Novel, edible melanin-protein-based bioactive films for cheeses: antimicrobial, mechanical and chemical characteristics

The cheese rind is the natural food packaging of cheese and is subject to a wide range of external factors that compromise the appearance of the cheese, including color defects caused by spoilage microorganisms. First, eight films based on whey protein isolate (WPI) coatings were studied, of which IS3CA (WPI 5% + sorbitol 3% + citric acid 3%) was selected for presenting better properties. From the IS3CA film, novel films containing melanin M1 (74 g/mL) and M2 (500 g/mL) were developed and applied to cheese under proof-of-concept and industrial conditions. After 40 days of maturation, M2 presented the lowest microorganism count for all the microbial parameters analyzed. The cheese with M2 showed the lowest lightness, which indicates that it is the darkest cheese due to the melanin concentration. It was found that the mechanical and colorimetric properties are the ones that contribute the most to the distinction of the M2 film in cheese from the others. Using FTIR-ATR, it was possible to distinguish the rinds of M2 cheeses because they contained the highest concentrations of melanin. Thus, this study shows that the film with M2 showed the best mechanical, chemical and antimicrobial properties for application in cheese.This work was financially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) with financial support from IPCB-CERNAS (UID/AMB/00681/2020) Research Unit Grant from FCT, and from UIDB/00239/2020 (CEF). Work was supported by UIDB/04046/2020 and UIDP/04046/2020 Centre grants from FCT, Portugal (to BioISI). The work was co-funded by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020. This work is the recipient of a project (PTDC/Bia- BQM/28355/2017) grant, and Ana Rita Ferraz acknowledges a Ph.D. fellowship (SFRH/BD/135692/2018) from FCT (Portugal).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Active and Intelligent Packaging with Phase Change Materials to Promote the Shelf Life Extension of Food Products

Active packaging aims to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables using active agents such as Oxygen, Carbon-di-oxide, ethylene scavengers and moisture absorber. Intelligent packaging provides information about the fruits quality inside the package to the customer and this packaging technology detects the internal changes of fruits and vegetables using sensors and indicators. Further to improve the post-harvest storage PCM such as Rubitherm can be used depending on the package box dimension to remove the field heat from the products and maintain its temperature with low variation during transport and display. Gel packs having less weight with PET and PS can also be an alternate method in the packaging. The application of these technologies may lead to a revolution in post-harvest storage, transportation, and further retail sale. This paper reviews the theoretical principles of food packaging and recent developments in packaging technologies using PCMs. Keywords: Active packaging, Intelligent packaging, Phase change materials, Shelf life extension, Fruit

Case Study of Beira Interior’s Peach (Portugal)

The study intends to investigate the non-renewable energy inputs from fossil fuels, as well as the emissions resulting from machinery. In addition, warehouse energy inputs are analyzed, mainly cooling systems of refrigerated chambers where fruits are preserved. This analysis aims to find opportunities for technological, environmental and best practices improvements. Test scenarios were analyzed and revealing soil groundcover maintenance is the operation with the largest impact in the energy consumption of the production process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nutritional characteristics and minerals of Lardosa cowpea landraces : a strategic legume species for the future

Cowpeas have been cultivated at least since the 8th century BC. [1; 2]. This grain legume (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.), one of Africa's natural food gifts to the world, is characterized by its high nutritional value, ability to fix nitrogen and great tolerance to drought. The tolerance of this legume to low fertility soils, high temperatures and scarce water regimes makes this one of the most resistant crops to adverse edaphoclimatic conditions. It is certainly a very important culture in southern European countries like Portugal.Cultivar-Rede de competências para o desenvolvimento sustentável e inovação no setor Agroalimentar (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nutritional characteristics and minerals of Lardosa cowpea landraces: a strategic legume species for the future

Cowpeas have been cultivated at least since the 8th century BC. [1; 2]. This grain legume (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.), one of Africa's natural food gifts to the world, is characterized by its high nutritional value, ability to fix nitrogen and great tolerance to drought. The tolerance of this legume to low fertility soils, high temperatures and scarce water regimes makes this one of the most resistant crops to adverse edaphoclimatic conditions. It is certainly a very important culture in southern European countries like Portugal.Cultivar-Rede de competências para o desenvolvimento sustentável e inovação no setor Agroalimentar (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nutritional and physicochemical analysis of quince from Cova da Beira region: similarities, differences and particularities

Quince, a fruit from the autumn season of the quince tree (Cydonia oblonga Miller), has a considerable nutritional value (e.g., pectin, vitamins C and B complex, minerals or chlorogenic acids). On the other hand, this fruit is characterized by having a hard, rough-looking pulp with a bitter and astringent taste. Since quince is not consumed raw, is mainly used in the production of jams and marmalades. Despite being easy to grow and weather resistant, its production is often neglected and undervalued. Thus, the study objective was to value quinces from the Cova da Beira region by the physicochemical and nutritional characterization, substantiating by how different production years and localization affect quince varieties properties.CULTIVAR (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000020)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of controlled atmospheres and environmental conditions on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of sweet cherry cultivar Satin

Sweet cherry is a highly appreciated seasonal fruit with a high content of bioactive compounds; however, this highly perishable fruit has a relatively short shelf-life period. Here, we evaluated the evolution of the physicochemical and sensory qualities of sweet cherries (Prunus avium (L.) cv. Satin) under different storage conditions, namely at a Farmers’ Organization (FO) and in a Research Centre (RC) under normal and four different conditions of controlled atmosphere for 49 days. Additional parameters were monitored, such as rotten fruit incidence and stem appearance. Temperature was the factor that most influenced the fruit quality changes over the study time. In fact, fruits stored at higher mean temperatures showed higher weight loss, higher variation in CIE-Lab colour parameters, higher firmness loss, and browner and more dehydrated stems and were less appealing to the consumer. Controlled atmosphere conditions showed a smaller decrease in CIE-Lab colour parameters and lower weight loss. The incidence of rotting was very low and was always equal or lower than 2% for all conditions. Thus, RC chamber conditions were able to sustain fruit quality parameters over 28 days under normal atmosphere conditions and 49 days under controlled atmosphere conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Orange snacks as a solution for orange surplus in Portugal

In the summer of 2022, Portugal experienced a downfall of the price of oranges, mainly due to pressure of the agricultural commodity market and the change in trade dynamics in Europe due to the war in Ukraine. One way to add value to a product is to transform it into something new.CULTIVAR (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000020) e FUSILIinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Crispy orange: a multi-purpose ready-to-eat snack

Póster premiado no evento IMTFWith the war in Ukraine reshaping world trade, there is now a surplus of orange production in Europe, affecting the price in Portugal. Algarve is no exception, where producers are offering the fruit for lack of buyers. An innovative solution is on the agenda: transforming this Mediterranean diet fruit into a crispy ready-to-eat snack. The crispy orange snack is made exclusively from dehydrated oranges (and no other ingredients) and is not yet available in the market. Not only can this product be made from surplus orange production, but it can also be used in a variety of ways, including as a crunchy, ready-to-eat snack, as an edible cake topper, or even as an ingredient in beverages such as sparkling and tonic water, or gin. Following development, the product was fully characterized regarding nutritional value, water activity (aw), microbiology and sensory analysis with 66 consumers. Interestingly, unlike other orange products such as 100% orange juice, the crispy orange snack has a high fibre content (10% of the recommended daily dose). This is a major point as fibre is essential for regulating blood sugar levels. Furthermore, 95.5% of consumers who tested the product would buy it if it were available.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Post-harvest conservation of chestnut (cv. Martaínha), comparison of two controlled atmospheres during 60 days

According to Instituto Nacional de Estatística, during 2021, Portugal produced 38 thousand tons of chestnuts. The northern region of mainland Portugal is the largest concentration of chestnut trees is found and accounts for about 88% of the volume of national production. Portugal is the seventh-largest producer of chestnuts globally, although this value only represents approximately 2% of world production1. The quality parameters of chestnut are defined by colour, flavour and texture; however, this optimal status is only maintained for a short period of time. Chestnuts have a high moisture value that is quickly lost during conservation compared to other nuts. The significant factors in post-harvest depreciation are moulding or rotting caused by larval development of insects on the tree and later by fungi. Infections often start in the larval galleries of insec ts by the contact of the fruits with the ground before picking.Projeto CULTIVAR (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000020)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio