Fortification of queso fresco, cheddar and mozzarella cheese using selected sources of omega-3 and some nonthermal approaches

Strategies to Assess the Impact of Sustainable Functional Food Ingredients on Gut Microbiota

Nowadays, it is evident that food ingredients have different roles and distinct health benefits to the consumer. Over the past years, the interest in functional foods, especially those targeting gut health, has grown significantly. The use of industrial byproducts as a source of new functional and sustainable ingredients as a response to such demands has raised interest. However, the properties of these ingredients can be affected once incorporated into different food matrices. Therefore, when searching for the least costly and most suitable, beneficial, and sustainable formulations, it is necessary to understand how such ingredients perform when supplemented in different food matrices and how they impact the host's health. As proposed in this manuscript, the ingredients' properties can be first evaluated using in vitro gastrointestinal tract (GIT) simulation models prior to validation through human clinical trials. In vitro models are powerful tools that mimic the physicochemical and physiological conditions of the GIT, enabling prediction of the potentials of functional ingredients per se and when incorporated into a food matrix. Understanding how newly developed ingredients from undervalued agro-industrial sources behave as supplements supports the development of new and more sustainable functional foods while scientifically backing up health-benefits claims.

Docosahexaenoic Acid Delivery Systems, Bioavailability, Functionality, and Applications: A Review

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), mainly found in microalgae and fish oil, is crucial for the growth and development of visual, neurological, and brain. In addition, DHA has been found to improve metabolic disorders associated with obesity and has anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and anti-adipogenesis effects. However, DHA applications in food are often limited due to its low water solubility, instability, and poor bioavailability. Therefore, delivery systems have been developed to enhance the remainder of DHA activity and increase DHA homeostasis and bioavailability. This review focused on the different DHA delivery systems and the in vitro and in vivo digestive characteristics. The research progress on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, visual, neurological/brain, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, food applications, future trends, and the development potential of DHA delivery systems were also reviewed. DHA delivery systems could overcome the instability of DHA in gastrointestinal digestion, improve the bioavailability of DHA, and better play the role of its functionality.

Cheese fortification through the incorporation of UFA-rich sources: A review of recent (2010-2020) evidence

Cheese is a widely consumed dairy product with high saturated fatty acids (SFA) content, and with other high nutritional quality components. Due to the link of SFA and different diseases, many studies have replaced the cheese fat content with unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) rich sources to improve its nutritional quality. The fat replacement has physicochemical, textural, and sensory effects on dairy matrix. To the food science is mandatory to know which technological strategies of milk processing improve the quality of the end products. The most relevant results reveal that fish oil (FO) and flaxseed oil (FSO) have been the most researched UFA-rich sources, microencapsulation has been the most studied incorporation technology because it allows the oil entrapment with minimal effects on the cheese quality, and non-thermal technologies allow greater UFA fortification in cheese, improving its nutritional quality. Finally, the development of fortified cheeses with UFA-rich sources has been found as an innovative strategy to obtain high quality products with functional potential.

A Cluster Project Approach to Develop New Functional Dairy Products from Sheep and Goat Milk

The growing scientific interest in the role of food in promoting human health and wellbeing has profoundly influenced consumers’ perceptions and attitudes towards nutrition, leading to the advent of a new class of foods, called functional foods, which are currently one of the fastest growing food-producing sectors, particularly in the dairy industry. The cluster project “Diversification in sheep & goat Sardinian dairy production” was built and carried out, based on requests from ten Sardinian dairy companies, to plan and implement experimental protocols directed to develop new production processes, according to the latest health and nutritional guidelines. Consequently, the following different interconnected research lines were developed: lactose-free dairy products; low-fat dairy products; dairy products enriched with added functional ingredients. The studied processes were based on the modification of cheese milk or whey, through the elimination of or reduction in one or more components with negative health effects or by adding functional ingredients. Therefore, a total of six different dairy products were developed: two from sheep milk and whey and four from goat milk. The technological processes adopted were typically those of Ricotta, fresh and soft cheeses. Contextually, their adaptability to the industrial equipment available in the cluster dairy companies was verified, and most of them were successfully transferred. These novel dairy products meet the current market demand, which shows a greater interest in fresh and short-ripened dairy products, with a low energy intake and high nutritional value. Moreover, can represent an example of the diversification in the sheep and goat dairy sector.

Improving the lipid profile of ready-to-cook meat products by addition of omega-3 microcapsules: effect on oxidation and sensory analysis

BACKGROUND

The omega-3 enrichment of ready-to-cook meat products by microencapsulated fish oil (MFO) addition was analyzed. Accordingly, three batches of chicken nuggets were prepared: (i) control (C); (ii) enriched in bulk fish oil (BFO); and (iii) with added MFO. Sensory features, acceptability, oxidative stability and volatile compounds were analyzed.

RESULTS

MFO nuggets did not differ from C ones with respect to any sensory trait. BFO showed increased juiciness and saltiness but decreased meat flavor. Acceptability was not affected by enrichment. Consumers were not able to differentiate between C and MFO in a triangle test, although they could clearly identify BFO nuggets. Higher levels of lipid and protein oxidation indicators and of volatile compounds from fatty acid oxidation were found in BFO nuggets compared to C and MFO nuggets.

CONCLUSION

Enrichment of ready-to-cook meat products in omega-3 fatty acids with MFO provides both lipid and protein oxidative protection without changes in sensory quality. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Optimization of physicochemical and textural properties of pizza cheese fortified with soybean oil and carrot extract

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize pizza cheese containing carrot extract. The effects of two important independent variables including soybean oil (5%–20%) and carrot extract (5%–20%) were studied on physicochemical and textural properties of pizza cheese containing carrot extract. According to the results, RSM was successfully used for optimizing formulation of pizza cheese containing carrot juice. Results of this study revealed that oil (A), carrot (B), AB, square term of carrot (B²), B, AB, square term of oil (A²), B², AB, AB, A²B, A², A², A, A², A², AB, and AB² had the most effect on moisture, acidity, stretch, L*, a*, b*, hardness, meltability, springiness, peroxide value (PV), cohesiveness, chewiness, gumminess, fracture force, adhesiveness force, stiffness, flavor, and overall acceptability, respectively. A formulation upon 20% oil and 10.88% carrot extract was found as the optimal formulation for pizza cheese containing carrot extract. At the optimal formulation, PV, L*, a*, b*, meltability, stretch, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness, adhesive force, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability at the optimum formulation were measured 2.23, 82.51, −3.69, 18.05, 17.86, 85.61, 0.41, 7.874, 23.7, 0.27, 0.61, 3.50, 3.95, and 3.65, respectively.

Physicochemical, Microbial, and Sensory Properties of Queso Blanco Cheese Supplemented with Powdered Microcapsules of Tomato Extracts

The present study examined the physical, chemical, microbial, and sensory characteristics of Queso Blanco cheese supplemented with powdered microcapsules containing tomato extracts (0.5-2.0%) during storage at 7°C for 60 d. The lactic acid bacterial count and lycopene concentrations in Queso Blanco cheese supplemented with powdered microcapsules were significantly higher than those of the control. In a texture analysis, the gumminess, chewiness, and hardness values for Queso Blanco cheese were significantly higher with increasing concentrations of the powdered microcapsules containing tomato extracts. Total short-chain fatty acids in Queso Blanco cheese supplemented with powdered microcapsules containing tomato extracts were not significantly altered compared to the control. Sensory evaluation scores for the yellowness, tomato taste, and firmness of Queso Blanco cheese were significantly higher after supplementation with powdered microcapsules containing tomato extracts.

Functional properties of ultrasonically generated flaxseed oil-dairy emulsions

This study reports on the functional properties of 7% flaxseed oil/milk emulsion obtained by sonication (OM) using 20 kHz ultrasound (US) at 176 W for 1-8 min in two different delivery formulae, viz., ready-to-drink (RTD) and lactic acid gel. The RTD emulsions showed no change in viscosity after sonication for up to 8 min followed by storage up to a minimum of 9 days at 4±2 °C. Similarly, the oxidative stability of the RTD emulsion was studied by measuring the conjugated diene hydroperoxides (CD). The CD was unaffected after 8 min of ultrasonic processing. The safety aspect of US processing was evaluated by measuring the formation of CD at different power levels. The functional properties of OM gels were evaluated by small and large scale deformation studies. The sonication process improved the gelation characteristics, viz., decreased gelation time, increased elastic nature, decreased syneresis and increased gel strength. The presence of finer sono-emulsified oil globules, stabilized by partially denatured whey proteins, contributed to the improvements in the gel structure in comparison to sonicated and unsonicated pasteurized homogenized skim milk (PHSM) gels. A sono-emulsification process of 5 min followed by gelation for about 11 min can produce gels of highest textural attibutes.

Flax and flaxseed oil: an ancient medicine & modern functional food

Flaxseed is emerging as an important functional food ingredient because of its rich contents of α-linolenic acid (ALA, omega-3 fatty acid), lignans, and fiber. Flaxseed oil, fibers and flax lignans have potential health benefits such as in reduction of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, autoimmune and neurological disorders. Flax protein helps in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and in supporting the immune system. As a functional food ingredient, flax or flaxseed oil has been incorporated into baked foods, juices, milk and dairy products, muffins, dry pasta products, macaroni and meat products. The present review focuses on the evidences of the potential health benefits of flaxseed through human and animals' recent studies and commercial use in various food products.