To evaluate the effect of yellow pea flour particle size (small and large), extrusion temperature profile (120, 140, and 160 degrees Celsius at the die), and air injection pressure (0, 150, and 300 kPa), extrusion cooking was used as the method of investigation. Extrusion cooking in flour induced protein denaturation and starch gelatinization, resulting in a shift in the extruded product's techno-functionality, manifested by increased water solubility, water binding capacity, and cold viscosity, and decreased emulsion capacity, emulsion stability, and trough and final viscosities. The extrusion process, when applied to flours having larger particle sizes, required a lower energy input, yielded enhanced emulsion stability, and displayed higher viscosities in both the trough and final product stages compared to flours with smaller particle sizes. Analyzing all treatments, extrudates created through air injection at 140 and 160 degrees Celsius demonstrated superior emulsion capacity and stability, qualifying them as relatively better food components for use in emulsified foods, like sausages. Air injection, combined with flour particle size modifications and adjusted extrusion conditions, proved the potential of a novel extrusion technique, demonstrating its ability to refine product techno-functionality and extend the applicability of pulse flours within the food industry.
While microwave-based roasting of cocoa beans stands as a potential alternative to the conventional convection method, the impact on the sensory perception of the resultant chocolate flavor is presently undeciphered. This study, therefore, concentrated on determining the flavor appreciation of chocolate crafted from microwave-roasted cocoa beans, judged by expert panelists and chocolate lovers alike. Comparative assessments were conducted on 70% dark chocolate samples, one batch produced by microwave roasting (600W for 35 minutes) and the other by convection roasting (130°C for 30 minutes), both utilizing cocoa beans. Identical physical qualities in chocolate produced from both microwave-roasted and convection-roasted cocoa beans were observed, as non-significant differences (p > 0.05) were found in their respective physical characteristics: color, hardness, melting, and flow properties. The trained panel's 27 combined discriminative triangle tests confirmed that each type of chocolate had distinctive characteristics, as measured by a d'-value of 162. Regarding perceived flavor, consumers noted a significantly heightened cocoa aroma in chocolate derived from microwave-roasted cocoa beans (n=112) compared to chocolate from convection-roasted cocoa beans (n=100). Despite not achieving statistical significance at the 5% level, the microwave-roasted chocolate exhibited a greater degree of consumer preference and willingness to purchase. This study explored a potential advantage of microwave roasting cocoa beans: a projected 75% reduction in energy use. Collectively, the results demonstrate that microwave roasting of cocoa offers a promising alternative to the established practice of convection roasting.
The escalating desire for livestock products is intertwined with a worsening of environmental, economic, and ethical complications. Recently developed alternative protein sources, including edible insects, aim to address these issues with fewer drawbacks. buy Staurosporine However, insect-based foods are hampered by issues concerning public perception and commercial scale-up. Our systematic review addressed these challenges by scrutinizing 85 papers published between 2010 and 2020, a selection process compliant with the PRISMA methodology. Moreover, the SPIDER (Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research) tool assisted in the construction of the inclusion criteria. Our work contributes fresh perspectives to the existing systematic reviews concerning this subject. It dissects a comprehensive model of determinants affecting consumer acceptance of insects as food, and also examines facets of the product's marketing mix. Insect consumption as food is seemingly hindered by a combination of factors, including disgust, food neophobia, familiarity with alternative foods, the presence of insects, and taste. Acceptance is shown to arise from the interplay of familiarity and exposure. Insights from this review can assist policymakers and stakeholders in crafting marketing approaches that boost public acceptance of insects as a viable food option.
In this research project, transfer learning methods were applied to identify and classify 13 types of apples, using 7439 images. The employed architectures included series networks (AlexNet, VGG-19) and directed acyclic graph networks (ResNet-18, ResNet-50, and ResNet-101). Using three distinct visualization methods, two training datasets, and model evaluation metrics, five Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models were rigorously assessed, compared, and analyzed. According to the results, the dataset configuration played a pivotal role in shaping the classification outcomes, which exhibited over 961% accuracy in all models on dataset A (training-to-testing ratio: 241.0). The performance metrics on dataset B, showcasing accuracy between 894% and 939%, contrasted with a training-to-testing ratio of 103.7. On dataset A, VGG-19 attained the top accuracy of 1000%, exceeding 939% on dataset B. Subsequently, in the context of networks sharing a common architectural design, the size of the model, its precision, and the time required for training and testing operations demonstrably increased along with the model's depth (the number of layers). To evaluate the understanding of apple images by various trained models, feature visualization, analysis of regions of strongest activation, and local interpretable model-agnostic explanations were implemented, which enabled us to pinpoint the rationale behind and the method by which these models reached their classification decisions. The enhanced interpretability and trustworthiness of CNN-based models, as demonstrated by these results, offer valuable insights for future deep learning applications in agriculture.
Plant-based milk stands out as a healthy and eco-conscious option. In contrast, most plant-based milk types suffer from limited production due to their typically low protein content and the significant hurdle of gaining consumer acceptance of their distinctive flavors. Soy milk, a food, is a nutritional powerhouse, with a robust protein content and comprehensive nutrition. Kombucha's unique fermentation, involving acetic acid bacteria (AAB), yeast, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and other microorganisms, ultimately improves the taste profile of associated foods. This study employed LAB (commercially obtained) and kombucha as fermentation agents to transform soybean, a raw material, into soy milk. By utilizing a range of characterization methodologies, the study investigated the association between the makeup of microbial communities and the predictability of flavor in soy milk, made with varying concentrations of fermenting agents and different lengths of fermentation. Soy milk fermented at 32 degrees Celsius, with a LAB to kombucha mass ratio of 11, and a 42-hour fermentation period showed optimal levels of LAB, yeast, and acetic acid bacteria, reaching 748, 668, and 683 log CFU/mL respectively. In soy milk fermented with kombucha and LAB, the most significant bacterial genera were Lactobacillus (41.58%) and Acetobacter (42.39%), while Zygosaccharomyces (38.89%) and Saccharomyces (35.86%) were the predominant fungal genera. Following 42 hours of fermentation, the levels of hexanol in the kombucha and LAB system decreased substantially, from 3016% to 874%. This decrease was accompanied by the synthesis of flavor components like 2,5-dimethylbenzaldehyde and linalool. Kombucha-infused soy milk fermentation offers a means to explore the intricate mechanisms behind flavor formation in multi-strain co-fermentation, thereby fostering the development of commercially viable plant-based fermented products.
A key objective of this research was to evaluate the food safety efficacy of standard antimicrobial methods, applied at or above the required levels for processing aids, in minimizing Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella spp. By means of spray and dip application techniques. Specific isolates of STEC or Salmonella strains were used to inoculate the beef trim. For trim intervention, peracetic or lactic acid was applied via a spray or dip process. Employing the drop dilution method, serial dilutions of meat rinses were plated; colony counts within the range of 2 to 30, following which the data were subjected to logarithmic transformation for reporting. The average reduction rate observed across all treatments for STEC and Salmonella spp. is 0.16 LogCFU/g, which implies a 0.16 LogCFU/g increase in the rate of reduction with every 1% increase in uptake. There exists a statistically significant link between the percentage of uptake and the reduction rate of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (p < 0.001). The regression for STEC's data reveals that the introduction of explanatory variables results in a larger R-squared value, with every added explanatory variable being statistically significant in reducing the error, meeting the threshold of p<0.001. The inclusion of explanatory variables within the regression model increases the R-squared value for Salmonella spp., but only the trim type variable reveals a statistically significant impact on the reduction rate (p less than 0.001). buy Staurosporine A higher percentage of uptake demonstrated a substantial improvement in lowering the pathogen levels present in beef trimmings.
This study explored the use of high-pressure processing (HPP) to enhance the texture of a casein-rich cocoa dessert, designed for individuals with dysphagia. buy Staurosporine Different protein concentration levels (10-15%) and differing treatment regimes (250 MPa for 15 minutes and 600 MPa for 5 minutes) were explored in a combined manner to ascertain the optimal combination achieving a satisfactory texture. The dessert, comprising 4% cocoa and 10% casein, underwent a 5-minute, 600 MPa pressure treatment.