This review examines the parameters of enzymatic browning in apple and apple products that is, phenolic compounds, polyphenoloxidases, and other factors (ascorbic acid and peroxidases), both qualitatively and quantitatively. Then the relationships between intensity of browning and the browning parameters are discussed, including a paragraph on the methods used for browning evaluation. Finally, the different methods for the control of browning are presented.

A rosemary extract commercially exploited (Oxy'less) as an antioxidant of lipids in foods was dissolved in ethanol (100 mg/ml), and the solution was tested against foodborne microorganisms. For gram-positive bacteria, the MIC of the ethanolic solution was 1% for Leuconostoc mesenteroides, 0.5% for Listeria monocytogenes, 0.5% for Staphylococcus aureus, 0.13% for Streptococcus mutans, and 0.06% for Bacillus cereus. It slowed the growth of Penicillium roquefortii and Botrytis cinerea. Up to 1% of the ethanolic solution had no activity on the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Erwinia carotovora and on the yeasts Rhodotorula glutinis and Cryptococcus laurentii. Antibacterial activity of the rosemary extract was strongly influenced by the composition of the media. The MIC was reduced by low pH, high NaCl contents, and low temperatures. Low pH and high NaCl concentration had a synergistic effect on the MIC of the rosemary extract for S. aureus. Lipids, surface-active agents, and some proteins decreased its antibacterial activity, whereas pectin had no effect. The inhibitory effect was little modified by heat treatment (100 degrees C). The natural microflora of pasteurized zucchini broth was inhibited by 0.5% of the rosemary extract. The antibacterial activity was linked to the compounds extracted with hexane, which are presumably phenolic diterpenoids.

BackgroundThere is increasing evidence of the multiple effects of diets on public health nutrition, society, and environment. Sustainability and food security are closely interrelated. The traditional Mediterranean Diet (MD) is recognized as a healthier dietary pattern with a lower environmental impact. As a case study, the MD may guide innovative inter-sectorial efforts to counteract the degradation of ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and homogeneity of diets due to globalization through the improvement of sustainable healthy dietary patterns. This consensus position paper defines a suite of the most appropriate nutrition and health indicators for assessing the sustainability of diets based on the MD.MethodsIn 2011, an informal International Working Group from different national and international institutions was convened. Through online and face-to-face brainstorming meetings over 4 years, a set of nutrition and health indicators for sustainability was identified and refined.ResultsThirteen nutrition indicators of sustainability relating were identified in five areas. Biochemical characteristics of food (A1. Vegetable/animal protein consumption ratios; A2. Average dietary energy adequacy; A3. Dietary Energy Density Score; A4. Nutrient density of diet), Food Quality (A5. Fruit and vegetable consumption/intakes; A6. Dietary Diversity Score), Environment (A7. Food biodiversity composition and consumption; A8. Rate of Local/regional foods and seasonality; A9. Rate of eco-friendly food production and/or consumption), Lifestyle (A10. Physical activity/physical inactivity prevalence; A11. Adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern), Clinical Aspects (A12. Diet-related morbidity/mortality statistics; A13. Nutritional Anthropometry). A standardized set of information was provided for each indicator: definition, methodology, background, data sources, limitations of the indicator, and references.ConclusionThe selection and analysis of these indicators has been performed (where possible) with specific reference to the MD. Sustainability of food systems is an urgent priority for governments and international organizations to address the serious socioeconomic and environmental implications of short-sighted and short-term practices for agricultural land and rural communities. These proposed nutrition indicators will be a useful methodological framework for designing health, education, and agricultural policies in order, not only to conserve the traditional diets of the Mediterranean area as a common cultural heritage and lifestyle but also to enhance the sustainability of diets in general.

Consumption of carotenoids from different vegetable sources does not diminish plasma carotenoid concentrations in the medium term, despite the finding in postprandial testing of competitive inhibitory interactions among different carotenoids.