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New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Flavours and Fragrances".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 21702

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Prof. Dr. Nazimah Hamid

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Department of Food Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Interests: sensory processes; perception and performance; food chemistry and food sensory science; food technology; food sciences
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Dr. Kevin Kantono

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Department of Food Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Interests: sensory analysis; food quality; sensory evaluation; taste perception; food taste
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Dear Colleagues,

Food processing involves the transformation of raw food using physical or chemical methods to produce processed food products. Food must be processed to make it safe, palatable, and convenient to eat. More importantly, processing can lengthen the shelf life of food. During processing, a multitude of chemical reactions may occur that involve a wide range of metabolites in foods. These chemical processes usually result in chemical changes that can make food flavourful or introduce off-flavours. Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, and other components of food may break down during processing, and their products may form desirable or undesirable flavours.

This Special Issue will focus on the effects of any food processing method on chemical and flavour changes in foods. Chemical changes due to the application of high temperatures such as the Maillard reaction, lipid oxidation, as well as the degradation of sugars, proteins, lipids, ribonucleotides, pigments, and vitamins, can result in changes to flavour.

Prof. Dr. Nazimah Hamid
Dr. Kevin Kantono
Guest Editors

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Keywords

processing
flavour
chemical
volatiles
changes
food

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New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques, 2nd Edition in Molecules

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23 pages, 4002 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Direct Steam Injection and Instantaneous Ultra-High-Temperature (DSI-IUHT) Sterilization on the Physicochemical Quality and Volatile Flavor Components of Milk

by Hao Ding, Zhaosheng Han, Bei Wang, Yadong Wang, Yawen Ran, Liebing Zhang, Yan Li, Chun Lu, Xiaoli Lu and Ligang Ma

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3543; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083543 - 17 Apr 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2522

Abstract

The effects of variations in the heat treatment process of milk on its quality and flavor are inevitable. This study investigated the effect of direct steam injection and instantaneous ultra-high-temperature (DSI-IUHT, 143 °C, 1–2 s) sterilization on the physicochemical properties, whey protein denaturation (WPD) rate, and volatile compounds (VCs) of milk. The experiment compared raw milk as a control with high-temperature short-time (HTST, 75 °C 15 s and 85 °C 15 s) pasteurization and indirect ultra-high-temperature (IND-UHT, 143 °C, 3–4 s) sterilization. The results showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in physical stability between milk samples with different heat treatments. The DSI-IUHT and IND-UHT milks presented smaller particle sizes (p < 0.05) and more concentrated distributions than the HTST milk. The apparent viscosity of the DSI-IUHT milk was significantly higher than the other samples (p < 0.05) and is consistent with the microrheological results. The WPD of DSI-IUHT milk was 27.52% lower than that of IND-UHT milk. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) were combined with the WPD rates to analyze the VCs, which were positively correlated with ketones, acids, and esters and negatively associated with alcohols, heterocycles, sulfur, and aldehydes. The DSI-IUHT samples exhibited a higher similarity to raw and HTST milk than the IND-UHT samples. In summary, DSI-IUHT was more successful in preserving the milk’s quality due to its milder sterilization conditions compared to IND-UHT. This study provides excellent reference data for the application of DSI-IUHT treatment in milk processing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques)

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19 pages, 18045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Acidic Electrolysed Water and Pulsed Light Technology on the Sensory, Morphology and Bioactive Compounds of Pennywort (Centella asiatica L.) Leaves

by Siti-Zaharah Rosli, Noranizan Mohd Adzahan, Roselina Karim and Nor-Khaizura Mahmud Ab Rashid

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010311 - 30 Dec 2022

Viewed by 2074

Abstract

Pennywort (Centella asiatica) is a herbaceous vegetable that is usually served in the form of fresh-cut vegetables and consumed raw. Fresh-cut vegetables are in high demand as they offer convenience, have fresh-like quality and are potentially great for therapeutic applications. However, it could be the cause of foodborne outbreaks. Pulsed light is known as a decontamination method for minimally processed products. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of pulsed light in combination with acidic electrolysed water on the sensory, morphological changes and bioactive components in the leaves of pennywort during storage. A combination of soaking with acidic electrolysed water (AEW) at pH 2.5 and pulsed light (PL) treatment (1.5 J/cm²) was tested on the leaves of pennywort. After treatment, these leaves were refrigerated (4 ± 1 °C) for two weeks and evaluated on the basis of sensory acceptance, the visual appearance of the epidermal cell and bioactive compounds. In terms of sensorial properties, samples treated with the combined treatment were preferred over untreated samples. The combination of AEW and PL 1.5 J/cm² was the most preferred in terms of purchasing and consumption criteria. Observations of the epidermal cells illustrated that PL treatment kept the cell structure intact. The bioactive phytocompounds found in the leaves of pennywort are mainly from the triterpene glycosides (asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid) and are efficiently preserved by the combined treatment applied. In conclusion, the combination of acidic electrolysed water and pulsed light treatment is beneficial in retaining the sensory quality and bioactive compounds in the leaves of Pennywort during storage at 4 ± 1 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques)

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26 pages, 3369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Different Heat Treatments on the Quality and Flavor Compounds of Black Tibetan Sheep Meat by HS-GC-IMS Coupled with Multivariate Analysis

by Jiqian Liu, Lijuan Han, Wenzheng Han, Linsheng Gui, Zhenzhen Yuan, Shengzhen Hou, Zhiyou Wang, Baochun Yang, Sayed Haidar Abbas Raza, Abdulaziz Faisal Saleh Alowais, Alaa Ahmed Alraddadi and Anwar Mohammed Alanazi

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010165 - 25 Dec 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3823

Abstract

There are limited reports about the effect of different heat treatments on the quality and flavor of Black Tibetan sheep meat. The current study examined the effect of pan-frying, deep-frying, baking, and boiling treatment on the quality of Black Tibetan sheep meat; the amino acid, fatty acid, and volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) were investigated by a texture analyzer, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), gas chromatography (GC), and headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility (HS-GC-IMS). The key VFCs were identified through orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA), and variable importance projection (VIP) values. In addition, Pearson’s correlations between meat quality parameters and key VFCs were examined. The sensory scores, including texture, color, and appearance, of baked and pan-fried meat were higher than those of deep-fried and boiled meat. The protein (40.47%) and amino acid (62.93 µmol/g) contents were the highest in pan-fried meat (p < 0.05). Additionally, it contained the highest amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, pan-fried and deep-fried meat had higher amounts of VFCs than baked meat. The OPLS-DA similarity and fingerprinting analyses revealed significant differences between the three heat treatment methods. Aldehydes were the key aroma compounds in pan-fried meat. Importantly, 3-methylbutyraldehyde and 2-heptanone contents were positively correlated with eicosenoic, oleic, isooleic, linoleic, α-Linolenic, and eicosadiene acids (p < 0.05). To sum up, pan-fried Black Tibetan sheep meat had the best edible, nutritional, and flavor quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques)

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22 pages, 4716 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Hydrothermal Processing on Volatile and Fatty Acids Profile of Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) and Kidney Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

by Prit Khrisanapant, Biniam Kebede, Sze Ying Leong and Indrawati Oey

Molecules 2022, 27(23), 8204; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238204 - 24 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2385

Abstract

Legumes are an economical source of protein, starch, dietary fibre, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. However, they are not as fully utilised, due to volatile compounds contributing to their undesirable odour. The purpose of this work was to understand the processing time’s effect on the legumes’ volatile profile. Hence, this study investigated the effects of hydrothermal processing times on the volatile and fatty acids profiles of cowpeas, chickpeas and kidney beans. All legumes were pre-soaked (16 h) and then hydrothermally processed at 95 °C for 15 to 120 min, using an open system to approximate standard household cooking practices and a closed system to represent industrial processing. Alcohol, aldehyde, acid and ester volatile compounds showed decreasing trends during processing, which can be associated with enzyme inactivation and process-induced degradation. This work showed that processing at 95 °C for 30 min significantly reduced the number of compounds commonly associated with undesirable odour, but showed no significant change in the fatty acid profile. Other volatiles, such as furanic compounds, pyrans and sulphur compounds, showed an increasing trend during processing, which can be related to the Maillard reactions. This observation contributes to the growing knowledge of legume processing and its impact on volatile flavour. It can advise consumers and the industry on selecting processing intensity to maximise legume utilisation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques)

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17 pages, 891 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Extraction Methods on the Bioactivities and Nutritional Value of Virginia and Valencia-Type Peanut Oil

by Zineb Lakhlifi El Idrissi, Hamza El Moudden, Najoua Mghazli, Abdelhakim Bouyahya, Chakir El Guezzane, Mohammed Merae Alshahrani, Ahmed Abdullah Al Awadh, Khang Wen Goh, Long Chiau Ming, Hicham Harhar and Mohamed Tabyaoui

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 7709; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27227709 - 9 Nov 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3297

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of peanut varieties cultivated in Morocco (Virginia and Valencia) and extraction methods (cold press, CP; Soxhlet, Sox and maceration, and Mac) on the fatty acid profile, phytosterol, and tocopherol contents, quality characteristics, and antioxidant potential of peanut seed oil. The DPPH method was used to determine the antioxidant activity of the oils. The results revealed that fatty acid content was slightly affected by the extraction technique. However, the CP method was shown to be an excellent approach for extracting oil with desirable quality features compared to the Sox and Mac methods. Furthermore, the peanut oil extracted via CP carried a higher amount of bioactive compounds and exhibited remarkable antioxidant activities. The findings also revealed higher oleic acid levels from the Virginia oil, ranging from 56.46% to 56.99%. Besides, a higher total phytosterol and tocopherol content and DPPH scavenging capacity were obtained from the Valencia oil. Analyzing the study, it can be inferred that extraction method and variety both affect the composition of the peanut oil’s bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. This information is relevant for extracting peanut oil with a greater level of compounds of industrial interest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques)

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12 pages, 516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of the Extraction Method on the Quality and Chemical Composition of Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Oil

by Youssef Elouafy, Adil El Yadini, Hamza El Moudden, Hicham Harhar, Mohammed Merae Alshahrani, Ahmed Abdullah Al Awadh, Khang Wen Goh, Long Chiau Ming, Abdelhakim Bouyahya and Mohamed Tabyaoui

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 7681; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27227681 - 8 Nov 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2830

Abstract

The present study investigated and compared the quality and chemical composition of Moroccan walnut (Juglans regia L.) oil. This study used three extraction techniques: cold pressing (CP), soxhlet extraction (SE), and ultrasonic extraction (UE). The findings showed that soxhlet extraction gave a significantly higher oil yield compared to the other techniques used in this work (65.10% with p < 0.05), while cold pressing and ultrasonic extraction gave similar yields: 54.51% and 56.66%, respectively (p > 0.05). Chemical composition analysis was carried out by GC–MS and allowed 11 compounds to be identified, of which the major compound was linoleic acid (C18:2), with a similar percentage (between 57.08% and 57.84%) for the three extractions (p > 0.05). Regarding the carotenoid pigment, the extraction technique significantly affected its content (p < 0.05) with values between 10.11 mg/kg and 14.83 mg/kg. The chlorophyll pigment presented a similar content in both oils extracted by SE and UE (p > 0.05), 0.20 mg/kg and 0.16 mg/kg, respectively, while the lowest content was recorded in the cold-pressed oil with 0.13 mg/kg. Moreover, the analysis of phytosterols in walnut oil revealed significantly different contents (p < 0.05) for the three extraction techniques (between 1168.55 mg/kg and 1306.03 mg/kg). In addition, the analyses of tocopherol composition revealed that γ-tocopherol represented the main tocopherol isomer in all studied oils and the CP technique provided the highest content of total tocopherol with 857.65 mg/kg, followed by SE and UE with contents of 454.97 mg/kg and 146.31 mg/kg, respectively, which were significantly different (p < 0.05). This study presents essential information for producers of nutritional oils and, in particular, walnut oil; this information helps to select the appropriate method to produce walnut oil with the targeted quality properties and chemical compositions for the desired purpose. It also helps to form a scientific basis for further research on this plant in order to provide a vision for the possibility of exploiting these oils in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques)

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15 pages, 1192 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Production of Marinated Chinese Lotus Root Slices Using High-Pressure Processing as an Alternative to Traditional Thermal-and-Soaking Procedure

by Lin Yuan, Feifei Xu, Yingying Xu, Jihong Wu and Fei Lao

Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6506; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196506 - 2 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2223

Abstract

Marinated vegetables are traditional cold dishes with a long history and special flavor in the Chinese deli market. However, the traditional thermal-and-soaking (TS) procedure often results in unreproducible flavor quality properties of marinated vegetables and waste of brine and time in production. A novel green and sustainable technique, high-pressure processing (HPP), has caught the attention of the food industry. In this study, the effects of HPP and TS treatment on the visual, flavor, textural, and microbiological qualities of Chinese marinated lotus root slices were investigated. Compared to the TS products, lighter color, more varieties of volatile compounds, and crunchier texture were detected in the HPP products. Throughout the 4 °C, 25 °C, and 45 °C shelf life challenges, the HPP products retained their original color and crunchiness better than the TS ones, whereas no significant differences were found in total viable counts (TVCs) in the first half of the shelf lives. The Arrhenius model under the first-order reaction of TVC deterioration showed a good fit to the shelf life of the HPP marinated lotus root slices. This study demonstrates that HPP may assist in making the best use of brine in a more time-efficient manner to improve the visual, flavor, and textural quality of traditional Chinese marinated lotus root slices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques)

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16 pages, 3344 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds in Kiwiberries (Actinidia arguta) Exposed to High Hydrostatic Pressure Processing by HS-SPME/GC-MS

by Małgorzata Starowicz, Wioletta Błaszczak, Ewa Ciska and Piotr Latocha

Molecules 2022, 27(18), 5914; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27185914 - 12 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1834

Abstract

HS-SPME/GC-MS analysis was carried out to characterize the profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in kiwiberry cultivars (Geneva and Weiki) exposed to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (450–550–650/5 and 15 min). The sum of individual VOCs in Geneva (6.493 mg/kg) and Weiki (11.939 mg/kg) samples was found to be significantly reduced after processing, particularly for pressurization conditions of 650 MPa/15 min (decrease of 62%) and 550 MPa/15 min (decrease of 84%), respectively. On the other hand, Geneva and Weiki exposed to 450 MPa/5 min manifested the lowest loss in the sum of the VOCs. Geneva exposure to 450 MPa/5 min led to an increase in the hexanal (r = 0.782) and linalool (r = 0.806) content. Sample pressurization (450 MPa/15 min) promoted the formation of methyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, and cis-geraniol, simultaneously increasing the benzaldehyde (r = 0.886) concentration. However, the treatment of Weiki at 450 MPa/5 min favored trans-2-heptenal (r = 0.999) and linalool (r = 0.970) formation, as well as the (-)-terpinen-4-ol (r = 0.848) and geraniol (r = 0.694) content. Ethyl butanoate, hexanal, and 1-octen-3-ol were highly concentrated in the HHP-treated (450 MPa/5 or 15 min) Weiki. Pressurization decreased the terpenoid contribution, but also increased the contribution of alcohols and aldehydes to the overall VOC number in both tested cultivars. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Chemical and Flavor Qualities of Food via Processing Techniques)

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