Food Science Research December 2017/January 2018

Oxidative Changes in Lipids, Proteins, and Antioxidants in Yogurt During the Shelf Life

This study evaluated the antioxidant properties of yogurt in standard conditions of preservation. Total phenols, free radical scavenger activity, degree of lipid peroxidation, and protein oxidation were determined in plain and skim yogurts with or without fruit puree. After production, plain, skim, plain berries, and skim berries yogurts were compared during the shelf life up to 9 weeks. All types of yogurts revealed a basal antioxidant activity that was higher when a fruit puree was present but gradually decreased during the shelf life. However, after 5-8 weeks, antioxidant activity increased again. Both in plain and berries yogurts lipid peroxidation increased until the seventh week of shelf life and after decreased, whereas protein oxidation of all yogurts was similar either in the absence or presence of berries and increased during shelf life. During the shelf life, a different behavior between lipid and protein oxidation takes place and the presence of berries determines a protection only against lipid peroxidation. Food Science & Nutrition, Volume 5, Issue 6, November 2017, Pages 1079–1087. Read the full journal article here.

Developments and Challenges in Online NIR Spectroscopy for Meat Processing

Meat and meat products are popular foods due to their balanced nutritional nature and their availability in a variety of forms. In recent years, due to an increase in the consumer awareness regarding product quality and authenticity of food, rapid and effective quality control systems have been sought by meat industries. Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been identified as a fast and cost-effective tool for estimating various meat quality parameters as well as detecting adulteration. This review focuses on the on/inline application of single and multiprobe NIR spectroscopy for the analysis of meat and meat products starting from the year 1996 to 2017. The article gives a brief description about the theory of NIR spectroscopy followed by its application for meat and meat products analysis. A detailed discussion is provided on the various studies regarding applications of NIR spectroscopy and specifically for on/inline monitoring along with their advantages and disadvantages. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, Volume 16, Issue 6, November 2017, Pages 1172–1187. Read the full journal article here.

Shiga-Toxin Producing E. coli: Pathogenicity, Supershedding, Diagnostic Methods, Occurrence, and Foodborne Outbreaks

The main challenge regarding the study of E. coli is the standardization of a high sensitivity method including all pathotypes that allows for enrichment of STEC cells and a decrease of background microbiota. The ability of some E. coli cells belonging to other pathogenic groups, such as O104:H4, to acquire genes unique to the STEC group, increases the pathogenic power and the risk of new outbreaks related to these bacteria. In addition, animals with a high concentration of pathogenic E. coli cells present in feces, designated as supershedding animals, may be the primary transmission factor among ruminants. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to address pathogenicity factors and the importance of supershedding animals in the transmission of this pathogen, discussing the main methods currently applied, to focus on the occurrence of STEC in beef. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, Volume 16, Issue 6, November 2017, Pages 1269–1280. Read the full journal article here.

Evaluation of Peanut Skin and Grape Seed Extracts to Inhibit Growth of Foodborne Pathogens

This study evaluates the antimicrobial effects of peanut skin extract (PSE) containing A-type procyanidins and grape seed extract (GSE) containing B-type procyanidins against select foodborne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella Typhimurium). GSE had a significantly lower minimum inhibitory concentration than PSE for L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium, but no difference in inhibition of E. coli O157:H7. Growth curves of all three pathogens in the presence of full extract, monomer, and oligomer fractions were compared separately. Results indicate that an extract with type B procyanidins higher in oligomers may have greater antimicrobial properties. Food Science & Nutrition, Volume 5, Issue 6, November 2017, Pages 1130–1138. Read the full journal article here.