Non-thermal treatment for the stabilisation of liquid food using a tubular cellulose filter from corn stalks

A critical review for advances on industrialization of immobilized cell Bioreactors: Economic evaluation on cellulose hydrolysis for PHB production

Advances such as cell-on-cell immobilization, multi-stage fixed bed tower (MFBT) bioreactor, promotional effect on fermentation, extremely low temperature fermentation, freeze dried immobilized cells in two-layer fermentation, non-engineered cell factories, and those of recent papers are demonstrated. Studies for possible industrialization of ICB, considering production capacity, low temperatures fermentations, added value products and bulk chemical production are studied. Immobilized cell bioreactors (ICB) using cellulose nano-biotechnology and engineered cells are reported. The development of a novel ICB with recent advances on high added value products and conceptual research areas for industrialization of ICB is proposed. The isolation of engineered flocculant cells leads to a single tank ICB. The concept of cell factories without GMO is a new research area. The conceptual development of multi-stage fixed bed tower membrane (MFBTM) ICB is discussed. Finally, feasible process design and technoeconomic analysis of cellulose hydrolysis using ICB are studied for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production.

Tubular Cellulose from Orange Juice By-Products as Carrier of Chemical Preservatives; Delivery Kinetics and Microbial Stability of Orange Juice

The quality and safety of juices are assured mainly through heat treatments and chemical preservatives. However, there is a growing trend in the food industry for lowering energy and water demands, and the chemicals and additives that may have negative effects οn human health. Following that trend, in the present study, the reduced use of chemical preservatives in orange juice is proposed by using encapsulated sodium benzoate (SB) in tubular cellulose (TC), derived from orange pulp. The effects of SB concentration and contact time on SB encapsulation were evaluated. The use of the wet impregnation method, 12% w/v SB solution and 2 h of contact proved to be ideal for application in the juice industry. The use of starch gel resulted in a more stable composite (TC/SB-SG) with a slower SB delivery, showing its potential for future controlled delivery applications. Furthermore, similar delivery rates of SB in juice were noted at 25 and 2 °C. The TC/SB-SG proved capable of inhibiting the growth and reducing the numbers of spoilage microorganisms (yeasts and lactic acid bacteria). The results of the present study are promising for potential applications; however, more research is needed in order to evaluate the controlled delivery of SB in juice.

Effect of Immobilization Support and Fermentation Temperature on Beer and Fermented Milk Aroma Profiles

The food industry increasingly produces wastes like coconut and peanut shells. In addition, low temperature fermentation is always a challenge. Therefore, in the present study, a sustainable exploitation of these by-products is proposed through the production of carriers for immobilized cells of yeast and bacteria. The immobilized cells, after thermally drying, were evaluated for their efficiency in beer and milk fermentations respectively, in various fermentation temperatures and storage for up to three months. The beers and fermented milks were evaluated for their aroma and the results showed products of high quality. Coconut shells resulted in better products with increased fruity ester content in fermented milks and reduced dimethyl sulfite and vicinal diketones and increased ratio of esters to alcohol in beers. These results reveal the possibilities of immobilized cells in coconut and peanut shells for application in food industry, however, more research is needed to evaluate their effect on sensory characteristics and possible prebiotic and probiotic potential especially in the case of fermented milks.

Driving Mechanism of Farmers’ Utilization Behaviors of Straw Resources—An Empirical Study in Jilin Province, the Main Grain Producing Region in the Northeast Part of China

In recent years, the unsustainable behaviors of straw utilization have led to waste straw being one of the sources of agricultural non-point source pollution. Studying the resource utilization of crop straw is conducive to expediate the development of ecological and green agriculture. More importantly, it has long-term significance for the recycling of agricultural waste, improving the quality of rural life, and the employment of farmers. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), taking the representative survey questionnaire of farmers in Jilin Province, China as the sample, the structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to study the main factors that drive the utilization behaviors of straw resources of farmers and to explore the driving mechanism of the farmers behaviors in Jilin Province. The results show that the behavioral attitude and subjective norms of farmers in Jilin Province not only indirectly affect their actual behaviors through behavioral willingness, but also has significant direct effects on their behaviors. The most critical factors that affect the willingness of farmers to utilize the straw resources in Jilin Province are subjective norms and moral responsibilities. The subjective norms of farmers have a direct and significant positive impact on their willingness and behaviors. Behavioral attitude and perceived behavior control have a significant positive impact on their willingness. The behavioral willingness has a significant positive impact on their actual behaviors. This study provides guidance for the utilization of straw resources policy implications.