The cold chain is responsible for the preservation and transportation of perishable foods in the proper temperature range to slow biological decay processes and deliver safe and high-quality foods to consumers. Studies show that the efficiency of the cold chain is often less than ideal, as temperature abuses above or below the optimal productspecific temperature range occur frequently, a situation that significantly increases food waste and endangers food safety. In this work, field studies on time-temperature conditions at each critical stage of the cold chain are reviewed to assess the current state of commercial cold chains. Precooling, ground operations during transportation, storage during display at retail and in domestic refrigerators, and commercial handling practices are identified and discussed as the major weaknesses in the modern cold chain. The improvement in efficiency achieved through the measurement, analysis, and management of time-temperature conditions is reviewed, along with the accompanying technical and practical challenges delaying the implementation of such methods. A combination of prospective experimental and modeling research on precooling uniformity, responsive food inventory management systems, and cold chains in developing countries is proposed for the improvement of the cold chain at the global scale.

Pasta products enriched with ingredients to improve their nutritional value or functionality have become increasingly popular, and substantial research efforts have been directed towards the development of new enriched pasta products. In this work, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the impact of enrichment and process specifications on the quality attributes of pasta. A literature search revealed 66 studies on enriched pasta. Process specifications and quality attributes, namely proximate composition, dough, drying, cooking, and mechanical properties, color, and sensory attributes, were extracted from the studies and compiled in a data set. Analysis of the data set revealed significant differences between pasta enriched with high-fiber ingredients and pasta enriched with pulse flour. High-fiber ingredients generally preserved the quality attributes of pasta more effectively than pulse flour. Comparisons based on the drying temperature showed that high drying temperatures generally improve the cooking properties of enriched pasta. Sensory evaluations indicated that enrichment levels below 10% generally do not affect consumer acceptance, but higher enrichment levels significantly decrease it. Pearson correlation coefficients showed that the gelatinization temperature and Farinograph properties are useful indicators of the mechanical properties and sensory attributes of pasta. The meta-analysis revealed the need to better understand the impact of the processing history of the enrichment ingredient on the quality attributes and the health benefits of enriched pasta.

Highlights 222 millions of tons are annually wasted in developed countries. Increasing pressure is being placed on shrinking finite resources produce our food. The European commission has recently committed to decrease food waste 50% by 2025, as well as the US who have adopted a national waste reduction goal by the year 2030. We must adopt a fully coordinated global effort to achieve sustainable food security. Technology has a significant role to play in global food security.

No abstract

The properties of cereals products, bread, pasta, muffins, cookies, cakes, and bars, enriched with flaxseed, were reviewed to highlight suitable processing conditions for the production of high-quality flaxseed-enriched products with the desired health attributes. The review highlights the contrasting effect of flaxseed enrichment on the mechanical and physical properties of cereal products according to product type, flaxseed enrichment level, and processing history. Flaxseed lipids remain stable for most processing and storage conditions, presumably due to the significant antioxidant properties of lignans, but information is lacking on the impact of home-handling, such as bread toasting, on lipid oxidation. Cereal products enriched with flaxseed generally exhibit similar or improved shelf life compared to equivalent products with no flaxseed enrichment, suggesting that flaxseed may limit starch retrogradation, maintain moisture content, and delay microbial growth. Sensory analysis shows lower organoleptic properties of most cereal products containing flaxseed, but similar consumer acceptance for cereal products without and with flaxseed enrichment up to 15% is reported in the literature. This review indicates the need to better understand the impact of flaxseed enrichment on product microstructure and to conduct an extensive assessment of the health effects of flaxseed-enriched products, since very few studies have focused on the quantification of the bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and activity of flaxseed bioactive compounds for a variety of processing conditions and product formulation.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract