In this study, the quality and acceptability factor of Raphia palm weevil larvae (Rhynchophorus phoenicis) as influenced by different thermal processing methods were investigated. Raphia palm weevil larvae (n=1000) were randomly distributed into four groups of 250 larvae per group according to a treatment, namely: T1 = boiling (100 °C), T2 = roasting (120 °C) T3 = frying (160 °C) and T4 = oven-drying (180 °C). All treatments lasted 20 minutes. Analyses were carried out to determine the physical, chemical, vitamin and mineral composition, and microbial load. In addition, sensory characteristics were evaluated. Weevil larvae processed by the boiling method had the highest cooking yield (97.59%), water holding capacity (21.78%) and the lowest cooking loss (2.41%). The protein and fat content was higher in weevil larvae processed by frying (37.63% and 17.70%, respectively), while moisture was lowest (18.68%) in oven-dried larvae. The calcium, magnesium and phosphorus content was higher in oven-dried larvae, while there were no significant differences in iron, manganese, zinc and vitamins in the processed larvae irrespective of the methods. Boiled larvae had a higher microbial load, while fried and oven-dried larvae had the lowest microbial load. Fried larvae elicited highest sensory characteristics except tenderness, which was higher in boiled larvae, but fried larvae had higher overall acceptability than those processed by other methods. Therefore, it has been shown that the frying method is an appropriate method of processing Raphia palm weevil larvae for enhanced quality and acceptability.
Disinfectants are used as the main agents against microorganisms circulating on the surfaces of food enterprises. However, the adaptive ability of microorganisms to form biofilms complicates the process of surface cleaning and reduces the effectiveness of disinfectants. Modern disinfectants act against freely circulating microflora, but it is known that they are not always effective against biofilms. The purpose of this study was to investigate effective disinfectant compositions with bactericidal effect on binary bacterial biofilms of different ages. The article describes the effects of disinfectants based on chlorine, peracetic acid and quaternary ammonium compounds with enzymes in concentrations recommended by the manufacturer and increased several times on Salmonella 38, Brochothrix thermosphacta 2726 and Staphylococcus equorum 2736 planktonic cultures and binary biofilms. Binary biofilms of different ages (2 and 9 days old) were exposed to disinfectants with various active ingredients in combination with adjuvants, i. e. hydrogen peroxide 6% and various concentrations of isopropyl alcohol (30%). All products in concentrations recommended by the manufacturer did not have a disinfectant effect against the studied biofilm cultures. As a result of the work, it was found that the most effective disinfectants against multispecies biofilms were quaternary ammonium compounds in combination with enzymes and chlorine in combination with isopropyl alcohol (30%). The results obtained allow to expand knowledge about effective methods for controlling biofilms.
The objective of this research is to evaluate quality properties and storage stability of beef patties formulated from fresh beef incorporated with food-grade lactic acid (LA). Fresh beef was purchased from the local market immediately after slaughter, minced and formulated using water incorporated with food-grade lactic acid in concentrations of 0.0% (control); 0.5%; 0.75% and 1.00%. The LA-incorporated formulations were used in the preparation of the patties. The prepared patties were stored at a refrigeration temperature of 5 ºC for 12 days. pH, instrumental color, texture profile analysis (TPA), water activity and total viable count (TVC) were investigated. At the end of the storage period, the patties were cooked and sensory evaluated. The results revealed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in pH of the control patties from 6.2 ± 0.1 to 5.1 ± 0.2–5.4 ± 0.2 from day 8 to day 12 of the storage time. The same trend was observed in the LA-incorporated patties. The LA-incorporated patties did not show any significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) in the water activity values through all storage time. At the end of the storage time, the control had the TVC value of almost near the spoilage limit, while all LA-incorporated patties had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower TVC compared with the control. The results revealed high stability in the physicochemical properties as well as total microbial growth during the storage period. The hardness of the LA-incorporated patties was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower than that of the control sample. There was no significant (p ≥ 0.05) difference in overall sensory acceptability of the patties made from beef incorporated with food-grade lactic acid compared to the control. This study suggests that incorporating fresh beef with food-grade lactic acid in the mentioned concentrations could result in great benefits of increasing the storage life of fresh beef products with no effect on sensory quality attributes.
Spices and herbs are widely used in the meat processing industry to improve the taste and flavor of the food products. They contain a wide range of essential oils and biologically active components possessing antioxidant potential. Surge of spices consumption leads to their adulteration; at the same time, species identification is complex and requires increased knowledge about the peculiarities of their structure. This study researched the antioxidant potential (AOP) of six spices and three fragrant herbs, defined their structure and histological parameters of their identification. To assess AOP, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was defined using the methods of Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and free radical DPPH, and the main classes of AO were identified with the help of qualitative reactions, microstructure was analyzed via three staining methods. Among six classes of AO the flavonoids were found in all extracts. All of four AO classes were found in basil and allspice. Allspice extract showed the highest TACDPPH (2,876.05 ± 19.83 µmol-eq.quercetin/l), the lowest value was found in parsley extract (157.97 ± 4.80 µmol-eq.quercetin/l). At the same time, the highest TACORAC was found in the extract of dill greens and basil greens — 9,789.51 ± 433.22 μmol-eq.quercetin/l and 9,692.91 ± 203.42 μmol-eq.quercetin/l, respectively, and its lowest content was found in ginger — 956.98 ± 241.79 µmol-eq. quercetin/l. The microstructural features of cells peculiar for each sample were defined: external protective tissues, seed hulls, storage tissue, secretory and formative tissues, and their ability to perceive staining with general and specific dyes. The results obtained make it possible to test the composition of dry spices and herbs, to reveal their presence in the ready-to-consume meat products and to exclude cases of their adulteration.
One of the primary issues with processed foods during heat treatment and freezing storage is fat oxidation, which causes significant changes in fats due to their interaction with reactive oxygen species (ROS). This interaction leads to the creation of various aldehydes that have a high affinity for large molecules, such as proteins, leading to the formation of final products of advanced oxidation processes that contribute to food spoilage. Co-oxidation can also result in extensive damage. Another problem affecting the quality and nutritional value of meat products is protein oxidation, which can occur during storage via freezing and thawing or as a result of heat treatment. Heat treatment can cause physical and chemical changes, such as the loss of some essential amino acids and the transformation of certain amino acids into carbonyl compounds via various mechanisms. Protein oxidation is indicated by the accumulation of these carbonyl compounds, and the heat treatment can lead to the denaturation of myoglobin, which is responsible for the brown color of cooked meat and is influenced by several factors. Active protein aggregates can interact with the oxidation products of polyunsaturated fatty acids and with carbohydrate glycation or glycoxidation to produce Maillard products. It is critical to understand the oxidative changes that occur in fats and proteins in food, particularly in meat products, since these components are among the primary constituents of food.
The article reviews the state-of-the-science in the field of cyber-physical systems (CPSs). CPSs are intelligent systems that include physical, biological and computational components using engineering networks. CPSs are able to integrate into production processes, improve the exchange of information between industrial equipment, qualitatively transform production chains, and effectively manage business and customers. This is possible due to the ability of CPSs to manage ongoing processes through automatic monitoring and controlling the entire production process and adjusting the production to meet customer preferences. A comprehensive review identified key technology trends underlying CPSs. These are artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, augmented reality, Internet of things, quantum computing, fog computing, 3D printing, modeling and simulators, automatic object identifiers (RFID tags). CPSs will help to improve the control and traceability of production operations: they can collect information about raw materials, temperature and technological conditions, the degree of food product readiness, thereby increasing the quality of food products. Based on the results, terms and definitions, and potential application of cyber-physical systems in general and their application in food systems in particular were identified and discussed with an emphasis on food production (including meat products).
This paper aims to provide a better understanding of how to replace saturated fat in meat products due to concerns about its high amounts as health consciousness improves and consumers look for changes. In particular, we focused on various approaches and technologies to replace saturated fat in meat products. A systematic literature review was conducted using Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus based on existing papers. The use of vegetable oils in meat products, oleogel and emulsion gel technologies, as well as application of protein substitutes were reviewed. The results show that the mentioned methods are potentially effective techniques for reducing the saturated fat content of meat products. As research on new approaches to fat substitutes continues to attract interest, we would like to highlight the research needs for the development of healthy meat products in the long term.
In the current economic situation, after easing the Covid pandemic restrictions, almost all laboratories, which are focused on evaluation of the conformity of food products, have faced issues in supplying for their laboratories. In this regard, in the last years many laboratories have been forced to validate new approaches and introduce new methods for assessing conformity of the food products. Very often it is not possible to use only one method to resolve the issue of the food product ingredients, especially for the purpose of traceability of their names and the used raw materials, listed on the label. Survey of the raw food materials to determine whether they correspond to the type name is a simpler task, in contrast to survey of the multicomponent food product. Many researchers have to estimate the opportunities and feasibility of application of various methodologies in their workplaces. Therefore, this review is relevant for the researchers in this field, as it focuses on aspects and special features of similar methodologies. The prospect of molecular genetic methods for identification of the raw materials used for manufacturing of meat products is presented below. This review also represents characteristics of methods for identification of the sources of raw materials used for the manufacturing of the meat products, based on the recognition of species-specific sections within the nucleic acids structures. The variety of methods (hybridization methods, polymerase chain reaction, different types of isothermal amplifications, methods using CRISPR/Cas systems), the principles of their implementation, and achieved analytical characteristics are considered. The capacities and competitive potential of various methods are discussed, as well as approaches being developed to overcome the existing limitations.
Pork is a favorite type of meat with a large share in the structure of consumption worlwide, including China and Russia. Pork production in China and Russia has been constantly growing over the last years. This type of meat remains to be in high demand due to its sensory properties despite consumer attitude to pork fat content. This review presents the short history of pig farming in China and Russia, as well as the modern trends in the development of this industry. The data on the pork production and consumption in two countries over the last years are compared. Characteristics that consumers consider important when buying pork and negative factors influencing consumer choice are described. Consumer properties of meat products from pork depend on keeping conditions and feeding of animals. Meat composition and functional properties depend greatly on pig breed. Information about pig breeds that are raised in China (depending on a region) and Russia, as well as indicators of productivity of pigs of certain breeds, are presented.
ISSN 2414-441X (Online)