Recent progress and future perspectives on non-thermal apple juice processing techniques

Abstract Fresh apple juice is one of the most popular and consumed juice, owing to its pleasant taste, natural flavour and nutritional richness. Regular consumption of apple juice is associated with reducing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular related diseases, asthma and diabetes. However,  the shelf life of apple juice is limited by detrimental effect of enzymes. Due to the demand of wholesome nutritious product, there arises a need for adoption of novel non-thermal techniques as they help to retain the nutritional content and at the same time aid in improving the shelf life as compared to the thermal treatment. High pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric field (PEF), ultrasound, pulsed light, UV, high-pressure homogenization (HPH) and hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) are all examples of novel procedures tested and tried for the better retention of nutritional and phytochemical composition in apple juice. This study aimed to find the influence of these mechanisms on the quality and composition of apple juice. Apple juice processing has been successfully examined using non-thermal techniques. These exhibited promising results in terms of minimising physical, chemical, enzymatic and microbial deterioration of the apple juice while still retaining a high percentage of nutritious components. Though all the non-thermal process require a hurdle approach for inactivation of enzymes, HC can be a better alternative in terms of operating costs and ease in handling the bulk volumes of juice. Graphical Abstrac

Recent advances in utilization of flaxseed as potential source for value addition

Flax seed (Linum usitatissimum) is an important oilseed crop which has gained importance since last few decades due to its unique nutrient profile. Flax seed comprises high amount of fiber and is a significant source of α-linolenic acid in the diet of vegetarian people. It is evident from several studies conducted that flaxseed carries functional ingredients and provide health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acid, lignan and dietary fiber are major bioactive components of flaxseed which can be delivered through value added products. Flax seed has been successfully exploited in preparation of various value added products. Commercially, all parts of flaxseed plant are exploited directly or after processing. Flaxseed consumption in the diet prevents serious diseases like coronary diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal, renal and bone disorders. To the best of our knowledge, very limited review reports are available for commercial utilization of flaxseed in preparation of various value added products (bakery, dairy, extruded, snack, fermented and other traditional) and effect of flaxseed fortification on nutritional, physicochemical, phytochemical and sensory properties of these products. In future, this data could be useful for different food processing industries

Recent advances in utilization of flaxseed as potential source for value addition

Flax seed (Linum usitatissimum) is an important oilseed crop which has gained importance since last few decades due to its unique nutrient profile. Flax seed comprises high amount of fiber and is a significant source of α-linolenic acid in the diet of vegetarian people. It is evident from several studies conducted that flaxseed carries functional ingredients and provide health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acid, lignan and dietary fiber are major bioactive components of flaxseed which can be delivered through value added products. Flax seed has been successfully exploited in preparation of various value added products. Commercially, all parts of flaxseed plant are exploited directly or after processing. Flaxseed consumption in the diet prevents serious diseases like coronary diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal, renal and bone disorders. To the best of our knowledge, very limited review reports are available for commercial utilization of flaxseed in preparation of various value added products (bakery, dairy, extruded, snack, fermented and other traditional) and effect of flaxseed fortification on nutritional, physicochemical, phytochemical and sensory properties of these products. In future, this data could be useful for different food processing industries

Ultrasonic treatment: A cohort review on bioactive compounds, allergens and physico-chemical properties of food

Implementation of ultrasonic for the extraction of bioactive compounds and retention of physico-chemical properties is an important technology. This technology applies physical and chemical phenomena for the extraction of compounds. Ultrasonic assisted extraction causes less damaging effect on quality properties of food as compared to the conventional extraction technique. The present review article focuses on the degradation of various bioactive compounds as a result of ultra-sonication which include vitamins, carotenoids and phenolic compounds. This review article also discusses the influence of ultrasonic extraction on the physico-chemical properties of extracted food products. In addition, the paper explores the effect of ultrasonication on food allergenicity through changes in solubility, hydrophobicity, molecular weight as well as conformational changes of the allergens, a direct result of increase in temperature and pressure during cavitation proces

Use of microalgal biomass as functional ingredient for preparation of cereal based extrudates: impact of processing on amino acid concentrations and colour degradation kinetics

Suitability of developing Spirulina incorporated cereal based low cost nutritious extrudates was analysed against extrusion processing parameters. Most significant extrusion processing parameters considered for present study were feed moisture (20-25%), die temperature (100-120 °C) and screw speed (50-100 rpm). Different extrusion conditions were used to obtain most acceptable rice: Spirulina blend extrudates. In present study before extrusion processing different additives (citric acid and sodium bicarbonate) were added in rice: Spirulina blend and checked its effect on colour degradation kinetics at varied packaging and storage conditions. Higher screw speed (100 rpm) indicating less residence time of feed material inside the barrel resulted in higher colour retention of rice: Spirulina (97:03) blend extrudates. Kinetics for rice: Spirulina (97:03) blend extrudates indicates faster rate of colour degradation in terms of lightness (half-life of 4 days) when packed in metalized polyethylene at 50°C with 65% relative humidity. Increased concentration of Spirulina (1-3%) in raw formulations resulted in increase in concentration of all amino acids. Impact of extrusion processing has shown non-significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on amino acid concentrations of rice: Spirulina blend extrudates. Also, all the spirulina added samples showed good consumer acceptability with the score of 6.7

Trends in approaches to assist freeze-drying of food: A cohort study on innovations

Freeze drying has been a very successful technology in the food and pharma industries, particularly owing to the benefits it offers in terms of product quality. It is most recommended for high-value foods and those that contain heat-sensitive ingredients. Over the years, to meet industry requirements, several variants of the freeze-drying technology have been developed, even to meet specific drying applications. The process of freeze-drying is highly energy-intensive and time-consuming. Nevertheless, innovative techniques are available with the potential to produce products at reduced drying times and lower cost, while being environment-friendly and maintaining freeze-dried quality. This review summarizes advances in the application of infrared, microwave, ultrasound, pulsed electric field, and other techniques as pretreatments and/or to assist conventional freeze-drying processes. Freeze drying combined with other techniques can provide more benefits in terms of energy, time, and cost savings. In this review, comparative studies have been presented to describe these aspects. Such techniques to assist the freeze-drying process can be linked well with sustainable food processing strategies, particularly considering a significant reduction in energy requirements