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Green Innovative Techniques for Foods

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 40296

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Amauri Rosenthal

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Guest Editor

Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: high pressure and thermal processes applied to fruit, meat, dairy and fish products

Dr. Pablo Juliano

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Guest Editor

CSIRO Agriculture and Food, 671 Sneydes Road, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
Interests: food processing technologies; food supply chains; dairy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The food industry is continuously changing and facing worldwide challenges in order to meet consumer demands for safer, healthier, more palatable and sustainable foods. There is a growing need for so-called green or environmentally friendly processes that deliver healthy foods while maximizing the use of resources. Green processes may convert alternative raw materials, fully utilize or partially extract components from supply chain losses or waste to make novel products or ingredients, following biocircular and bioeconomy approaches. Processes that maximize biomaterial utilization may lower environmental impact, while improving quality for the consumers and increasing the profitability along the food chains and agri-food ecosystems. In many cases, efficient food resource utilization requires either novel or optimized traditional food processing technologies and practices in order to achieve better products with lower energy and water requirements, while minimizing both the environmental footprint and climate change impact. Following these considerations, this Special Issue, “Green Innovative Technologies for Foods” is intended for research and review papers that cover topics such as:

Sustainability along ecosystems and food chain;
Life cycle analysis;
Low energy and/or water processes;
Sustainable processes for food waste reduction or avoidance;
Added-value byproducts from food wastes;
Consumer perception on sustainability and on green technologies.

Prof. Dr. Amauri Rosenthal
Dr. Pablo Juliano
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. 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

green and clean practices and processes
food chains and systems sustainability
food waste reduction and recycling
biocircular and bioeconomy
traditional and novel food processes
sustainable raw material processing (eg algae, insects)
sustainable and healthy food

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1083 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influences of Illumination Pretreatment on Soybean Oil Activated Clay Bleaching Effects and Soybean Oil Quality Evaluation

by Zhan Ye, Shufan Luo, Yaping Lv and Yuanfa Liu

Foods 2023, 12(5), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12051038 - 1 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1958

Abstract

Visible light has been widely studied for possible applications in food industry as being a kind of clean energy. Presently, the influences of illumination pretreatment on soybean oil quality followed by conventional activated clay bleaching, including the oil color, fatty acid composition, oxidation stability, and micronutrient content, were investigated. Results demonstrated that the illumination pretreatment increased the color differences between the non-illuminated and illuminated soybean oils, which indicated that the light exposure could improve the decoloring effects. The fatty acids composition and the peroxide value (POV) and oxidation stability index (OSI) of the soybean oils showed little changes during this process. Although the illumination pretreatment affected the content of lipid-soluble micronutrients, including phytosterols and tocopherols, no significant differences could be observed (p > 0.05). Moreover, it showed that the illumination pretreatment showed significant effects for decreasing the following activated clay bleaching temperature, indicating the energy saving potential of this novel soybean oil decoloring process. The present study might provide new insights for developing eco-friendly and efficient vegetable oil bleaching technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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19 pages, 3202 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined Effect of Drying Temperature and Varied Gelatin Concentration on Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Ginger Oil Incorporated Chitosan Based Edible Films

by Saurabh Bhatia, Ahmed Al-Harrasi, Sana Ullah, Mohammed Said Al-Azri, Alaa El-Din Ahmed Bekhit, Layal Karam, Mohammed Albratty, Mohammed F. Aldawsari and Md. Khalid Anwer

Foods 2023, 12(2), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12020364 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2434

Abstract

In the present work, ginger essential oil (GEO) loaded chitosan (CS) based films incorporated with varying concentrations of gelatin (GE) were fabricated and dried at different conditions (25 °C and 45 °C). The physio-chemical, mechanical and antioxidant potential of the films were determined. Films dried at 45 °C showed better physical attributes and less thickness, swelling degree (SD), moisture content, water vapor permeability (WVP), more transparency, and better mechanical characteristics. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the chemical composition and interaction between the functional groups of the film components. X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) findings revealed that samples dried at 45 °C had more crystalline structure, were thermally stable, and smoother. Antioxidant results showed that films dried at low temperature showed comparatively more (p < 0.0001) antioxidant activity. Additionally, an increase in gelatin concentration improved the tensile strength and swelling factor (p < 0.05), however, had no significant impact on other parameters. The overall results suggested better characteristics of GEO-loaded CS-GE based edible films when dried at 45 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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10 pages, 808 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Narrowband UV-B Irradiation on the Growth Performance of House Crickets

by Marios Psarianos, Anna Fricke, Shikha Ojha, Susanne Baldermann, Monika Schreiner and Oliver K. Schlüter

Foods 2022, 11(21), 3487; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213487 - 2 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2453

Abstract

Indoor co-cultivation systems can answer to the need for sustainable and resilient food production systems. Rearing organisms under light-emitting diodes (LEDs) irradiation provides the possibility to control and shape the emitted light spectra. UV-B-irradiation (280–315 nm) can positively affect the nutritional composition of different plants and other organisms, whereas information on edible insects is scarce. To evaluate the potential effect of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and LED-emitting LEDs on the rearing and nutritional quality of edible insects, house crickets (Acheta domesticus) were reared from the age of 21 days under controlled LED spectra, with an additional UV-B (0.08 W/m²) dose of 1.15 KJm² d⁻¹ (illuminated over a period for 4 h per day) for 34 days. UV-B exposure showed no harm to the weight of the crickets and significantly increased their survival by ca. 10% under narrowband UV-B treatment. The nutritional composition including proteins, fat and chitin contents of the insects was not affected by the UV-B light and reached values of 60.03 ± 10.41, 22.38 ± 2.12 and 9.33 ± 1.21%, respectively, under the LED irradiation. Therefore, house crickets can grow under LED irradiation with a positive effect of narrowband UV-B application on their survival. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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14 pages, 1424 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Bioactive Coatings with Killer Yeasts to Control Post-Harvest Apple Decay Caused by Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium italicum

by Urszula Błaszczyk, Sylwia Wyrzykowska and Maciej Gąstoł

Foods 2022, 11(13), 1868; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11131868 - 24 Jun 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2292

Abstract

A new method was proposed to produce alginate bio-films containing Pichia membranifaciens and Wickerhamomyces anomalus killer yeast to control the post-harvest fungal decay in organic apples caused by Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium italicum. Coatings with W. anomalus killer yeast effectively controlled the growth of P. italicum during storage at 22 °C. W. anomalus killer yeast incorporated in alginate reduced the P. italicum incidence from 90% (control) to 35% after 14 days of storage at 22 °C. Alginate biofilms with W. anomalus or P. membranifaciens also limited the incidence of the fungal decay of apples inoculated with B. cinerea compared with the control fruits, although the antagonistic capability against B. cinerea was lower than against P. italicum. The survival of W. anomalus cells in alginate coating was higher than P. membranifaciens. The incorporation of killer yeasts into alginate had no significant effect on the mechanical properties (tensile strength, percent elongation at break) of alginate coating, however, they increased the thickness of the biofilm. The bioactive coating reduced the fruit weight loss and had no significant effects on the fruit firmness during storage at 2 °C. As organic apples, produced without any synthetic fungicides, are especially prone to fungal decay during storage, the proposed alginate biofilms containing killer yeast seem to be a very promising solution by offering non-chemical, biological control of post-harvest pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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9 pages, 1013 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reuse of KOH Solutions during Black Ripe Olive Processing, Effect on the Quality of the Final Product and Valorization of Wastewaters as Possible Fertilizer Product

by Pedro García-Serrano, Manuel Brenes, Concepción Romero and Pedro García-García

Foods 2022, 11(12), 1749; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11121749 - 14 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2148

Abstract

A high volume of water is needed to produce black ripe olives, which also entails a significant volume of wastewater with a high organic and inorganic contaminant charge. To reduce this problem, the reuse of KOH solutions (lyes) in a new process was studied. Once the lyes were removed from the tanks, KOH was then added for a new darkening process. Reusing the lyes up to four times gave rise to a product with similar physico–chemical and organoleptic characteristics as obtained with fresh solutions. The application of this process reduced coadjutant consumption by 32% and water by 20%, while global wastewater presented a high K content whose concentration could be valorized as a fertilizer by replacing commercial potassium nitrate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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15 pages, 2985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anthocyanin Extraction from Jaboticaba Skin (Myrciaria cauliflora Berg.) Using Conventional and Non-Conventional Methods

by Gabriela Nunes Mattos, Manuela Cristina Pessanha de Araújo Santiago, Ana Carolina Sampaio Doria Chaves, Amauri Rosenthal, Renata Valeriano Tonon and Lourdes Maria Correa Cabral

Foods 2022, 11(6), 885; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11060885 - 20 Mar 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3419

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of different extraction technologies and conditions in order to obtain jaboticaba skin extracts. Firstly, the skins were extracted by conventional extraction, according to a rotatable central composite design, varying ethanol concentration, solid:liquid ratio, and temperature. Next, ultrasound-assisted extraction was performed using different power densities and times. Finally, high-pressure extractions were performed with varying pressures and times. For agitated bed extraction, the highest anthocyanin content was observed for ethanol concentrations varying between 60% and 80%. Thus, the independent variables which more influenced anthocyanin content were ethanol concentration and solid:liquid ratio. Folin–Ciocalteu reducing capacity was linearly affected by the increase in temperature. Ethanol concentration was the variable that most influenced ABTS+. On the other hand, the increase in ethanol concentration decreased the antioxidant capacity by ABTS+. Considering the ultrasound extraction, increasing its power did not affect total monomeric anthocyanins content, while the increase in process time had better yields. The highest antioxidant capacity and total monomeric anthocyanins were found for the highest extraction time. Similarly, with ultrasound, the increase in high hydrostatic-assisted extraction time positively influenced anthocyanin content and antioxidant capacity. As a result, the ultrasound-assisted method was found to be the best extraction technology for anthocyanins recovery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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Review

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15 pages, 1854 KiB

Open AccessReview

Potential Application of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Production of Hydrolyzed Proteins with Antioxidant and Antihypertensive Properties and Low Allergenicity: A Review

by Ana Paula Miguel Landim, Julia Hauck Tiburski, Caroline Grassi Mellinger, Pablo Juliano and Amauri Rosenthal

Foods 2023, 12(3), 630; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030630 - 2 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2823

Abstract

The high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) process has been studied for several applications in food technology and has been commercially implemented in several countries, mainly for non-thermal pasteurization and shelf-life extension of food products. HHP processing has been demonstrated to accelerate proteolytic hydrolysis at a specific combination of pressure and pressure-holding time for a given protein source and enzyme. The enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins is a well-known alternative to producing biologically active peptides, with antioxidant and antihypertensive capacity, from different food protein sources. However, some of these protein sources contain allergenic epitopes which are often not degraded by traditional hydrolysis. Moreover, the peptide profile and related biological activity of a hydrolysate depend on the protein source, the enzymes used, the parameters of the proteolysis process (pH, temperature, time of hydrolysis), and the use of other technologies such as HHP. The present review aims to provide an update on the use of HHP for improving enzymatic hydrolysis, with a particular focus on studies which evaluated hydrolysate antihypertensive and antioxidant capacity, as well as residual allergenicity. Overall, HHP has been shown to improve the biological properties of hydrolysates. While protein allergenicity can be reduced with traditional hydrolysis, HHP can further reduce the allergenicity. Compared with traditional hydrolysis methods, HHP-assisted protein hydrolysis offers a greater opportunity to add value to protein-rich products through conversion into high-end hydrolysate products with enhanced nutritional and functional properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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25 pages, 737 KiB

Open AccessReview

Anthracnose Controlled by Essential Oils: Are Nanoemulsion-Based Films and Coatings a Viable and Efficient Technology for Tropical Fruit Preservation?

by Tamires Sousa de Oliveira, André Mesquita Magalhães Costa, Lourdes Maria Corrêa Cabral, Otniel Freitas-Silva, Amauri Rosenthal and Renata Valeriano Tonon

Foods 2023, 12(2), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12020279 - 6 Jan 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3314

Abstract

Post-harvest diseases can be a huge problem for the tropical fruit sector. These fruits are generally consumed in natura; thus, their integrity and appearance directly affect commercialization and consumer desire. Anthracnose is caused by fungi of the genus Colletotrichum and affects tropical fruits, resulting in lesions that impair their appearance and consumption. Antifungals generally used to treat anthracnose can be harmful to human health, as well as to the environment. Therefore, essential oils (EO) have been investigated as natural biofungicides, successfully controlling anthracnose symptoms. The hydrophobicity, high volatility, and oxidative instability of essential oils limit their direct application; hence, these oils must be stabilized before food application. Distinct delivery systems have already been proposed to protect/stabilize EOs, and nanotechnology has recently reshaped the food application limits of EOs. This review presents robust data regarding nanotechnology application and EO antifungal properties, providing new perspectives to further improve the results already achieved in the treatment of anthracnose. Additionally, it evaluates the current scenario involving the application of EO directly or incorporated in films and coatings for anthracnose treatment in tropical fruits, which is of great importance, especially for those fruits intended for exportation that may have a prolonged shelf life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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33 pages, 4158 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Towards Substitution of Hexane as Extraction Solvent of Food Products and Ingredients with No Regrets

by Christian Cravotto, Anne-Sylvie Fabiano-Tixier, Ombéline Claux, Maryline Abert-Vian, Silvia Tabasso, Giancarlo Cravotto and Farid Chemat

Foods 2022, 11(21), 3412; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213412 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 18526

Abstract

Hexane is a solvent used extensively in the food industry for the extraction of various products such as vegetable oils, fats, flavours, fragrances, colour additives or other bioactive ingredients. As it is classified as a “processing aid”, it does not have to be declared on the label under current legislation. Therefore, although traces of hexane may be found in final products, especially in processed products, its presence is not known to consumers. However, hexane, and in particular the n-hexane isomer, has been shown to be neurotoxic to humans and has even been listed as a cause of occupational diseases in several European countries since the 1970s. In order to support the European strategy for a toxic-free environment (and toxic-free food), it seemed important to collect scientific information on this substance by reviewing the available literature. This review contains valuable information on the nature and origin of the solvent hexane, its applications in the food industry, its toxicological evaluation and possible alternatives for the extraction of natural products. Numerous publications have investigated the toxicity of hexane, and several studies have demonstrated the presence of its toxic metabolite 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) in the urine of the general, non-occupationally exposed population. Surprisingly, a tolerable daily intake (TDI) has apparently never been established by any food safety authority. Since hexane residues are undoubtedly found in various foods, it seems more than necessary to clearly assess the risks associated with this hidden exposure. A clear indication on food packaging and better information on the toxicity of hexane could encourage the industry to switch towards one of the numerous other alternative extraction methods already developed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Innovative Techniques for Foods)

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