Data used in the article 'Optimisation of the physicochemical stability of extra virgin olive oil-in-water nanoemulsion: processing parameters and stabiliser type'

This dataset contains data obtained from experimental work on the characterisation of the interfacial properties of emulsifiers (Tween 20 and soy lecithin), the influence of homogenisation processing conditions (pressure and number of cycles) on physicochemical properties and stability of emulsions. The data was obtained using a high-speed homogenizer, a high-pressure homogenizer, a pendant drop analyser (interfacial tension), a spectrophotometer, a rheometer (viscoelastic behaviour) and a dynamic light scattering (DLS) instrument (mean droplet diameter and polydispersity index)

Advancing food preservation: sustainable Green-AgNPs bionanocomposites in paper-starch flexible packaging for prolonged shelf life

In the pursuit of enhancing food packaging, nanotechnology, particularly green silver nanoparticles (G-AgNPs), have gained prominence for its remarkable antimicrobial properties with high poten-tial for food shelf-life extension. Our study aims to develop corn starch-based coating materials reinforced with G-AgNPs. The mechanical properties were examined using a uniaxial tensile tester, revealing that starch coated with the highest G-AgNPs concentration (12.75 ppm) exhibited UTS of 87.6 MPa compared to 48.48 MPa of control paper, a significant (p < 0.02) 65% increase. The assessment of the WVP showcased a statistical reduction in permeability by up to 8% with the incorporation of the hydrophobic layer. Furthermore, antibacterial properties were assessed fol-lowing ISO 22196:2011, demonstrating a strong and concentration-dependent activity of G-AgNPs against E. coli. All samples successfully disintegrated in both simulated environments (soil and seawater), including samples presenting G-AgNPs. In the food trial analysis, the presence of starch and G-AgNPs significantly reduced weight loss after 6 days, with cherry tomatoes decreasing by 8.59% and green grapes by 6.77% only. The results of this study contribute to the advancement of environmentally friendly packaging materials, aligning with the UN sustainable development goals of reducing food waste and promoting sustainability

Silver bionanocomposites as active food packaging: recent advances & future trends tackling the food waste crisis

Food waste is a pressing global challenge leading to over $1 trillion lost annually and contributing up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Extensive study has been directed toward the use of active biodegradable packaging materials to improve food quality, minimize plastic use, and en-courage sustainable packaging technology development. However, this has been achieved with limited success, which can mainly be attributed to poor material properties and high production costs. In the recent literature, the integration of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has shown to improve the properties of biopolymer, prompting the development of bionanocomposites. Furthermore, the antibacterial properties of AgNPs against foodborne pathogens leads towards food shelf-life im-provement and provides a route towards reducing food waste. However, few reviews have ana-lyzed AgNPs holistically throughout a portfolio of biopolymers from an industrial perspective. Hence, this review critically analyses the antibacterial, barrier, mechanical, thermal, and water resistance properties of AgNP-based bionanocomposites. These advanced materials are also discussed in terms of food packaging applications and assessed in terms of their performance in enhancing food shelf-life. Finally, the current barriers towards the commercialization of AgNP bionanocomposites are critically discussed to provide an industrial action plan towards the development of sustainable packaging materials to reduce food waste

Dehydration of potato slices following brief dipping in osmotic solutions: effect of conditions and understanding the mechanism of water loss

A novel variant of osmotic dehydration, named here as post-dipping dehydration – where a material is dipped in a salt or sugar solution for a very short time followed by simple exposure to ambient conditions was explored with the aim of lowering water content of potato slices but at the same time not gain a high level of sugar/salt. The rate of water loss, which was rapid initially, was found to approach equilibrium. This paper also explored whether the water loss process could subsequently be kick started once again, by employing a multi-stage process, where each stage consisted of osmotic solution dipping followed by ambient holding of the potato slices that had reached equilibrium in the earlier stage. Water loss values comparable to conventional osmotic dehydration could be achieved thus, but with significantly lower overall solid gain (less than 50%) – which can potentially yield a significantly healthy product option

The potential to intensify sulforaphane formation in cooked broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) using mustard seeds (Sinapis alba)

Sulforaphane, a naturally occurring cancer chemopreventive, is the hydrolysis product of glucoraphanin, the main glucosinolate in broccoli. The hydrolysis requires myrosinase isoenzyme to be present in sufficient activity; however processing leads to its denaturation and hence reduced hydrolysis. In this study, the effect of adding mustard seeds, which has a more resilient isoform of myrosinase, to processed broccoli was investigated with a view to intensify the formation of sulforaphane. Thermal inactivation of myrosinase from both broccoli and mustard seeds was studied. Thermal degradation of broccoli glucoraphanin was investigated in addition to the effects of thermal processing on the formation of sulforaphane and sulforaphane nitrile. Limited thermal degradation of glucoraphanin (less than 12 %) was observed when broccoli was placed in vacuum sealed bag (sous vide) and cooked in a water bath at 100 ºC for 8 and 12 min. Boiling broccoli in water prevented the formation of any significant levels of sulforaphane due to inactivated myrosinase. However, addition of powdered mustard seeds to the heat processed broccoli significantly increased the formation of sulforaphane

Enhancing consumer liking of low salt tomato soup over repeated exposure by herb and spice seasonings

There is strong evidence for the link between high dietary sodium and increased risk of cardiovascular disease which drives the need to reduce salt content in foods. In this study, herb and spice blends were used to enhance consumer acceptability of a low salt tomato soup (0.26% w/w). Subjects (n=148) scored their liking of tomato soup samples over five consecutive days. The first and last days were pre-and post-exposure visits where all participants rated three tomato soup samples; standard, low salt and low salt with added herbs and spices. The middle 3 days were the repeated exposure phase where participants were divided into three balanced groups; consuming the standard soup, the low salt soup, or the low salt soup with added herbs and spices. Reducing salt in the tomato soup led to a significant decline in consumer acceptability, and incorporating herbs and spices did not lead to an immediate enhancement in liking. However, inclusion of herbs and spices enhanced the perception of the salty taste of the low salt soup to the same level as the standard. Repeated exposure to the herbs and spice-modified soup led to a significant increase in the overall liking and liking of flavour, texture and aftertaste of the soup, whereas no changes in liking were observed for the standard and low salt tomato soups over repeated exposure. Moreover, a positive trend in increasing the post-exposure liking of the herbs and spices soup was observed. The findings suggest that the use of herbs and spices is a useful approach to reduce salt content in foods; however, herbs and spices should be chosen carefully to complement the food as large contrasts in flavour can polarise consumer liking

Consumer acceptability and sensory profile of cooked broccoli with mustard seeds added to improve chemoprotective properties

Broccoli, a rich source of glucosinolates, is a commonly consumed vegetable of the Brassica family. Hydrolysis products of glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, have been associated with health benefits and contribute to the flavour of Brassica. However, boiling broccoli causes the myrosinase enzyme needed for hydrolysis to denature. In order to ensure hydrolysis, broccoli must either be mildly cooked or active sources of myrosinase, such as mustard seed powder, can be added post-cooking. In this study, samples of broccoli were prepared in six different ways; standard boiling with and without mustard seeds, sous-vide cooking at low temperature (70 °C) and sous-vide cooking at higher temperature (100 ºC) without mustard and with mustard at two different concentrations. The majority of consumers disliked the mildly cooked broccoli samples (70 ºC, 12 min, sous-vide) which had a hard and stringy texture. The highest mean consumer liking was for standard boiled samples (100 ºC, 7 min). Addition of 1% mustard seed powder developed sensory attributes such as pungency, burning sensation, mustard odour and flavour. One cluster of consumers (32%) found mustard seeds to be a good complement to cooked broccoli, however, the majority disliked the mustard-derived sensory attributes. Where the mustard seeds were partially processed, doubling the addition to 2% led to only the same level of mustard flavour and pungency as 1% unprocessed seeds, and mean consumer liking remained unaltered. This suggests that optimisation of the addition level of partially processed mustard seeds may be a route to enhance bioactivity of cooked broccoli without compromising consumer acceptability

Optimisation of the physicochemical stability of extra virgin olive oil-in-water nanoemulsion: processing parameters and stabiliser type

Extra virgin olive oil in water nanoemulsions stabilised with synthetic or clean label surfactants (Tween 20 or soy lecithin) were prepared using high-pressure homogenisation (HPH). The effect of HPH pressure and the number of cycles were assessed through response surface methodology to optimise homogenisation processing parameter. Mean droplet diameter (MDD), polydispersity index (PDI), thermal stability and oxidation stability of the resulting emulsions were evaluated. The results showed that the formation and stability of nanoemulsions can be affected by the homogenisation processing parameters (pressure and cycles) and the properties of surfactants (interfacial tension, viscoelasticity and molecule structure). Although MDD and PDI of Tween 20 stabilised nanoemulsions were influenced by homogenisation pressure and cycles, there was not a significant effect on lecithin stabilised nanoemulsions. A homogenisation pressure of at least 400 bars produced Tween 20 stabilised nanoemulsion (MDD < 200 nm) whereas lecithin stabilized nanoemulsion were obtained after high-speed homogenisation without using HPH. HPH at 400 bars for 1 cycle produced nanoemulsions with greater physical stability when using either Tween 20 or lecithin. Tween 20 stabilised nanoemulsion showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) thermal stability and lipid oxidative stability than lecithin stabilized nanoemulsion. Following an optimisation study using regression modelling, the optimal homogenisation parameter for MDD of Tween 20 stabilised emulsion was found at pressure of 764 bars with 1 cycle, while lecithin stabilised emulsion was found at pressure of 3 bars with 2 cycles. Overall, this study has important implications for optimizing nanoemulsion production for potential application in the food industry