified in the analyzed samples were glutamic acid, leucine, arginine, phenylalanine, serine, valine, alanine, and tyrosine from minerals P, Na, Mg, and Ca. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to illustrate the relationship between physicochemical characteristics, amino acid composition, mineral composition, and antioxidant activity determined in the plant-based materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Processing and Preservation of Agricultural Products)
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21 pages, 1340 KiB  
Article
Effects of Hot Air, Vacuum, and Conductive Drying on the Fatty Acid Profile of Cucurbita maxima Pulp and Its Processing By-Products
by Antonela Ninčević Grassino, Sven Karlović, Filip Dujmić, Suzana Rimac Brnčić, Marija Badanjak Sabolović and Mladen Brnčić
Foods 2025, 14(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14010057 - 28 Dec 2024
Viewed by 860
Abstract
Considering the short shelf life of fresh pumpkin due to its high water content and the extensive use of dried pumpkin in the food industry, it is necessary to find an efficient drying method that minimizes water activity and preserves nutritional properties. In [...] Read more.
Considering the short shelf life of fresh pumpkin due to its high water content and the extensive use of dried pumpkin in the food industry, it is necessary to find an efficient drying method that minimizes water activity and preserves nutritional properties. In this study, the effects of hot air drying (HAD), vacuum drying (VAD), and conductive drying (CD) at 50, 60, and 70 °C on fatty acid profiles were investigated to determine optimal drying conditions that preserve fatty acid (FA) quality and associated nutritional benefits. Results showed that drying methods had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on fatty acid composition and yield, resulting in different amounts of palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids as major FAs compared to fresh pulp. The saturated FA content was higher in CD pulp (up to 42.37%), followed by HAD and VAD. Oleic acid, as the most important representative of monounsaturated FAs, came from VAD (up to 30.64%). Linoleic and linolenic acid, as the most important polyunsaturated FAs of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, were found in higher proportions in CD pulp at 50 and 60 °C (up to 31.12%) and HAD pulp at 60 and 70 °C with an airflow velocity of 1.5 m/s (up to 39.70%). In addition, the peel and seeds, the by-products resulting from the processing of the fruit pulp, were also evaluated with regard to the fatty acid profile. Two fractions also contained the four major FAs in representative amounts, indicating their valuable reuse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Processing and Preservation of Agricultural Products)
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29 pages, 14246 KiB  
Article
Quality and Process Optimization of Infrared Combined Hot Air Drying of Yam Slices Based on BP Neural Network and Gray Wolf Algorithm
by Jikai Zhang, Xia Zheng, Hongwei Xiao, Chunhui Shan, Yican Li and Taoqing Yang
Foods 2024, 13(3), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13030434 - 29 Jan 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1626
Abstract
In this paper, the effects on drying time (Y1), the color difference (Y2), unit energy consumption (Y3), polysaccharide content (Y4), rehydration ratio (Y5), and allantoin content (Y6) of yam slices were [...] Read more.
In this paper, the effects on drying time (Y1), the color difference (Y2), unit energy consumption (Y3), polysaccharide content (Y4), rehydration ratio (Y5), and allantoin content (Y6) of yam slices were investigated under different drying temperatures (50–70 °C), slice thicknesses (2–10 mm), and radiation distances (80–160 mm). The optimal drying conditions were determined by applying the BP neural network wolf algorithm (GWO) model based on response surface methodology (RMS). All the above indices were significantly affected by drying conditions (p < 0.05). The drying rate and effective water diffusion coefficient of yam slices accelerated with increasing temperature and decreasing slice thickness and radiation distance. The selection of lower temperature and slice thickness helped reduce the energy consumption and color difference. The polysaccharide content increased and then decreased with drying temperature, slice thickness, and radiation distance, and it was highest at 60 °C, 6 mm, and 120 mm. At 60 °C, lower slice thickness and radiation distance favored the retention of allantoin content. Under the given constraints (minimization of drying time, unit energy consumption, color difference, and maximization of rehydration ratio, polysaccharide content, and allantoin content), BP-GWO was found to have higher coefficients of determination (R2 = 0.9919 to 0.9983) and lower RMSEs (reduced by 61.34% to 80.03%) than RMS. Multi-objective optimization of BP-GWO was carried out to obtain the optimal drying conditions, as follows: temperature 63.57 °C, slice thickness 4.27 mm, radiation distance 91.39 mm, corresponding to the optimal indices, as follows: Y1 = 133.71 min, Y2 = 7.26, Y3 = 8.54 kJ·h·kg−1, Y4 = 20.73 mg/g, Y5 = 2.84 kg/kg, and Y6 = 3.69 μg/g. In the experimental verification of the prediction results, the relative error between the actual and predicted values was less than 5%, proving the model’s reliability for other materials in the drying technology process research to provide a reference. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Processing and Preservation of Agricultural Products)
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15 pages, 4077 KiB  
Article
Unraveling the Formation Mechanism of Egg’s Unique Flavor via Flavoromics and Lipidomics
by Zheng Zhou, Shuang Cui, Jing Che, Yuying Zhang, Dayong Zhou, Xuhui Huang and Lei Qin
Foods 2024, 13(2), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13020226 - 10 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2132
Abstract
Egg products after thermal treatment possess a unique flavor and are favored by consumers. In this study, the key aroma-active compounds of egg yolk products and their formation mechanism during thermal treatment were investigated. The volatile aroma compounds in egg yolks were monitored [...] Read more.
Egg products after thermal treatment possess a unique flavor and are favored by consumers. In this study, the key aroma-active compounds of egg yolk products and their formation mechanism during thermal treatment were investigated. The volatile aroma compounds in egg yolks were monitored using an electronic nose, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and gas chromatography–olfactometry–mass spectrometry (GC–O–MS), and the lipid molecular species were explored using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography– mass spectrometry with a Q-Exactive HF-X Orbitrap (UPLC-Q-Exactive HF-X). A total of 68 volatile compounds were identified. Boiled eggs mainly derived their flavor from hexanal, 2-pentyl-furan, 2-butanone, 3-methyl-butanal and heptane. Meanwhile, fried eggs relied mainly on 14 compounds, the most important of which were 2-ethyl-3-methyl-pyrazine, 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethyl-pyrazine, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethyl-pyrazine, nonanal and 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl-pyrazine, providing a baked and burnt sugar flavor. A total of 201 lipid molecules, belonging to 21 lipid subclasses, were identified in egg yolks, and 13 oxidized lipids were characterized using a molecular network. Phosphoethanolamines (PEs) containing polyunsaturated fatty acids were the primary flavor precursors contributing to the development of egg yolks’ flavor, participating in lipid oxidation reactions and the Maillard reaction and regulating the production of aldehydes and pyrazine compounds. This study provides reference and guidance for the development of egg yolk flavor products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Processing and Preservation of Agricultural Products)
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